Dog mess

Question
QUESTION: Hello, we have a three year old Tibetan Terrier and every time we leave him alone in the house we can guarantee to come home to poo and wee. He has ruined the carpet through out the house.
Please Help
Regards Michael

ANSWER: Have you had him his whole life?  And if so, have you recently moved?  

I do need more information about when it started, time he is left alone and how much exercise he gets.....any details you can supply me will help.

To start, I strongly recommend crate training and utilizing the housebreaking schedule on my website.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for getting back to us so quickly. We have had him all his life, at the same address. He gets 20 mins excercise twice a day plus run arounds in the garden. The pooing & weeing also takes place if we leave him for 15 mins. straight after a walk (even if an hour down the park). We know from neighbours that he barks (high pitched) and winges all the time he is left alone. He does not use the house as a toilet when there is someone in the house. Have wondered if another dog might help. We tried crate training before and he pood in that aswell, then got it all over himself. Many thanks for your assistance and we look forward to hearing from you.

Answer
This sounds like more of a separation anxiety issue than a housebreaking issue.  He needs to be secure with being left alone, and that can be taught though it takes some work and specialized techniques.  Your goal is to teach him:
1. when you leave he is OK by himself
2. you will be coming back
3. he is rewarded if you come back and he has behaved himself

Start with short leaves of absence where he can still hear and smell you.  For example, put him in a crate for a short time in the room you are in.  Make sure he has something to do that is different from regular chew toys/treats.  I recommend Kongs filled with canned dog food, meat, "junk food" treats, even the kong stuffing paste (its similar to cheez whiz).  Reward for quiet behavior.  After a few sessions like this, start leaving the room when he is occupied-not for long periods, just a few minutes at first.  You will know if you are gone too long as the negative behaviors will appear-if so, decrease the time you are gone.  Even leaving the room, coming back, leaving, coming back...etc. to help build the knowledge that you will be returning.

The next step is to leave the house-again for just a few minutes.  When you leave DO NOT make a big deal of it.  No long goodbyes, reassurances that you will be back, feeling guilty-all those are indications that he has something to be concerned about.  By now you should be able to leave for a short time and return, and he is still working on the kong or other chew treat.  Oh yes-and I do not recommend using rawhide without supervision-so for the short sessions it is fine, but not when you are gone for the day-or even trips to the store, walks around the block, etc.

As he is comfortable with you leaving, you will start to extend the time away.  I also like to extend the time his treat will last.  Back to the canned dog food or pumpkin, broth and kibble or anything else of that consistency-and freeze it.  He already has the habit of chewing on the kong to get his reward, and now that activity will take much longer.  He will have something to do, wear himself out, and the tension he feels at extended time alone is generally relieved by all that work instead of pent up until he releases it by whining, barking or eliminating inappropriately.

I know this is a plan that takes some time.  And not every person has the time between first training session and having to go off to work or school.  When you are working through this plan I would recommend a day care, dog walking service or even play date at a friend or neighbor's house for the extended absences so he does not have the opportunity to continue practicing the anxiety behavior.