Pooping in the house

[LynnO]

My male 2 yr old Basenji started pooping in house and we find it In the morning so not sure when he relieving himself. We have a doggy door that he can freely use all day and night. But this past month he’s been using our living room floor as his personal toilet. It’s not everyday but often enough. He doesn’t appear to be ill either. Runs around in the backyard like a maniac and then comes in for a siesta. No unusual behavior other than releasing himself in the house when no one is around to see him. my husband and I are retired so one if us is home most of the day. How can I correct this behavior since it is not occurring in front of me?

[eeeefarm]

1st question, since you have a dog door are you sure it is your dog leaving the presents? Otherwise, could something be deterring him from going out? Perhaps some critter outside he is afraid of? I would keep him in the bedroom with you for awhile, restrict his access to the living room, and get up and let him out if he gets restless, but he really should be able to last all night. (is the stool normal, or does he have an upset?)

[LynnO]

The back yard is enclosed so no other critters around. Plus we have a 7 year old Schnauzer that goes out all day long. I noticed that he does not like going out in the rain but will follow my Schnauzer for a quick pee pee whenever she runs out. His poop looks normal so he's not sick.

[Pawla]

Did anything change right before he started pooping in the house? Did you change his food or routine? Is there a new neighbor? Did someone leave your home? Is he taking revenge for something you did or changed? Do you walk your b on leash and know he has made the last potty of the day, or do you expect him to go in the back yard? How do you know the last time he has gone potty before bedtime? Maybe he has decided he doesn't want to potty in the yard where he plays/runs... My b will NOT potty in our yard.

All the b's I've ever known hated going out in the dark by themselves. Would your b go outside in the dark by himself before this behavior started?

Like eeeefarm said: restrict his access to the living room at night and see what happens.
You can't correct a behavior that doesn't occur in front of you.

He should not have to go potty in the middle of the night if he's been walked and goes potty in the late afternoon/evening - my b can hold it for 3 days if it's raining outside (smile).

[LynnO]

Actually my husband did change his food. That’s about the only change that occurred. He is afraid to go out at night so my husband goes out on the deck while both dogs go out and relieve themselves in an area of the backyard that they usually use just for that. Going out in the backyard has never been a problem for him in the past. So, It could be the new dog food.

[elbrant]

@lynno I don't feel like this is food related. It just seems more like a behavior issue that is probably related to something you think is "no big deal", but which your dog thinks is "really scary".

So, just a thought -- what about weather? Storms, not your typical rain.... You didn't indicate how long this has been going on, and, I don't know where you live, "but"... the east coast has just had a big storm pass through. I'm asking because I noticed that my 'doodle' didn't want to go for her normal walk the day before Hurricane Isaias passed through. Dogs sense things differently than we do. We might think high winds are just extra windy, but your dog would be able to hear lots of things we wouldn't be able to hear. Like limbs cracking, or falling, pine cones hitting the siding, etc., etc. Noises we can associate with reasons. Noises that your dog might not understand.

So, I'm wondering if you might be in an area that has had recent storms? And do the late night "accidents" occured before, during, or after any of those storms?

[eeeefarm]

The food change could be significant. And if he feels the need to relieve himself in the night he may not use the backyard if the dark frightens him. Best solution is to take him out before you go to bed, observe whether he defecates, and keep him in your bedroom at night so you will hopefully notice if he becomes restless and needs to go out.

[LynnO]

We do live on the East Coast. New York to be exact. Lots of storms lately so its possible that he wouldn’t go outdoors at night if the trees are rustling in tge wind. He is a bit of a fraidy cat. Lol. The behavior lasted for about a week and it was when we had some windy conditions, light thunder and lightning. He found his own little niche to sleep ( on top of the laundry basket). We had some old comforter we put in there and he claimed it.

[Daureen]

Do you have a kennel to put him in at night in your bedroom? Mine has been kenneled since he came home at night next to my bed and he is very content and this eliminates night time issues.

[LynnO]

He stopped doing it so I wonder now if it did have something to do with the storms.