Accidents in the house please help!

[stephanie08]

Hi! I have an 11 month old cairn terrier named oliver, we adopted him when he was 8 months old and he was halfway housebroken, meaning accidents were rare but they stil happened (once or twice a week). His accidents seemed to stop after awhile because we walk him frequently and constantly play with him, there are always people here so he gets taken out, walked and played with quite a bit. Recently he has started having daily accidents, he never pees inside only poops inside, and always when he knows im not looking, for example the other day I got in shower and normally he either lays next to the bathroom door or lays at the end of my bed when I am in the shower, but this time when I came out he was hiding underneath the bed and sure enough he had pooped on the floor in my room. I have been trying to use a crate and I scold him and put him in the crate for a little bit when he does this but I am not sure it is working because he still does it, and Ive tried to paper potty pads but he seems to think those are for him to chew up and play with. He sometimes will scratch at the door to tell me he has to go out or jump up at me and run to the door but lately he just seems to do whatever he wants. He gets multiple walks a day, and taken out frequently in between, he has tons of toys and gets alot of playtime. He is smart too he knows how to sit shake laydown stay, and he gets rewarded when he goes outside with a treat, but it seems to me like he is in someway rebelling against me and I am at a loss as to what to do. I dont like crating a dog, and it seemed like we were getting closer to being able to be out of the crate when no one was home, but his pooping in the house and chewing on things makes it hard to trust him in the house when im not there, so he goes in his crate for a few hours when no one is here and he has never gone potty in the crate before, but I cant crate him all day everyday. I almost feel like he doesnt respect me and has started to slowly stop listening to me, and its seems like we are now going backwards in the training instead of forward. So I am not sure what to do, any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Stephanie.

[Lynn in TN]

I only have a young Cairn she is 5 and 1/2 months old. She has started to do the same thing, but she is cutting teeth. So I have went back to crate training. I believe that is what you should do. I have read many post on this forum of others having this happen for different reasons. For some it happens because there has been a change in the household of some kind, a new pet, someone not being home as much as before, or a a dog that is getting settled and is just testing the owner, or it could be a health issue. If you can rule out a health issue then going back to the crate is the best thing. Cairns take time and patience and consistency. I can't use potty pads with Kelly either, for the same reason as your Oliver. She plays with them. I am sure others will have some really good advice for you as I am new at this myself and am constantly asking for advise. I wish you a lot of luck with him and hope he does well. Welcome to the forum. We love pictures on this site and would love to see a picture of your little cutie when you have time.

[Swarovski]

First of all, dogs LOVE their crates/kennels. These are not "punishment" chambers, but caves where the dogs feel safe and cozy.  The crate should be large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and stretch.  It should have a comfortable, washable pad and (especially for cairns who love to "dig") a soft towel on top of the pad for snuggling.  Introduce the dog to his crate by opening the door, calling the dog's name, tossing in a toy and saying "Kennel up."  As soon as the dog enters the crate, click (with your training clicker) and give him an immediate treat.  Do not close the kennel door.  Practice this fun game with your dog for a day or so.  He will find his crate a great place!  After a day or so, you begin by tossing in the toy, calling his name, giving the "kennel up" command, treating him when he enters, then gently closing the door to the kennel.  Leave him in it for 10-15 minutes.  Quietly open it with NO FUSS or fanfare.  Just casually open the door and go about your business. 

 

Once your dog has adapted to this, increase his time in the kennel, making sure he always gets the appropriate command and has a favorite toy inside.  Always have your dog "kennel up" and sleep in his little cave at night.  ALWAYS.  Allowing your cute doggie to sleep on the bed, etc. will confuse his acceptance of you being the "Alpha" (or pack leader).  And these darling little cairns are fairly stubborn at yielding that position to the Human In Charge.  It is not cruel to kennel the dog.  It is normal, natural and pleasant.  A word of caution, however.  I do NOT endorse kenneling a dog during the entire day while at work, freeing the dog when you get home from work for a few hours, then re-kenneling it at bedtime.  That is excessive and cruel to the dog.  Arrange for a sitter to come by and let your dog out for a good walk and healthy romp, mid-day.  And if your dog is pooping while you are in the shower, train him to "kennel up" whenever you need to do so.  That solves your problem.