Possible causes for soiling
Before beginning education or re-education, you must find the root of the problem. Here is a list of typical causes for problems with soiling:
The dog's training is incomplete or inadequate: Since the dog has never received a complete education on cleanliness, many previous experiments have shown that the problem manifests itself at various degrees. The puppy that has not understood everything he should know about cleanliness could be clean for awhile, then relapse into soiling, because of a lack of relevant data on his behavior. If there has been no education whatsoever given to the puppy on cleanliness, he will be messy from that moment forward.
The problem will manifest itself as urine or stool-related. Because of a badly used technique for correction, the dog could be urinating in a place where he will not be caught, when the master is out of sight. The dog could also eliminate in a place where hardly anyone ever goes. They will wait for cover at night, or shelter in the basement. An irregular daily routine, not enough opportunities to go outside and be rewarded for good behavior can be at the root of the problem. The dog will eliminate either in a few select places, or all over the house. Perhaps an ammonia-based cleansing product was used to mask the odor, thus exacerbating the problem. To solve it, the dog must follow the program on cleanliness outlined in this manual.
Separation anxiety: A dog that soils because of separation anxiety displays the same behavior pattern than one suffering only from separation anxiety. Elimination will occur in the thirty-minute period which follows the departure of family members, after he's left alone. The dog can urinate and defecate. If the dog does this as often when the master is present as when he is absent, the problem is most likely not linked to separation anxiety, but rather, to one or more problems. Most of the time, a dog that is left in his cage when the master leaves, and defecates in it soon after, most likely has a problem with separation anxiety. In any case, the problem worsens if the dog remains in a cage. The dog will display one or more behavior patterns related to separation anxiety, such as following the master all over the house, showing excitement when he returns from a period of absence, becoming frantic if he loses sight of his master, switching on the anxiety button if the master doesn't give him all the attention he craves, and being very nervous before each outing the master prepares for. Oftentimes, this problem is triggered by a change in the family schedule, in the number of family members, or other sources. It is important to note that it is not because the dog has soiled something while you were not there that he suffers from separation anxiety. Consult the section dedicated to 'Separation Anxiety' and 'Demanding Attention". If you are having too much trouble dealing efficiently with this problem, please consult a professional, such as an ethologist or a behaviorist veterinarian.
