housebreaking a rescue dog

Question
My male cockapoo is almost 2 years old...i adopted him @ 9 months. he was not housebroken. i have been working to train him for over a year!

he has gone 8 hours (during the day/night) without an accident many times. But, every few weeks he makes a mistake... pee or poo if left alone for a few hours.

Most of the time, he makes it through the night.  he has peed/pooped during the night, even thought he gets a "last call" just before lights out. Last month, he pooped all over the living room during the nite...he had been out just before bedtime.

I tried crate training for 6 months months... he gets himself so worked up (trying to bite & claw his way out) that I am afraid he will break his teeth...so that is not an option.

There are no medical problems & from the training classes, he is totally obedient on leash, going in and out of doors, etc. (I have been working on obedience training from the start) I should mention he also has separation anxiety & is very shy with other dogs & people, so I have been working on that too.

I have bells by the doors that he occassionally remembers to ring (I remind him every time I take him out, if he doesn't ring it)...occassionally he simply sits by the door to go out.

Yesterday he was following me around while I was vacuuming...usually he runs away. I stopped & saw that he was getting ready to squat and pee...I did get him outside before he leaked.

Also, I started using a "belly band"... if I am going to be gone for several hours. He has peed twice through the band...most recently this afternoon. I was gone for 6  hours & he had been out and exercised before I left.c

He has a routine, gets lots of exercise, he is praised lavishly & rewarded when going outside, i am taking him out every few hours...I have been doing this consistently for a year...where am I going wrong?
Thank you...I am feeling so desperate.  

Answer
I'm sure it's a frustrating problem considering you've worked so hard it. If there is no urinary tract infection, then it seems that his accidents are related to his separation anxiety.

Try again with a wire crate, put some treats and favorite toys inside, and leave the door open. Let him decide if he wants to go in. Eventually he might get to seeing it as a comfortable place to be. Don't make it too big; just large enough for him to stand up and turn around in.

If you do get him to the point where you can close the door, keep him in the room with you a few times before you leave; build up your time very slowly. Leaving a treat like a stuffed Kong with him right before you go might also help.

Also, ask your vet about medications for separation anxiety. Always the lowest dose first.

Give up on the belly band, and the doorbell I think might get in the way of the larger issue of separation anxiety.

Also, important: control his water intake. If he doesn't always have access to water, you will be able to monitor him better. Offer him water when he might need it.

Hope this helps a little at least. Good luck.

Josh Abrams,
Founder, Dogasaur.com