My dog just wont learn.

Question
Hey Kristen, I really need help. I have a dog which is a bit older than seven month, boy, and is a shih-tzu. Well, he poos/pees outside, most of the time.. but at night and when nobodys looking I find poo/pee on the hardwood, and worstly half eaten. Even if I bring him out right before my family and I go to bed he still poos/pees. If I dont train him soon, were planning to give him away, so I need to find out 3 things: how to train him to poo/pee outside permanently (which includes not to poo/pee at night), how to "unmark" his poo/ pee spot on the hardwood, and how to stop him from eating his poo. Please write back A.S.A.P.

Answer
Poo eating is fairly common in puppies, and usually they outgrow it. The simplest way to keep him from continuing to do it is to keep it picked up as soon as he goes potty.

At 7 months of age, he ought to be able to hold it all night. I recommend that you buy him a shih-tzu sized crate (I prefer the plastic ones with the metal door, because most dogs find them more den-like and they are easier to clean & move than all-wire crates), and put him in it when you go to bed. Do not feed him or allow him access to water within 3 hours of bedtime, and take him out at least twice between the time you pick up his food/water bowls and bedtime. When you take him out, put him on a leash so you can be sure he is actually pottying when he's out there, and praise him happily when he potties outside. For the first week, you may consider getting up halfway through the night and taking him out, just to reinforce that he is not to potty in the crate, and to avoid his having accidents since he's used to going potty at some point during the night. The 2nd week, get up an hour later than you did the first week; the 3rd week, get up another hour later; the 4th week, *another* hour later, and so-on, until you are sleeping all night again. This gradual method helps to teach his body to control itself until you take him out. However, you should not make him stay in the crate at night for more than 9 hours straight, and no more than 7-8 hours during the day, if you crate him during the day for whatever reason.


Nature's Miracle is a good cleaner for getting rid of both old and new pet odors. I'm not sure if it's safe to use on hardwood floors, but it is sold at most pet stores like PetsMart, so you can go and read the label to see.