Rehouse training after boarding

Question
QUESTION: My mini Schnauser has never had accidents in house but after boarding for 8 days she is messing in the house at night. I tried getting up earlier but she had already peed and pooped after only 7 hours. She can normally go 9 to 10 hours without an accident.She is an older dog and I have been trying to take her out more often but need her to not need to go out during night as I still work and need full night of sleep.Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

ANSWER:
Hi Jo Ann,

You didn't say how long ago your dog was kenneled, but it appears she's still stressed from the the event. I think your dog will revert back to her normal house training habits, but it might take time.

Until your dog is once again reliably house trained, don't let her have the run of your home at night, or any time you can't be monitoring her. Just as you probably did when she was a puppy, contain her to part of a room (with the help of a child gate or two) or use a dog crate or indoor dog pen.  If you opt for keeping her in part of a room, or using a dog pen, expect and prepare for accidents by putting a thick layer of newspaper down over the entire containment area.
If your dog hasn't got any health issues where withholding water would be a problem, after about 7pm pick up your dog's water bowl so she can't drink again until morning.

If this as been going on longer than about 2 weeks, it might be a good idea for a vet to examine your dog. It may be a coincidence that this problem coincided with being kenneled, you just never know with an older dog.

There comes a time with older dogs, that they just can't handle the stress of being kenneled. At that point, having a dog sitter stay in your home, so your dog can retain her daily routines is an option to consider.

Best of luck,

Patti

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: When I asked original question it had only been 2 days. She has not had an accident since but we are taking her out every few hours. She was a rescue dog and already house trained when we adopted her. We have never housed trained a puppy or dog  before and I am uncertain if there is a different/ better way to train/retrain an older dog. Thanks

Answer

Hi Jo Ann,

Thanks for getting back to me with that additional info.

Though it's possible your dog is still stressed from being kenneled, since this situation is still going on, it would probably be a good idea to have your vet examine your dog to rule out a medical reason for the house training problems.

The way to house train an adult dog, is the same as how it's done for a puppy. Usually when it's just a refresher course, it doesn't take too long to remind a dog of the skills she has forgotten. You shouldn't give your dog the free run of your home. Anytime you can't be watching her she needs to be contained in either a crate (if she's crate trained), an indoor dog pen, or to part of a room by using child gates. Just as I mentioned before, if you opt for keeping her in part of a room, or using a dog pen, expect and prepare for accidents by putting a thick layer of newspaper down over the entire containment area. This will make cleanup less of a problem. As frustrating as the accidents are, anger only reinforces bad behavior. Negative attention is still attention! Clean up the mess without yelling or fan fare.

While you're home, you might find it helpful to keep your dog's leash attached to her collar, and loop the end of the leash around your belt or hand. This ensures your dog can't disappear and have an accident the moment you take your eyes off of her.
Along with the confinement and supervision, the other key to house training is frequent opportunities to relieve herself outside. You should be taking your dog outside on a schedule. Letting your dog outside in a fenced in yard might not work as well as leashed walks because you may not be monitoring if your dog has relieved herself or not when she's outside alone.
Consistency matters! Be sure to take your dog out at the same time each day, and designate a specific spot for potty breaks. When your dog goes to the bathroom in the right place outside, make sure you are giving her a small reward of something highly prized (such as a tiny bit of hot dog or cheese) and offer praise.

Is your dog able to "hold it" during the day? or has this only been a problem over night?
If this is only a problem of the over night time frame, and if your dog doesn't stay in your bedroom with you, then this might be a form of separation anxiety. If this is the case, try keeping your dog with you over night, to see if that doesn't help. If your dog is crate trained, try moving her crate into your room, or use an indoor dog pen.

If your dog is having accidents in your home at other times of the day, this could be due to your dog getting older and she needs to go outside more often. This leads you back to having a vet exam.

I hope that helps!
Patti