Many people ask why did my dog poop on my couch.
The most common reason for dogs using couches as toilets is that they are simply not trained properly. At some point in their life, many dogs will go through a training period where you instruct them what is acceptable and what isn’t.
Dogs that do not receive appropriate training will simply ignore the fact that they should not be relieving themselves on their owner’s property.
However, some dogs get this training later in their lives. Puppies that are not raised properly will often resort to this behavior when they are left home alone for the first time.
In some situations, a dog will use a couch as a toilet even if its owner has trained them not to.
Dogs are curious animals by nature, and sometimes they will go places they shouldn’t. This can include the living room couch.
If your dog has been thoroughly trained and still uses the couch as a toilet, then it may have an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.
Table of Contents
Reasons for Pooping Indoors
1. A sudden change in the routine
Change in life habits can cause your dog to feel insecure. If your dog has suddenly not been exercised or walked regularly, he/she will be more likely to make a mess of the house.
A sudden change in the routine could also occur with sickness or if you have had a baby and are both less active or preoccupied.
2. Your dog may be hungry
Dogs are very food orientated and they need regular feedings throughout the day. Try feeding your dog a little earlier or later than usual and see if this helps with having no house soiling problems.
3. Your dog may try to get your attention
It’s possible that your dog is trying to get your attention, either in the form of a belly rub or by making a mess.
If this is the case, you should be able to stop what you are doing and respect their need for attention.
4. An underlying health problem may exist
As with humans, older dogs can experience various ailments that can make them feel stressed and anxious.
Sickness, injury, old age and various behavioural problems can all lead to house soiling.
If your dog has a medical condition, it’s important to take him/her to the vet straight away.
5. Territorial marking
Dogs are territorial animals and like to mark their territory by using their waste in certain places.
This is often done by urination and most dogs have a fair knowledge of where they should do their business, but if they are not able to stop and relieve themselves, they will start to mark where ever else they can find.
It may help if you move yourself and the source of the smell he is marking for you out of his territory as often dogs will only use urine on areas that are not theirs yet.
6. Decrease in house cleaning and cleanliness
Dogs are very sensitive to smells of any kind, including human odors.
If your dog feels that you are not keeping the house clean and fresh, he/she will look for an alternative area to do their business.
Try to keep the house clean with daily vacuuming of carpets and bedding etc. Also leave out a handful of baking soda each day to absorb any unpleasant smells.
7. Stressful life events, visitors or loud noises
If there have been any changes in your dog’s routine or daily life, he/she may be stressed and anxious about it all.
If you have had a new baby or moved house, for example, your dog may be so unsettled that he is unable to control his bowels.
Having a new pet or loud music playing can also cause your dog to have accidents inside.
Try to make your dog feel at ease with the new additions by giving him attention, exercise and lots of cuddles.
8. Lack of exercise
It’s important to give your dog regular exercise each day. If you are not able to walk him/her at least 3 times a week, he may become anxious and start acting up in the house again.
It’s important to give your dog a good run around the park or somewhere with open space and fresh air.
9. Sadness/Boredom
Dogs can be affected by sadness, just like us humans.
If you have recently experienced a death in the family or another sad event, your dog will pick up on this and may try to get your attention by doing something naughty on purpose (house soiling).
Make sure that you spend extra time with him/her and show them how much you love them.
10. To alert you to possible danger
Some dogs might feel like they need to serve as a guard for you so they will announce themselves with the use of their bathroom habits, acting as an alarm system for when there is unknown activity near your home.
11. Because they are mad at you
If your dog has been dreaming about going outside for hours and you have told her over and over again, “No,” then it’s logical that she or he would react by defecating wherever she can.
Allow your dog ample opportunity to empty its bowels when it needs to.
12. A change in diet
The modern diet of dogs contains very little fibre and nutrients. There is too much of an emphasis on food that is made up of quick-acting carbohydrates – low in fibre and high in fat for dogs to digest.
At the same time, there is no real emphasis placed on the importance of fresh, organic food. The result?
Dogs become unhealthy because they are missing key nutrients from their diet.
Dogs who suffer from digestive problems like gas or diarrhea are more likely to have accidents because they are not getting enough nutrients from their diet.
Also, Dogs who get additional water intake but no change to their regular feeding routine will still develop accidentitis because there is a lack of fibre in their diet and they get too much water (which actually causes constipation).
How to prevent dog pooping on your couch?
It is easy to prevent a dog from pooping in the place where he sleeps. All you have to do is provide him with some more exercise and fresh foods that are full of fibre and nutrients.
Making sure that he gets enough exercise every single day will also help him avoid accidentalitis which can be caused by eating too much food quickly, lack of quality of food and stress.
You can also make your dog less stressed by making sure that he has enough regular interactions with people he knows every day.
It is helpful to introduce your dog to new people on a one-on-one basis, which will help him relax and learn how to handle new situations.
It is also important that you socialize your dog before he comes into the home so he becomes more comfortable with humans.
Be mindful of your dog’s health and consult with a vet if in any doubt about his/her well-being.
Final Thoughts
House soiling isn’t something that is set in stone when it comes to causing stress in the household.
It all depends on the underlying issues and what has been going on in the home recently that causes your pet to suddenly want to go potty inside the house and not outside (especially when they have no business there).
For example, you may be approaching a stressful time in your life, like moving or having a baby and your dog is sensing this.
Or you may have had a change in your routine from being busy to not having time for them, or you’ve just had a death in the family.
Maybe you’ve had some drastic changes in the home that have caused him to feel anxious.
No matter what the reason is for house soiling, it’s important to get it sorted out as soon as possible before it becomes a habit.
By using the tips and tricks mentioned here, you should be able to get your dog to stop house soiling in no time!
