I need dog training advice, please.

[Selkie]

Sara sounds like a sweetie. Even with the pooping. Sensitive, too. Poor girl is probably still adapting to the new house, so that might be part of the problem. I agree w/using positive reinforcement (treats) so she gets it. She's a smart girl, like you said, so it's only a matter of time until she adapts.

Thank God she's not peeing inside. Poop is a lot easier to clean up (our late old girl Maud had DM and lost her ability to control her bowels, so we became immune to pooping accidents.).

Sending you lots of good wishes in getting through this.

It's amazing that canines can have weird peculiarities about their bathroom habits. One of our goldens will not poop when I'm walking her. She'll wait until we get home and then want to go out into the back yard. She also pees only in certain yards when I walk (primarily the "rich people's" front lawn). The oldest golden prefers to do her business behind a now flourishing camelia that's pretty far from the back door---she's such a lady that she likes privacy!

[TsPoet]

1) when/what are you feeding her? Feed less at night
2) does she have a favorite poop spot? If so, put down a potty pad, then slowly move the pad a few feet toward outside - if the pad happens to be in the right place and she starts to use it, she'll continue to, even when it moves (don't ask me why, but it works)
3) crate games - this is an amazingly effective way of training a dog to love their crate http://www.clickerdogs.com/crate_games.php
4) most dogs poop 1-3x/day - if she's pooping more often than that you may want to take her to the vet
5) she might just be POd at you for making her move, she may settle down in a few more days
6) try an ex-pen instead of a crate, this is similar to the no-carpeted floor idea. An ex-pen works wonders - set it up with her favorite bed and a toy (and maybe a chewie)... so this is her home. She *will* pick a corner of this home as her potty/poop area. Once she does, see #2 above and it will work in this instance, too.
7) I think this one is nuts, but several really good trainers believe that you should never let your dog see you pick it up.
I haven't had too much luck training a word for pooping - my dogs are all trained to potty on command ("potty like it's 1999"). When at dog performance events, my dogs all get treats for pooping/pottying - it's almost funny to see a dog squat, then bound over expecting a treat for it. (pooping/peeing in the ring is a huge no-no, so doing it on command and in the potty area is very important). They don't get treats other places, and they seem to know that, too.

[tulip]

I am not a dog trainer, but I've worked with several on my dog and I've learned a bit in the process.

Do you have a regular walking schedule--like at least 30-45 minutes in the morning and in the evening? Getting dogs, particularly smart ones, on a walking schedule seems to help with a host of issues. Also, being such a large dog, Sara probably needs lots of exercise (i.e., walking twice a day, and not just around the block). Like others have mentioned, some dogs tend to be more picky about where they do their business than others. Mine will not go in my yard (or the house)--he has to be on a walk, usually about 30 minutes into the walk. He's been very well trained that walks are the time for business. I got him as a 2-1/2 year old rescue dog, so I didn't train him to do that, someone else did. With such a small yard now--so different to what she's grown accustomed to--she might really benefit from two long walks a day, no matter the weather. This teaches them that leashes are not only for fun trips to the dog park, but for going on walks, which is their job. Dogs need jobs.

Speaking of dog parks, several dog trainers I know really do not think they are a good idea because all rules go flying into the wind, in addition to the health issues that can come up. My dog does not play well with others, so I don't have to make a personal decision on the dog park issue (we don't go for other reasons), but it's something to think about and maybe ask around about.

Also, feeding times are really important. I have a friend who has a dog who cannot seem to hold it during the night, so she feeds him only once a day, in the morning. It works great and he no longer poops in the house at night.

Put up a bell on the door so Sara can learn to ring the bell when she needs to go out. Make sure to knot the string a few times so she can't get it stuck around her neck (happened to my dog once and it was not very much fun).

But mostly, just go on two long walks a day and I bet she'll get the hang of it.

