5 year old dog pooping in home

Question
HI -- I have a 5 year old bearded collie who has started pooping in the house again.  We feed her once a day, and walk her at approximately the same time morning and evening.  She doesn't like when the grass is wet, or if it is very cold.  She will stand on her hind legs until we bring her back in the house.  Once back in the house, within 30 minutes she will poop.  If the weather is nice -- we have no issues.  Additionally, she has begun pooping, I think when she is either excited or angry.  I have had to sequester the dogs in a sunroom for two days due to some asbestos removal in our home -- and I needed to keep them as far away from the activity as possible.  Each time, our beardie has pooped -- and at times when she normally wouldn't have to go.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
This could be related to stress or health changes so I would suggest seeing the veterinarian for a clean bill of health. Also, some dogs as they age have more difficulty knowing when they need to eliminate. Once you get the okay from the DVM, evaluate if your dog food is working well for the dog. The formula may have changed which could be causing this new bathroom routine or the food may not be the right "fit" for the dog's system. Just like people, there is no one right food for every dog.

I would suggested that you "umbilical" the dog to you and/or utilize a crate until you get the bathroom habit resolved. If you and the dog are always right by each other, this new habit can usually be resolved fairly quickly. I added some links for more information.

http://www.outlawchinooks.com/dog_Potty_Training.html
http://www.outlawchinooks.com/
http://www.RileyTrainingCenter.blogspot.com

Good Luck!