Correcting bad behavior

Question
I have a 10 month old Keeshound that has been house trained for some time.  Lately he has started peeing in the house and sneaking down to the basement to poop.  This sneaky behavior has me concerned and I find it difficult to correct as I'm not sure when he's doing this.  He goes outside regularly and is with me all the time.  He eats once in the morning and has water available always.  He used to let me know when he wanted to go out if I let too much time go by.  I think he's even gone in the back of my Jeep.  I think the Jeep issue may be bacause I leave him at times for up to an hour.  He used to chew cords but has stopped.  Now he barks for the firt 10 minutes after I walk into wherever I'm going.  Any suggestions as to what may be going on in his pretty little head?

Answer
Hi Starr,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your 10 month old Keeshound.  I have a special place in my heart for northern breeds, having had several Samoyeds and Huskeys!

The first thing I always recommend in a situation like yours is for your dog to have a full exam by a vet in order to rule out any medical issues.  

Once your vet tells you that your dog is in excellent health, the next step is to begin puppy housebreaking from scratch.  That means confining your dog so he can't sneak down to the basement or any other place without supervision. He can either be crated for up to (not beyond) four hours or placed in a puppy play pen in the kitchen. Water and food should be removed and given only before he is walked.  If he has water available all the time he will tend to pee all the time.  This is only until he is 100% reliable.

I would also use caution when leaving him in a car.  It makes him vulnerable to being stolen.  From your description regarding his barking, I would venture to guess that he has developed some separation anxiety.  Additionally, with the summer months upon us, having a dog in a car is a perscription for trouble.  A car heats up like an oven when the temperature rises and your dog can be quickly overcome.  Please be very careful.

If your dog isn't getting enough exercise and mental stimulation, he will bark for attention and develop other unwanted behavior.  Try to give your dog at least 2 yrs. of strenuous exercise a day if possible.

Please don't assume that your dog should be housebroken at 10 months.  There is no set age for housebreaking.  My current dog wasn't housebroken until she was well past a year old.  Many dogs will revert to old behavior, especially when experiencing some sort of stress or when placed in a new environment.  Dogs like a daily routine, so try to be as consistant as possible at this stage in his life.

The reason your dog is sneaking around to pee is probably due to fear of punishment.  Punishing after the fact is useless and can lead to the creation of sneaky behavior and other unwanted emotional responses.  Just practice prevention. That is the key to successful puppy housebreaking and it will also your help your dog to establish good habits that will last him a life time.

Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions or concerns.

The best of luck.

Shelley Davis
www.bednbiscuit.com