[DebSP]

Also just a thought, but are you picking up her messes and putting them outside so she can smell it out there where you want her to go. We have two OCD border collies and they run the routine here. I don't have to even talk in the morning they know who goes out first then they exchange places at the door automatically (we put them on a chain in the morning to do their business). They both sniff around a different area and they both have a favourite spot. One by the garden the other behind the garage. They seem to spend inordinate amounts of time sniffing the chosen areas! Considering that they have been using the same spots for 7 years! (Unless it is raining then they are amazingly fast!)

[GLC1968]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone!

Tulip - we do all the things you suggest. She gets two LONG walks per day (all the dogs do, but Sara gets longer ones as the energetic puppy) plus focused play time in the house and a 'quick pee' at lunch time. Sara also gets an additional walk at lunch, if she didn't poo in the morning. All three dogs eat at the same time, twice a day, every day. They are all very good eaters, so we rarely have any issue there.

I can have Sara with me, walking, for 1.5 hours and she doesn't poo.

We'll keep working with her though. I think the key is our ability to maintain our patience!

[goldfinch]

Moving is stressful, she just hasn't quite figured out what is expected of her. Is she alone a lot?

Crate if you aren't watching her. The key is not having a chance for her to make a mistake. Try not to have her crated for too many hours though.
Take her poop from accidents and put it outside in the area where you want her to go.
Take her out without the other dogs but if she doesn't poop in a reasonable time, bring her back in. Try again a bit later but watch with an eagle eye.
Give major tasty, wonderful, delightful treats for pooping outside and praise her. Say Go Poop! when you see her making motions to poop.
Say Go Pee! when she is about to pee. Treats immediately after the pee. Praise alone is not enough.
Try to get an idea of when she is pooping, that is, how long after eating. So, you can anticipate best when she needs to go out.
Take her out frequently and reduce frequency as she learns to go outside again.
No punishment for inside poops. No yelling at all for accidents, just quickly usher her outside.
As someone mentioned, try not to let her see you clean it up. Be sure to use an enzyme cleaner to remove all traces of odor.

[GLC1968]

Moving is stressful, she just hasn't quite figured out what is expected of her. Is she alone a lot?

Take her poop from accidents and put it outside in the area where you want her to go.

She is not alone really at all because we have two other dogs and a cat and they are all together (Sara is in her crate but it's in the living room with everyone else). And my husband is now working from home again (we finally got internet last night!!).

I can't do the one hint you mentioned above because we live in a condo and I'm supposed to pick up the poo...not leave it out there! There is absolutely zero way of keeping her from seeing me pick it up, too. With three dogs on leashes, it's just not possible to hide anything I am doing!

Thanks so much all. You guys are such a help! I need to get more treats, but we will definitely do the treat after going outside thing. Of course, then the other dogs will want them too but we'll figure it out. It'll definitely work if I'm out with Sara alone, of course.

The good news is that last night, she pooped for me!! The bad news is that she hasn't yet done it for my husband, so we'll have to work on that...

[TsPoet]

There is absolutely zero way of keeping her from seeing me pick it up, too. With three dogs on leashes, it's just not possible to hide anything I am doing!

We mean pick up the poo in the house - don't let her see you clean up after her and therefor think it's "OK". Outside, on leash - in front of her is fine.

[fetchspot]

Is pup any better at going potty?

I have to walk a number of pups (adults) at once. I have found the Cesar Milan pack walk seems to help.
I keep them on a short leash (one foot-Halti) at my side or behind. We are going on a hunt--I am the leader--smells could be detrimental to the hunt kind of thing.

We start off on short leash. Walk 20 feet. Then I stop, say ok Potty, and give them their 6 foot leash. Then gather up leashes and walk command. At about 6 houses/block I stop, say ok-potty and give them their leashes. They usually get their business done. I gather leashes short again and we are off for a non-stop walk/hunt.
After the "hunt" I stop, ok-potty command and give full leash once or twice near home.

Good luck
fs