We have a 2 1/2 yo blue healer mix that I adopted from a shelter 2 years ago. She is a great dog, great with the kids, good indoors.
My big problem with her is that she will poop in very inappropiate areas. It's driving me nuts. Never inside, but outside.. the whole yard is her toilet.. I even opnce saw her BACK UP to the kiddie pool and poop in it. she will poop right outside the door, and in the swing area. Most recently, she pooped on the doggie bed (not hers) I suspect it was another "back up" to get it to land on the doggie bed. I know it's gross, but if I cannot break her of this habit, she will need a new home. Also, she is so well behaved inside, but when she goes out, becomes a total nusance, especially if my twins go out. The second she sees them go out, she goes nuts.. barking and attacking a swing... yes, a swing. The same one. then she stops, runs around the yard barking and comes back to the swing!! ( but not if the kids are on it) I yell at her and she stops.. for a while. It makes out outside time very stressfull. Any thoughts? the kids love her and we do not want to get rid of her, but when she goes out..I do not like her..grrr.
My dog will do anything for a treat. You have no idea what a swing from the past may mean to her. But they told us in puppy class to take them out on a leash to potty and take them to the same spot every time. Do not let her linger but stay only long enough to do business. Then offer a treat if she does it. G. W
when your dog is outside you should put her on a yard leash. get one of those metal things that anchors in to the grass by twisting it into the ground. then they have 10, 15, 20, and longer leads that just clip to her collar and the other end to the stake. that will keep her from doing her business every where. and keep her under controll. she just seems a little hyper to go outside. how often does she get to go out. mabey more frequent outings on the yard leash will help her calm down and eventually she will learn to poop in that area. and play more calmly around the yard.
any other questions about pets feel free to ask. i have a kennel and 8 dogs and numerous pups all the time. i have gone through everything!
I second Aaron with the Educated Dog. He really help our American Bulldog, Monster. The real key to the relationship is walking your dog. You have to walk your dog daily and let them know who is the alpha. Aaron will also help you determine what triggers this behavior and how to adjust your behavior to help her to understand your expectations.
I know you must be very busy with your family...but I must agree with some of the others. Working dogs need a lot of excercise. Twice daily walks would be very helpful. If he plays ball...this is good too.
The other thing I would do is if he is inside and asks to go out to potty...take him on a leash everytime to the grass. When he poops you reward him with a yummy treat and tell him good boy in a upbeat happy voice.
I don't know about your financial situation but even doggie daycare might be good for him (if he is good with other dogs). He can play and herd them all day long. They are usually beat when they get home and are ready to sleep.
Good luck.
There are sprays you can get that should stop your dog from eliminating in areas you don't want it in. Also, there is something you can drive into the ground....looks like a stake....it has pheromones in it and when the dog smells that, they are supposedly drawn to take care of business in that area. I have never used them so I can't speak of them, but I've seen them at PetSmart. Hope this helps somewhat. Praise God it's outside, and go from there, I guess! ;)
I would say that the reason your dog is good inside and bad outside is due to her breed. The blue healer is a herding dog, but also a protect the herd dog. She is trying to protect her herd- your children- when you are outside the safety of the house. I think the pooping is related as she is trying to mark everywhere as a sign to others to stay away from her "herd". Definitely go see a trainer. It sounds like she is generally good and you want to keep her. A friend had similar issues with her blue healer and they ended up having to put the dog down because she was "protecting" the children and became aggressive towards the parents. They let the problem go on for way to long without getting help. Good luck. I have two 1/2 blue healers and they are good dogs.
Sounds like your dog is board and would benifit from general obedience training and daily walks. taking it for walks can help regulate his system and get him to poop when you want him to and where you want him to. walking helps to move the bowls. Some times the neurotic dog can occur from bordom play games and include him in the childrens games of keep away or fetch might help. just my 2 cents...A.
Sounds like you need a dog behaviorist! I can personally recommend Aaron Stewart with The Educated Dog (www.theeducateddog.com) - he worked with our dogs and I have referred him to clients who have dogs with behavior issues and everyone is thrilled with the outcome!
Hey, C....
I have some thoughts on what might be happening, but would look like a book, so if you want, you can call me. My home # is ###-###-####. I live in Carrollton, and Man's Best Friend has a location here at Midway and Trinity Mills. I had a jack russell terrier that was deaf, and they were able to train him. (I used the Grand Prairie location, since I lived in FW at the time.) Generally, they will board the dog for 2 weeks, and train her, enforcing good habits and breaking "bad" ones. Then you will come and work with her and the trainer for a while. The trainer will be able to tell you what your family might be doing that is confusing her, and then you can work on making those corrections. (And, yes, I know with 4 year old twins, that can't be helping much!) It can be expensive, but well worth it, for the sake of your whole family and your dog! I wish you the best of luck!!
Hi C.,
Well as for the pooping, I would try and "make" an area that you wish for her to go in while keeping the other area very clean. Take the poop and put it in the area that you wish for her to go. Problem is that the longer she has gone where ever in the yard the harder it is for her to be broken of the behavior. Also some dogs just don't seem to be bothered by the poop they produce and thus causes some issues on trying to train them. As for her bad behavior outdoors, I think a lot of it has to do with her breed. As you prolly already know, the heeler is a herding breed and if not exercised properly could cause behaviors that you are talking about. They really need to work and get this energy out somehow. Walking, running would be a good way to do this if you have time (ha ha).
Sorry but it's the only advice that I got!
Wish you well. Dogs can be hard creatures to share a home with if you don't give them the attention and time they need to be well balanced.
C. :)
