Help! Auggie's pooping in our new apt.! (warning: long)

[Auggie's Mom]

Auggie and I moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn last Friday. You'd think Auggie would love it here, as we're five minutes away from a huge park and we have much more room. But he's had issues since we moved in:

1. He barks at every sound in the hallway. I expected this, and it has improved a lot since last week. He's gone from full-blown barking his head off to a quiet growl, which he stops immediately when I tell him to.

2. He's now had two accidents in the house. The first happened this Friday night, when I was asleep in the bedroom. He had been out for a nice long walk before I went to bed, and did his business twice. When I went to bed, he stayed out in the living room, which was weird (he usually sleeps with me). I woke up to him barking about an hour later, and figured that he just heard something in the hallway. I called him and he came in the bedroom, but wouldn't get in bed. He went back out to the living room and stayed out there for the next few hours. I woke up in the morning to discover that he had peed and pooped in the living room. Not near the door, right in the middle of the living room.

This morning (Sunday), I took him out for a long walk at about 8:30am. He peed numerous times and pooped twice. When I came home at 3:30, I found that he had pooped in the kitchen.

I don't know where to begin with this, as he has NEVER had an accident in the house before. He doesn't exhibit any other signs of separation anxiety (no whining or barking when I leave, etc), and when I come home, he's fast asleep on the couch.

I didn't have as much time as I wanted to to get Auggie used to the new place before we moved in. The move happened really fast, and it just wasn't an option to make multiple trips out here before the actual move. Since we've been here though, I've put his toys all over the house and tried my best to keep up our old routines (re: leaving the house, feeding, walking, etc.).

Is this something that will go away as he gets used to the place, or do I have to live with the smell of dog poo in my house? Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Otto'sMom]

JanUet and Karen both had moving issues with their puppers. I'm betting that although you can't smell the other dog that lived there, Auggie can and is just covering that up with his scent. It will pass, you just have to give him time. Perhaps crating him if he can tolerate it and running a fan or his favorite song/station on the radio or TV. Once the routine is set again, you'll find (hopefully) that you won't have to live in a house of poo.

[Jen]

We just moved and have been going thru problems with Tasha. She was really barky the first day, at every sound, but now she's only barking at people leaving and arriving home, and usually only one bark.

BUT she did pee on our old bathmat the first day at the new place. AND she peed on the new wool rug in the living room. This is the dog who before had only peed in the house 2 or 3 times in almost 3 years. I think the first pee in the new place was stress. Marking the new rug, it was just a tiny amount, is more worrying. We did use nature's miracle on the spot.

Good job getting him extra exercise. We did with Tasha too--over 2 hours of walkies yesterday.

[Patt]

I agree, I think it's stress and the behavior will get better with time and patience. Puppers don't like change. Continue to stick with your routine and give Auggie plenty of exercise to relieve his anxiety. Another remote possibility is a medical problem which only time will tell.

[Lindy Myers]

Most dogs that change location will mark there new home one way or the other. I have found in the past to locate them to one area till it stops. I did use potty pads and it took a month from the little one to figure it out. It broke my heart doing it but it seems to work.
I currently am crating my 2 new ones while I am gone. I just adopted the 2 from DRNA on Saturday and we have been lucky that the crate is wonderful and they like it...