Lazy Dog??

[fumbles]

We have a 2.5 year old female Chihuahua and have had her since she was 6 mo. We have a dog door which she knows how to use , so she has free access to the out side. For 2 years we have tried to break her of doing #2 in the house. Usually in the same place on a small carpet in the bathroom. She pees outside no problem but she does the other in the house usually when we are at work. We have 2 other Yorkies and have had no trouble from them at all. She even goes out with them.

We think that her first owner trained her on a pad and may be thats why she goes there. But if we block her from going there she just goes somewhere else. We have tried everything we know of to break her of this but we are at a loss why she continues. Shes a smart dog so is she just lazy or what? Can anyone help us with this?

 

[tigerlily46514]

wow, she is a smart dog!! ha ha!!

Maybe you might want to consider potty training refresher lessons?have you tried rewarding her lavishly for pooping outside? LIke bring marvelous best treats, and if you can catch her pooing outside, reward reward, praise and reward. Make that best moment of her whole day.
otherwise, i have no idea...
stand by, someone will be along who had a dog who did this, and will know what to do...

Instead of blocking her, why not take her outside when she is showing interest in getting over to "her spot" where she likes to poo?

and be sure to use the enzymatic cleansers she mentions in this quickie video:
the scent can kind of trigger some dogs to go again, over and over....

 

[tigerlily46514]

also, no harm in teaching this clever dog some tricks.
who knows, maybe tricks training *might* increase your dogs ability to follow your cues,
and your ability to motivate your dog to do what you want?

doesn't matter what trick, any trick will do. It's the process of teaching a trick that helps...might not help, but, quickie daily lessons on some trick, might help your dog become more biddable, more focused on you, and help you become better at figuring out your dog too.

who knows.

 

[SD&B]

Maybe go back to the basics. Use crate training and also lavish praise/rewards when she poops outside. As Tigerlily mentioned, be sure to use enzymatic cleaners for the places where she has #2'ed. Try to get a #2 outside before you go to work, so that she doesn't have it in her.

Or, try putting the rug outside and just sacrificing it to #2's. (Is is carpet that is attached to the floor or a rug? If it is carpet, try covering it with a rug and then, when she does go on it, putting it outside.)

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

Hi fumbles

Does she ever poo outside? If not, there may be a specific reason she's averse to it ... anything from the texture (she doesn't view dirt as a toilet for #2, like we distinguish btwn urinals and toilets) to the other dogs bothering her in some way when she tried to go there so long ago. It's possible that she had a bad experience going out there -- let's say she postured to defecate and there was a loud bang from a truck, or a crack of thunder, or someone dropped something metal closeby, or heck, maybe she pulled a muscle in her back -- and she took that as a strong correction so she's unwilling to risk it.

Jolanta Benal has a great podcast and FB page and has addressed nearly everything, if you're interested in some standard practical tips:
http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-housetrain-your-dog.aspx
http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/inappropriate-elimination-not-housetraining.aspx

Personally I'd just put a pee pad over the carpet in the bathroom and let her use that, since she's just a chihuahua and she clearly has an aversion to going outside. She's neither lazy nor stupid, she either thinks outside is not an appropriate place to go, or she's physically or mentally too intimidated to go there, so I'd give her an acceptable indoor option.

 

[harrontrueman]

Some dogs have such a characteristics. Not all the time it is matter of laziness but sometimes it happens due to some illness it makes him to do so. It must be diagnose for better solution and good health of him.

 

[Pawbla]

You know, some people I know use kitty litter boxes for small dogs. It is very useful for people who live in apartments, it may suit your dog.