Why has she started to mess in the house?

Bella has been with us a few weeks now, two walks a day, let out in garden. She has been house trained from day one. However the last few mornings she has just taken herself in to the lounge and pooed all over the floor. She has also taken to weeing in different spots.

I caught her in the act this morning and she knew it was wrong the way she looked at me, I immediatly placed her outside telling her she was a naughty dog.

What else should I be doing, why has she started to do this. Nothing has changed in her or our routine?

Take her back to basics. House train again as though she is a new puppy.

Telling her off, will only make her do it when you are not around (ie behind sofas etc).

There often isn't an obvious reason. For example, our next door neighbours are rarely here (they use the bungalow only for holidays, if that) and last time they came I didn't know they were here. However, Rosie had lots of 'accidents' indoors. It was only the day after that I realised why. She was hearing slight noises from next door that she just wasn't used to.

Where was she going before this? On her walks? Or in the garden? Just wondering if something scared her.

I think you will have to forget she was OK for a few weeks and start from scratch with the toilet training. I honestly believe there is nothing to be gained by telling her off or telling her she is naughty. All dog toilet training advice seems to agree that you shouldn't 'scold' the dog for accidents.

How old is she , could she be coming in season ?

First of all, don't tell he off and certainly don't put her outside THEN tell her off as she'll think you're shouting at her for peeing and pooing outside. It's perfectly logical in your mind why you are telling her off, but not in the dog's mind and you might end up actually reinforcing her using the house to pee and poo in as in her mind you shout at her when she's outside and you are shouting at her for peeing and pooing so she thinks she shouldn't do it in front of you.

Best advice is go right back to square one like you do for a puppy. Go out in the yard with her when you think she wants to 'go' and as soon as she does something out there, praise her like she's the cleverest dog in the world. You can even give her a treat for now. What you want to try and do is get her to associate going outside to reliever herself as a pleasant and rewarding experience rather than you picking her up to take her outside and telling her off.

Also, have you ruled out that she doesn't have some kind of problem like a water infection or the food she's having is going through her too quickly so she can't hold it. Usually if that's the case her poo will be a bit sloppy rather than firm and easy to pick up. How long is she left overnight? Where does she have access to when you're in bed? Some of it could be insecurity too, but it's hard to say.

Many thanks for your advice.

She is one years old. She was pooing in the garden,still does as well as in the house, only wees on her walks not poo. She doesn't do it when I leave her at home and go out , it seems that she does it when we are upstairs (not over night) but after we have been up and we go back upstairs for something or if I am in the kitchen in the morning she takes herself in to the lounge and poo's despite being let straight out in to the garden as soon as I get up.

We tend to go to bed about 11.00p.m and we are up 5.30/6 ish. She is fed at 5.00p.m and let out in to garden before we go to bed.

I was wondering if it is behavioural (not liking us going away from her in the house?)

I hadn't thought about the food if it was too rich so maybe worth changing brands?

I have never had a puppy so how do I go back to basics?

many thanks

If she is a year old she could be coming into season (unless spayed )
I have had the cleanest of bitches do this when they are coming into season .

Some simple things you could try would be to CLOSE THE DOOR of the room she is peeing in before you go upstairs - just don't give her the free run of the whole house.

Another would be for you to take her out as soon as you get up and dressed. Rather than just letting her out in the yard.

As regards puppy basics - I can only say what I do with a 'real' pup - not a one year old dog.

Take them outside as soon as they wake, after they eat or drink, after they've been 'playing' or got excited. Then, failing any of those things happening, take them outside every 2 or 3 hrs anyway until they are used to only ever 'going' outside the house. When you see them going, say a word or phrase they might then associate with it - I've always said 'offyougo, offyougo'. And LOTS of praise for every pee and poo outside!

Your mind becomes VERY concentrated on toilet training when you live in a 4th floor apartment and cannot just 'open the door' and let the dog out into the yard! Takes 5 minutes just to get outside! And longer than that to get up, dress, and get outside!

You say you 'let her out' as soon as you are up - but she does this soon after coming back in? Are you sure she is 'going' when you let her out? Are you there to see? (I've just said on another thread that my minpin's first pee of the day is always done in TWO parts! One as soon as we get off the kerb and the other when we are about 100yrds up the road)

If you can't take her out early perhaps don't just 'let her out' but shut her out, leave her out there longer until you've done whatever you have to go upstairs to do leaving her in the house? So she isn't roaming unsupervised while you are upstairs?

No not season- she is spayed

Try washing the area with biological liquid after you have cleaned up to get rid of the smell. If she can still smell a trace of what she did there, she will want to go there again.