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Why is my adult dog suddenly pooping indoors? What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 4 years and 6 months old | 63 lbs

My 5 year old dog has started pooping in the house everyday, and she never used to. No changes in food or routine, and she goes most mornings before I leave. Why is she doing that?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Maria DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 22nd, 2018

There is no one reason on why dogs will all of a sudden start pooping in the house. I would recommend going back to crate training Cali. I would keep Cali in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on her. When she comes out of the crate I would then walk her. If she goes then I would play with her and once you have to turn your back she goes back in the crate. If she does not go to the bathroom when you take her out of the crate I would put her back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch Cali going to the bathroom tell her no and take her and put her where you want her to go and praise her for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to Cali. A crate should be big enough for her to stand up, sit down and turn around. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. I would try this route. I would also recommend getting a stool sample performed at your veterinarian's office. This will rule out intestinal parasites. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on October 9th, 2019

    If this is a sudden, new behavior for Jersey I would be concerned that there is an underlying health issue such as stomach upset, parasites, etc that are causing him to have accidents and not be able to hold his stool. A vet visit along with bringing in a stool sample is a good first step to rule out any health issues that may be causing it. If he checks out healthy, adjusting his routine to stay out a little longer to allow him to go potty, and taking him out more often until he gets back into the swing of things may help.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 3rd, 2017

    When a dog who was previously house trained starts having accidents in the house, it can be a sign of medical illness. Your pup could have diarrhea, which makes him have to pass feces quite suddenly, and he can't make it outdoors in time. This could be caused by GI illness, intestinal parasites, eating something rotten, a change in diet, or other illness. I would recommend taking him into the vet first thing in the morning for a health check to see if there is a medical illness causing him to poop in the house.

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    Answered By Dr. Davis

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 23rd, 2017

    Sometimes we don't know why dogs forget their housebreaking. I would go back to what we recommend for young puppies. Keep Oliver in a crate when you are not watching him or have him with you on a leash so he can't sneak off and mess in the house. Take him out frequently to a specific potty area and praise him and give a treat when he goes to the bathroom there. Keeping him in a smaller area also will make it easier to keep an eye on him. If he is going in a specific area you should clean it with a cleaner with a strong odor, and placing some plastic in the area also may help as they don't like the feel of it and usually won't potty on it. Be patient, Oliver will be trained again soon, just make sure you don't give him any chance to go in the house while you are working on the retraining. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Oliver.

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