Peeing and pooping in house suddenly

[Dory1988]

We have an almost 5 year old German shepherd. Within the last month, although we haven't changed our routine, she has started peeing and pooping in the house. We have tried everything. We make sure we take her out right before we leave the house but it doesn't matter if we're only gone for 10 minutes. She still thinks our house is a toilet. It's super weird too because, even as you're walking up to the door you can see her cowering behind the couch and I'm sure I'm crazy but it seems like she knows it's wrong so why is she doing this? We do know she has some separation anxiety as she's broken out of a crate more than once so we just stopped crating her because we were afraid she would get hurt. Is her separation anxiety progressing? What do we do? we are super frustrated.

[kris356]

Have you taken her to the vet? I would start there to rule out any illness. They also maybe able to give you some direction if it is not an illness.

Our great dane/shephard mix used to do this when she had a UTI.

[caz1221]

I agree with ruling out a medical issue first. Make sure you're cleaning up all accidents with an enzymatic cleaner (like Nature's Miracle) - regular cleaners don't fully eliminate the smell of the pee/poo, making the dog think it's ok to potty in that spot again. Make sure she is getting enough exercise and mental stimulation - German Shepherds are an active breed and need a job. Plenty of physical and mental exercise can also help with separation anxiety. Take her out often, and give tons of praise/rewards when she potties outside (just like potty training 101 with a puppy). It sounds like she's only having accidents when you're gone, but if she has them while you're home, tether her to you so you can take her out as soon as you see her usual potty signs. I usually suggest crating a dog that's having accidents in the house, but that may or may not be a good idea depending on her separation anxiety. GL!