# Behavior Changes



## jazzysmom (Jun 15, 2010)

Help! My three year old cockapoo is running my house! We recently moved and she has started peeing and pooping in my new place. She gets scolded but it doesn't seem to do anything. During the day while I work she is in a crate. It is like she is punishing me for being gone. I don't want to get rid of her but I'm sick of it. She just has a bad attitude! Help me!!!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

hey, i know this is stressing you our but the best ting to do is to try and relax. it may be that the move has disorienteted her and has knocked her ruten. 

at what times does she toilet in the house and where.

is it when you are in or out, if its when you are in is it when you not with her or will she do it infrount of you 

how long is she crated for

does she toilet in the crate 

when do you feed her 

when do you walk her and how long for. 

it may just be a case of going back to basics taking her out more often and rewording her for toileting outside. 

in what way do you scold her, as if its not the second you catch he peeing then it will do no good she wont mke the conection between what she has done and what she is in trouble for.


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## merry (Feb 4, 2010)

You know, it's funny because we left Dexter with my sister and brother in law for a night. He LOVES it there because there are woods and acres that he can run as well as his BFF, their 2 year old female lab. When we picked him up he was so happy to see us, hop in the car and come home. But when we got here he acted depressed and peed in the house then pooped in the house the day. It was like he was mad that he was home. Now he is fine again. It was weird.


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

"We recently moved and she has started peeing and pooping in my new place." Did she get free roam of the house right away? How do you scold her? is it after the fact or right when it happens? How long is the work day, has your schedule gotten longer recently? 

Because she is confused (NOT spiteful) about the potty area, I think you should treat her as a new dog. Try this:

1st step, more frequent potty breaks. Know the hours between waking up, and going to work. And getting home, and going to sleep. Set up your day (and write it down!) so it is set up so that she only has to wait 2/3rds of her normal between potty break time. Say you took her out every three hours before the move. Start taking her out two hours now. If she still has mistakes, put the potty breaks even more frequent, say 1/2. Never let her out alone. Always go with her to make sure she goes. If she doesn't go, crate her. You have to stop the house soiling before it is a habit, so even if you just got home if she won't go (be sure to walk her good of course) you should pen her again, and try taking her out again after a half hour.

2nd step, more crating. Pick two times through the day (if your home at least 7 -8 hours) to crate her for a nap. It should be for only around 1 - 2 hours, or however long a normal nap is for her. Put them at good times for her. Say, freedom when you get home, then a nap (say, three ish hours after you got home.) then a few hours free, then nap. Be sure to have free play time when you get home, and before bed. If her potty problems are caused by stress, naps in a nice cold and dark crate should help. Dark is a must, put a really thick comforter/blanket over it. Only leave one of four sides open, and be sure it's very dark inside.

3rd step, more exercise, both mental and physical. If it's normal to walk her before work, make it a little longer. If you never walk her, start. You want to tire her out so she is more at ease at your new house. Don't forget training, mental exercise is more tiring then physical sometimes!

4th step prevention. Be sure all mistakes are cleaned with a real dog product. Normal cleaning products can smell like pee to a dog! If she has only one to two spots she goes potty in in the house, baby gate/close them of then from her. Be sure to check out the back yard as well, some dogs once scared about a place (mean dogs, ants, ect.) won't wont to go in it, and would avoid going potty outside, opting for the safety of the house instead. Walk and play with her outside to be sure she isn't afraid of something.

5th step, loosen up! She doesn't know about moving she just knows EVERYTHING has changed. She is just stressed and confused, be forgiving and comforting. Make it easy to please you, go nuts for a sit and let her know that your still there, and still love her. Quote "She just has a bad attitude!" No she doesn't. Please don't think of it this way. Dogs feel emotions, yes, but not long term thinking. Dogs can remember tricks ect, but do not think "she left me alone again! I'll be really bad so that when she gets home she'll be sorry!" this just simply isn't somthing there capable of. She is feeling fear though. This is a strange house, in a weird place, and mom is mad at her! Then add to that you leaving. Really, no wonder she's stressed lol. Don't get mad at her, understand that is it stress/fear and you (her mom, her protector, the only thing still normal in her life) being mad at her is only making it worst. 

Quote "I don't want to get rid of her but I'm sick of it." How long has this been going on? Has it been the whole time you've been in the new house? is there any chance she is coming into heat, hurt, or has some form of infection?

Also, dogs don't generalize well. While she may know not to pee inside your house, your friend's house, petco, this new house, she isn't so sure about. Think about it as if she is a new dog with passable house manners, not your three year old house trained dog.


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