Female started whining constantly and pooping in house.

willardan

New Member
I have a 13 month old female, she has been house broken for 6 months, no accidents. Last week she pooped in the bedroom and again today, she also started whining all the time, so I don't know if she is hungry, wants attention, or has to go out to potty. For the last 6 months she pooped on her morning and evening walks. She is probably going into heat, It's around the time. Could her going into heat cause this? I stopped crating her a couple of months ago, she sleeps on my bed. I closed the bedroom door, I'm thinking about putting in her crate tonight at bedtime, would that be a good idea. She has plenty of energy and a good appetite, so I don't think she is sick. I don't really want to get her spayed until she is 2, I'm trying to avoid incontinance and I want her growth plates closed.
 
Good for you waiting to spay....it sounds as though she is going into season....their hormones fluctuate, and can in some cases cause odd behavior....being extra "velcro - ee" is one of them....perhaps the backsliding of pooping indoors is also. Might not be a bad idea to crate her at night again, hoping her crate is in your room?
 
Agree with @Two Dobes but will add that I can't think why coming into heat & pooping in the house are related. Besides going back to crating, I would try to spend more time on your morning and evening walks and using a "go potty" command to associate when she goes & make a big party of it with plenty of treats, just like she was a puppy first learning to go outside. Definitely put the crate in the bedroom with you so she doesn't feel punished. Whining and clingy can be precursors to her heat cycle; I tend to acknowledge it (a pat or fun short work/play session) then ignore or tell her to stop. A fine balance so she knows she's not being rejected, but that there are still some boundaries that we have to adhere to.
 
Agree with @Two Dobes but will add that I can't think why coming into heat & pooping in the house are related. Besides going back to crating, I would try to spend more time on your morning and evening walks and using a "go potty" command to associate when she goes & make a big party of it with plenty of treats, just like she was a puppy first learning to go outside. Definitely put the crate in the bedroom with you so she doesn't feel punished. Whining and clingy can be precursors to her heat cycle; I tend to acknowledge it (a pat or fun short work/play session) then ignore or tell her to stop. A fine balance so she knows she's not being rejected, but that there are still some boundaries that we have to adhere to.
Thanks, I'll start doing the "go potty" command, I put her in the crate the last 2 nights, she whined a few times but stopped after about 5 minutes. She only whined once today, so I took her out and she pooped. I took her out a lot today, we walked about 5 miles plus she had agility class today, I also let her run off leash at the baseball field nearby where she pooped right before bedtime. I think the crate provides more structure, I think I'll just keep crating her and getting her out more often, who needs a treadmill when they have a Doberman.
 
I think I'll just keep crating her and getting her out more often, who needs a treadmill when they have a Doberman.
Actually, you will find that mind game exhaust them more than physical exercise. The days I do nose work I get a very quiet dog in the evening. But also, this breed, no matter how much was done that day - there is no sleeping through excitement.
 
Good suggestion, they have a nosework class at her training place but there is not enough interest to fill the class, I'm on the waitlist. I'll check out some video's on Youtube. She loves to sniff, she sniffs almost the whole time on our walks.

She is my first dog, I wasn't interested in getting any other breed. I work from home so I'm with her 24/7 , they are wonderful dogs, she has really improved my life. I get out all the time now, I meet so many people who want to meet her, either while walking or at the dog park.
 
She is my first dog, I wasn't interested in getting any other breed. I work from home so I'm with her 24/7 , they are wonderful dogs, she has really improved my life. I get out all the time now,
We are first timers too and it was such a hard adjustment, so it is nice to hear when things are working out so well!
 
they have a nosework class at her training place but there is not enough interest to fill the class, I'm on the waitlist.
Yes, lots of good sources online, but still best in person if you can. You can start easily at home with just finding treats. Put her in another room, hide a couple of treats - out of sight but easy to get to - bring her in and use a new word command like "go find" and let her go. Walk around with her but don't show her the hide, when she finds it, make a happy party and give her a couple more treats. If she's really food motivated use kibble if you do this a lot so she doesn't get an excess of unbalanced nutrition.
 

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