Dog's "accident"

[happee]

My boyfriend lives with his mum (at the minute) and he has a border collie dog (age about 4) that usually sleeps in the kitchen. He will occasionally have the odd "accident" in the middle of the night but generally that will be on the middle of the kitchen floor.

However the other night we mustn't have closed the door properly and the dog got out of the kitchen, went upstairs (where he knows he isn't allowed) and pooed on the carpet in his mum's bedroom (a room which he knows he isn't allowed in).

This was so out of character and we're wondering if anyone knows of any possible reason why he would have done that? She is away this month and I wondered could that have upset him (although she doesn't usually take much to do with him)?

Also how should we deal with this should something like this happen again?

Thanks

[lankeela]

I think you are assuming far too much of this dog when you say that he knows he isn't allowed. All the dog knows is that if he goes in there he probably gets told off. He doesn't think to himself 'oh I better not go in there I'm not allowed'.

Either make sure he can't get in there, or better still make sure he has been exercised properly before bed time or before being left alone so he doesn't need to have 'accidents' as you call them.

[kita1]

Shut the doors then it won't happen again and you won't have to deal with it.

[happee]

The dog is always exercised well, he gets several walks a day and spends a lot of the time running around outside (my bf works outside and takes him to work with him).

On top of that, the dog is taken for a good long walk late at night yet still has accidents sometimes so that obviously doesn't solve the problem.

We usually shut the door but obviously left one slightly open (not on purpose) so he got out.

We have another dog who will not go up the stairs at all, even if you were to stand at the top of the stairs and call her, she would still not go up the stairs, as she knows she is not allowed.

Reiterating my original questions, could it be that he is upset by the change in routine as he has never done this before?

[Dee Sa]

put the dog outside for 5 mins before you go to bed or do like us and have a dog flap, also remember to get up early to let him out, its not his fault if he cant get out to go.

[happee]

The dog is outside for at least half an hour before we go to bed. We then let him out first thing the next morning. We can't install a dog flap as it is not our houseI suppose it is just the nature of the dog then that one of them (the much older one) can hold on until the morning but the younger one cannot.

I was asking more why he chose a room that he has never been in before to do this, to reiterate my previous questions, could he have been upset by the change in routine to do this rather than to do this in the room that he is usually in? Or is this unlikely?

[LoftyLottie]

happee. Dogs don't like to poo in their own living quarters and if desparate and can't get out they will usually go someehere 'hidden'. Same with most animals actually! I shouldn't worry about it. Just make sure the door is shut. You are doing all the right things already. x

[lankeela]

Dogs don't think like us, and he is unlikely to have taken it out on mum because she has left him.

Install a stairgate if you are worried about it happening again (but then mum would need to know why you had done it, and I presume you have not told her...)