Poopin when we leave.

Question
Hanna is a 1& 1/2 year old yorkie. She is house broken and tells us when she has to go out. The problem is when we leave, even for 10 minutes she poops it seems like it is to spite us for leaving.
She goes out several times a day. We tried caging her and she poops in the cage and them steps in it. We have recently confined her to 1 room so at least the poop is not on the carpet. She goes all night without needing to go out and tells us in the morning when she need to go. Someone is home most of the time, it's when we leave, she gets very upset cries and makes a fuss, we tried leaving her a treat to occupy her, but when we come home there is always poop by the gate and she usually steps in it. We try to let her out before we leave but she still leaves a little a small dropping

Answer
Hi Jim,
I have a dog that does the same thing.  It is when she gets anxious that this happens.  Here is what I am doing and it is working.

First you have to desensitize her to your going out.  Does she start to get anxious when you lift your keys up to go.  Change your pattern of going out.  Also, I want you to go out and return in a minute, and praise her if she didn't do anything.  If she did, shorten the return.

Now here is the part that I am doing with a lot of success.  I taught my dog to go out and do "Potty".  When she knew what that meant, I would praise and treat her.  Now, when I leave a room I tell her firmly, "No Potty" and it is working.  However, in the beginning, I didn't leave her long and I praised her when there was nothing there.

Yorkies are smart, but they do get anxious.  Start teaching her to stay calm by doing that exercise of returning right away.  And very slowly extending the time.  Now this type of anxiety is not a quick fix, so be patient.

There is another thing you can do that will help with the anxiety and thus with the pooing,
that is check with your vet for a prozac type pill to give her temporarily while she is learning to stay home alone.
Thx
nancy