[Wiley Coyote]

We are in the process of adopting a five year old rescue dog. On four of the six nights we have had him, he has either pooped or peed in the house despite having ample opportunity to do his business outside during the day. On reaching out to the rescue facility we were informed that he had a doggy door and so the dogs could go out at night to do their business.....so that was likely the issue. We don't have a doggy door and it doesn't seem feasible to install one due to the layout of our home and the style of doors we have. Any ideas on how we can retrain this dog to not go to the bathroom in the house but instead wait until the morning or ask to be let out of the house. The first option is preferable.
Thanks for any positive suggestions you might have. By the way, the dog is really great in all other aspects and we would love to provide him a good home!

 

[storyist]

Are you crating him at night? I never had this problem with rescue fosters, but every one was in a crate in my bedroom at night. Good luck. Hope it works out and he has a home with you.

 

[Toedtoes]

Just start like he is a puppy. That means getting up every couple hours to let him go potty during the night. He'll catch on quick enough that he can't just go in the house.

As he gets used to waiting for you to let him out, you can reduce the number of times you get up during the night until he is sleeping through the night.

 

[Wiley Coyote]

Are you crating him at night? I never had this problem with rescue fosters, but every one was in a crate in my bedroom at night. Good luck. Hope it works out and he has a home with you.

No, he's not crated at night. He hasn't been used to a crate in the past, based on info I've been given and I didn't think it was a good approach to crate him now, given a new environment and owners. Thanks for your reply!

 

[Wiley Coyote]

Just start like he is a puppy. That means getting up every couple hours to let him go potty during the night. He'll catch on quick enough that he can't just go in the house.

As he gets used to waiting for you to let him out, you can reduce the number of times you get up during the night until he is sleeping through the night.

Thanks for this suggestion. We can try that and hope it's effective. Would be nice if it works quickly or good bye restful sleep!

 

[Toedtoes]

Thanks for this suggestion. We can try that and hope it's effective. Would be nice if it works quickly or good bye restful sleep!

It shouldn't take long. Unless he has a health issue, he should settle in to the new routine quickly. And he's old enough to be able to hold it during the night. Just make it a positive experience every time.

 

[DaySleepers]

Yep, just go back to basics for a bit and he should catch on quickly! Even without the doggy door situation, it's pretty common for 'housebroken' dogs to need a refresher in a new environment, whether that's a whole new family or just a visit to the in-laws with their long-time owners - they just don't always generalize rules from one indoor living space to another without a little extra work to enforce them. Wishing you luck!

 

[3GSD4IPO]

Crates are not "bad" but you need to train it. Feed the dog in the crate. Toss food into the crate (make it a game). There are videos on "crate games."

If the crate is in the bedroom at night it can also help. It may only take a few weeks/a few months to get the dog reliable enough to be out of the crate (or the door left open).

I also recommend a plastic crate so it is more like a den to the dog. Wire crates are not so good IMO.

Good luck!

 

[Toedtoes]

By the time you crate train the dog, you could have already potty trained him.