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My dog Roxy, a min. Dachshund is 3 years old and I got her from a shelter a 1.5 years ago. When I picked her up, the shelter explained that the person who brought her there kept her in a crate 8 to 12 hours a day and she wasn't trained at all. Obviously I was upset to hear she was treated that way but happy to give her a better home. She was hard to train but I work from home, so it was easier for me to take her for walks several times a day and work with her. After about four months she was doing great and I was so proud of her and myself because I never trained a dog before. Things were going really well and then about six months ago she started getting up in the middle of the night and leaving a small poop in the living room. Most of the time I don't wake up to catch her but the nights I do, she will go out the doggie door and do her business. She knows she's supposed to go outside, so what's the problem? I almost think she is just lazy. My other dog doesn't even go at night, she waits until morning. How do I train a dog that's already trained and is sneaking a poop at night?
It's more apparent, from reading your post, that she needs a walk later than when you're walking her now! Rather than training, try walking her later. And NOT letting her out to go on her own - a REAL WALK.
To expand on my previous post: do this later than you're customarily letting her out. Put on her leash, get your coat on (and she would likely appreciate a coat, too) and put some REALLY GOOD TREATS (chicken, cheese or steak - it can be TINY pieces) in your pocket and go for a walk. When she poops, have a party, with lots of loud, high pitched praise, and plenty of treats. Do that every evening and you'll stop having accidents.
Crate her at night and after a week of no poops let her out in the house again. Dogs don't tend to poop where they sleep.
I don't want to crate her for several reasons.
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Originally Posted by Lola4
Maybe she is eating too late... too close to bedtime.
She eats around 5 - 6:00pm and does the sneaky poop around 12:00 - 3:00am. I don't think she should eat earlier than that but I do give her a snack around 9:00. It is small but I've been making it even smaller.
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Originally Posted by MAtheBanker
I demand a picture. I love doxies!
There's a bunch in my profile. : )
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Originally Posted by Viralmd
To expand on my previous post: do this later than you're customarily letting her out. Put on her leash, get your coat on (and she would likely appreciate a coat, too) and put some REALLY GOOD TREATS (chicken, cheese or steak - it can be TINY pieces) in your pocket and go for a walk. When she poops, have a party, with lots of loud, high pitched praise, and plenty of treats. Do that every evening and you'll stop having accidents.
This is how I trained her to begin with and like I said she was fine and is trained and uses a doggie door. Why would she use the doggie door during the day but not in the middle of the night? I can do as you said and considered that but if I do, I have to take both dogs and I feel they will both depend on that after awhile when I would rather they use the doggie door at night. I don't mind a late night walk but I live in a wooded area and it's kind of scary out here with no street lights, VERY dark.
Thanks for all the replies and ideas, I'll keep trying! We just put down a wood floor and took up the carpet so maybe that will help. She didn't sneak a poop last night!
Lovely but stubborn, the wonderful doxie! Reconsider the night time crating. Once you get into a routine you might find she enjoys her cave. I keep my two in a large one covered with a blanket at night. They understand "in" at bedtime and they get a cookie. Seems like your sweetie is not pooing in your bedroom? They can control themselves better in a crate at night. Soft blankets and a lovie with a couple of treats. Good luck.
Lovely but stubborn, the wonderful doxie! Reconsider the night time crating. Once you get into a routine you might find she enjoys her cave. I keep my two in a large one covered with a blanket at night. They understand "in" at bedtime and they get a cookie. Seems like your sweetie is not pooing in your bedroom? They can control themselves better in a crate at night. Soft blankets and a lovie with a couple of treats. Good luck.
Thanks but not going to happen. She was very neglected when we got her from the shelter. The person that dropped her off at the kill shelter (still makes me crazy mad) would keep her in a crate most of the time, so a crate to her is like jail. She hates it. She also picked up several bad habits from being left in a crate and pooping and eating her poop is one of them. I worked really hard with her to stop doing that and I don't want her to go backwards. It also took a long time for her to trust me, so I don't want her to feel anything like she did before, I want her to be happy and sleep where she does now, in my bed. Also, I have another dog and they both sleep in my bed, I couldn't make her go in a crate while the other is in the bed. I know everyone that crates their dogs may not get this because I posted this on a dog forum and one person kept saying over and over to crate. It's not going to happen! I would rather pick up her poop every morning. I would rather take her for late night walks as suggested anyway.
Update: no poop for a few days now. We put down the new floor and she is going outside! I hope she keeps it up, she's a good puppy.
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Good luck.
