Dogs and Emotions

Question
My dog is 4 years old and has lately been pooping in the house. He started it about a month ago. We take him outside a good amount of time but sometimes doesn't go. Especially if we are gone that's when he does it the most. Is it an emotional stage because he only poops in one area.

Answer
Hi Alesa,

You should start by having your dog examined by a veterinarian, if he used to be reliably house trained, but isn't any longer.

Because the dog has the accidents in one particular area, laying down a thick layer of newspaper in that area will go a long way in making clean ups easier. Crating your dog, or containing him in a small area with the help of a child-gate or two can help this problem by not giving your dog the run of your home, when you're not home. Crating is actually preferable, because it doesn't give your dog room to soil, while it safely contains him.
You can read about crating your dog here:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/crate2.html
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/crate-train.pdf

If your dog doesn't eliminate during his walk, but you know he has to "go", take him back home and either watch him like a hawk, or put him in his crate for 15 minutes. After that time, take him back outside for another chance to "go".

After a medical reason is ruled out, you can look at things such as separation anxiety, if these accidents only happen when the dog is left alone. You can read about separation anxiety here:

http://www.wagntrain.com/SeparationAnx.htm

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_she...

Best of luck,
Patti