If your Labrador has a habit of pooping in the house you’re probably wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common causes and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my Labrador poop in the house? If it is a puppy, it would be likely that it has not yet learned to go outside and you need to train it and be patient. If it is an adult it could be because it is ill, stressed, getting old or that it has separation anxiety.
Your Labrador might be doing it for many reasons, but there are things you can consider when figuring out the main reason. There are also many things you can do about it.
Why your Labrador poops inside
Below are some common reasons why your Labrador might be doing it and what would make them more likely.
It’s young or old
If your Labrador is a puppy it would be likely that it is not yet able to control itself or that it has not yet learned that it is supposed to go outside when it poops. In this case, it would help to take it outside quickly whenever you notice it start doing it and to train it to go outside using the tips mentioned below.
On the other hand, it could be the case that it is not able to control itself like it used to be able to. In this case, it would help to let it out right before bed and to allow it to have access to the yard whenever possible. However, it would also likely be due to illness if it has been doing it suddenly so a visit to the vet might also be worthwhile.
It’s stressed
Another possible cause could be that something has been causing it to become stressed. This would be more likely if your Labrador has suddenly started doing it after a stressful event such as someone mistreating it or someone leaving home.
It would help to consider what happened at around the time that your Labrador started pooping inside. If it does seem like something might be causing it to become stressed then it would likely help to get the advice of a dog behaviorist or a vet.
It hasn’t been trained not to
Another possible reason is that it has not been trained to go outside. If you don’t train it to go outside, it might not learn that it is meant to do it which could be causing it to think it’s ok to do it inside. In this case, it would be important to start training it to go inside using the tips mentioned below.
It is ill
Illness could be causing your Labrador to have started pooping in the house. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing other signs of illness such as fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Separation anxiety
It might also be the case that it has some separation anxiety. This is where your Labrador does not like being left alone and it gets anxious when it is left alone. This would be more likely if your Labrador starts to become very anxious as you are leaving the house and if it poops when you are away.
In this case, it would help to avoid leaving it for extended periods, to let it out to poop before leaving and to periodically check up on it if possible.
Also, it would help to train it to be less anxious when you are leaving and when you are away.
To do this you could do as follows:
- Make it seem like you are about to leave by doing something such as picking up your keys
- Reward your Labrador for not being anxious and repeat these two steps a few times
- Make more moves towards actually leaving such as by picking up the keys and putting your hand on the door handle
- Reward your Labrador for not being anxious and repeat the process a few times
- Actually open the door and go outside for a few moments then come back and reward your Labrador
- Repeat the above, each time staying outside for slightly longer
Things to consider
Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out why your Labrador poops inside.
When it started doing it
If it has not always pooped inside, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it.
If it started doing it suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as illness, stress or becoming anxious.
Whereas, if it has always done it then it would be more likely to be due to things such as not being trained to go outside or being a puppy still.
At what times it does it
If there is a certain time that it tends to do it more, it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.
If it does it at random times it would be more likely to be due to not being trained to go outside, illness or not being able to control itself due to its age.
Whereas, if it tends to do it at specific times it would be more likely to be because of separation anxiety or possibly that you leave it inside for too long.
How you can get your Labrador to poop inside less
Below are some things you can do about your Labrador pooping in the house.
Train it not to
The first option would be to train it not to poop inside. To train your Labrador to poop outside it will be necessary to take it outside on an hourly basis and to wait for it to pee or poop. When it does you’ll then reward it with a treat and with attention.
When you’re outside, be boring so that you don’t prevent it from peeing or pooping naturally. This method works by teaching your Labrador that peeing and pooping outside gets it what it wants and it encourages it to do it outside.
You can watch the video below to see how it’s done.
Keep it in a certain area
It would also help to keep it in a certain area of the house if possible. By doing so you will be able to monitor your Labrador more easily and to clean up any mess more easily as well.
Crate training
You could also try giving it crate training. When done properly, crate training gives your Labrador an area where it can go and feel secure. The advantages of crate training are that it will make it much easier for you to clean the mess since crates have removable trays and dogs don’t like to poop where they live so it will be much more likely to wait to poop outside.
Let it go outside regularly
A very important thing for you to do is to let it go outside to pee or poop regularly. If you currently make it wait for long time periods before it can go outside then it will be much more likely to feel the need to pee or poop inside.
Take it to a vet
If your Labrador has started pooping inside suddenly, it has been showing signs of illness or you cannot figure out why it has been doing it, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get an expert opinion tailored towards your particular Labrador and to rule out medical causes.
Get help from a dog behaviorist
If it is healthy, another option would be to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see why it has been doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.