Dog Won’t Poop Outside? 8 Vet-Reviewed Reasons & What to Do

Finding yourself asking "Why won't my dog poop outside?!" This is a more common question than you'd think. There are all kinds of reasons that your dog doesn’t want to poop outside—maybe the weather isn’t so great, or your dog has an underlying medical issue. It will also depend on whether they’re a puppy or an adult. Finding the reason is the first and most important step to fixing the problem; everything else is about patience.

It can be frustrating if your dog refuses to poop outside, but we are here to help! In this article, we'll go over common reasons that dogs won’t poop outside and how to handle each one.

Effectively Cleaning Up

Doing what you can to prevent repeat accidents and ensuring that your home is properly sanitized is an important part of this issue. You'll need a multi-purpose cleaning solution that will allow you to work across all the surfaces in your home. We suggest an enzyme cleaner that is pet-friendly and can be used on all hard and soft surfaces.

If you're looking for an all-in-one, pet-friendly, enzyme cleaner, we highly recommend the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray.

It eliminates tough stains and odors easily and is excellent for accident prevention. Plus, it comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee! Click here to order now.

At Dogster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool pet company!

The 8 Reasons That a Dog Might Not Poop Outside

First, we need to go over the reasons that a dog won't poop outside. Has your dog stopped suddenly, or have they never actually gone outside before, if they are only a puppy? In the latter scenario, you must go through the entire potty training process. For the former reason, you’ll need to figure out why your dog has stopped. In some cases, you might already know, but there are occasions when it will take you a little while to figure it out.

The following situations are common reasons that dogs might stop pooping outside.

1. The Dog Isn’t Fully Potty Trained

This one should be evident if you’re still training your puppy. If your dog has recently been housetrained, it’s entirely possible that the training isn’t complete. Some dog owners believe that potty training has gone well and begin to allow their dogs full access to the house, but then accidents start to happen.

Generally, your dog is probably not fully house-trained until there have been no accidents inside for at least several months.

2. Weather

Dogs can be drama queens! Some dogs don’t want to go outside if it’s snowing, raining, or the grass is wet.

3. Surface Pickiness

Dogs can be picky about what they go to the bathroom on. Some dogs prefer to go on grass or dirt, while others might prefer concrete. This can also partially explain why some dogs love to relieve themselves on your carpet or hardwood floors.

4. Changes and Stress

When something changes in the household, it can also lead to stress for your dog. Moving to a new place, someone new moving in, changing up your dog’s schedule, and even making a change in your dog’s diet can cause a degree of uncertainty and stress. This kind of stress can also lead to pooping problems.

5. Nervousness

Your dog might refuse to poop outside because they are nervous. Nervous dogs might feel anxious when in the backyard or generally out, so they will be hesitant or fearful of being outside. This is usually the issue with dogs that have been used to living mainly indoors, without going out much. Sometimes this may be in the case of their owner being bedridden or having mobility issues, or they have had a very traumatic experience when being outside and have developed a fear of going out. These dogs will attempt to go back inside as quickly as they can, which means defecating isn’t a priority for them.

6. Easily Distracted

Some dogs are easily distracted, particularly the breeds with a high prey drive (looking at you, terriers)! The world is full of small things that dart and move quickly, and for some dogs, there's just too much entertainment going on to bother with trivial things like pooping.

In some cases, the dog might start to poop early on but becomes distracted by a squirrel, and then it’s time to go inside. Your dog wasn’t finished, which you will discover in an unpleasant way.

7. Medical Issue

If your dog was successfully pooping outside but suddenly stopped, it might be a medical problem. Sometimes, various gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea, intestinal parasites, constipation, or even anal gland issues, may lead to discomfort and urgency when needing to go to the toilet, and there’s just no time to get outside.

Some dogs might have a painful joint condition or impaired mobility, such as in the case of hip dysplasia, spinal issues, or arthritis, that makes eliminating painful. Squatting might hurt enough that the dog will avoid pooping until the last minute, and that might end up happening indoors.

8. Fear or Excitement

Some dogs may also poop indoors when they’re scared, not choosing where to go. They will more commonly urinate from fear, or sometimes overwhelming excitement and joy, but they may poop as well. This can also happen when you have visitors around.

When to Contact Your Vet

If you find that your dog's behavior hasn't improved after making any of the above changes, or you want additional advice about how to help, we suggest contacting a vet. While the above outlines potential causes and solutions, a vet can factor in behavior, diet, and environmental changes and help determine the right path for encouraging your dog to their business outside.

Conclusion

Some dogs can be just as picky as people! There are various reasons that a dog won’t poop outside, everything ranging from a medical issue to pickiness about the surface or a change in the household. Importantly, never punish your dog for eliminating inside. Clean up the mess, and use an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate the odor. This will prevent your dog from using the same spot again.

Secondly, praise your dog for any time they eliminate outside. Give them treats every single time! As long as you’re aware of the problem and willing to work with your dog and your vet to fix it, you can teach your dog to defecate outside with a little bit of time and patience.

• See Also: Why Does My Dog Poop on Concrete? (8 Potential Causes)

Featured Image Credit: ThamKC, Shutterstock