You should not punish a dog for pooping in the house, aside from a firm “no” if you actually catch your dog in the act. Dogs can't understand the concept of punishment in the same way that humans do. Yelling, hitting, or physically punishing a dog can cause fear, anxiety, and even aggression.
There are many reasons why your dog might poop in the house, including physical issues, like intestinal parasites and food allergies, and environmental factors like stress. Disciplining a dog who poops in the house isn't helpful or effective, especially if the dog can't help pooping because of a physical issue.
Noise Phobia / Outdoor Stressors
Your dog may be pooping inside because something outdoors scares them or makes them anxious. Some dogs have a more nervous personality, and loud sounds such as vehicles passing by, dogs barking, thunder, people shouting, or other loud noises can contribute to fear and anxiety.
Establish a routine
Take your dog out at the same times every day. For example, first thing in the morning when he wakes up, when you arrive home from work, and before you go to bed. Praise your dog lavishly every time he eliminates outdoors. You can even give him a treat.
Several medical conditions could cause unexplained pet accidents in the home. “Anything that causes diarrhea or an urgency to go, such as parasites, infections, a food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease or cancer, can make it so that dogs don't have a chance to get outside before they need to go,” Bonk says.
Dominance. Dogs in multi-dog households may assert dominance by consuming the feces of another dog and replacing it with their own. This is similar, but perhaps more "extreme" to marking over top of another dog's urine and defecating on top of another dog's feces.
Something that is generally very effective is vinegar – dogs seem to hate the pungent, acrid smell of vinegar, and its application in a few strategic locations may do the job. Another popular – although sometimes controversial – option is cayenne pepper or strong chili powder.
Similar to human waste, canine waste contains harmful bacteria and potential parasites. Specifically, dog poop contains fecal coliform bacteria that can spread diseases, such as Giardia and Salmonella.
Many pups will have an accident in their crate when they can not hold it any longer but what about the dog that actually goes to the bathroom in the crate even when they can hold it for a longer period of time? That dog is not offended by peeing or pooping in its area. That is called Dirty Dog Syndrome!
It's a natural behavior that they use to mark their territory and communicate with other dogs. Although you can spend a significant amount of time teaching your dog to take care of business outside, that doesn't necessarily mean that he understands not to poop inside.
For instance, watery stools may indicate an intestinal problem, while small pellet-like poops can mean your dog is dehydrated. More serious issues that warrant a veterinary visit include mucus (possible inflamed colon), blood, white bits (may be tapeworm), or black, coffee-like stool (possible internal bleeding.)
Habit. Over time, your dog will get used to going to that specific spot every time he needs to poop. As your dog begins to walk himself to your designated pooping spot you may begin to let him go off his leash.
There's no specific age at which dogs stop pooping in the house, as that depends on how you handle your puppy at night, and how early and effective the potty training is.
The best thing to do is to follow this general rule: At least 30 minutes after a small snack. 1 hour after a small meal. 2 to 3 hours after a medium/large meal.
This lapse in potty training can be caused by stress and anxiety, or might also happen because of missed potty breaks, and the dog has to "hold it" longer than they're used to. Change in schedule (humans go back to work, children go back to school, change in work schedule, etc.)
One concern about leaving lights on is disrupting the dogs sleeping pattern. Wolves are the ancestors of the domesticated dog, which were of course nocturnal. This means that lights shouldn't stop your dog from being able to sleep, but it might be an idea to consider leaving some of the house in darkness for them.
Place a high-value treat in front of your dog's nose. If you chose a low enough value toy and an exciting enough treat, your dog should willingly drop the toy in exchange. As soon as your dog drops the toy, praise or use a clicker to mark the behavior, then give your dog the treat.
In my experience, there are usually two possible reasons for this behavior. The first is that the dog asks, but the person doesn't notice, misreads the communication or doesn't act quickly enough. The second may be that the dog has unintentionally been allowed to have accidents in the house.
Happy tail syndrome in dogs occurs when this strong tail repeatedly hits solid objects with force during a wagging session, resulting in the thin skin of the tail splitting open. You would think that this injury would be enough to stop even the happiest tail in its tracks, but alas this is not usually the end of it.