We recently adopted a male rat terrier from our local shelter.  He seemed trained and he would indicate when he wanted to go outside to go to the bathroom.  We even trusted him to have the run of our house while we were gone instead of keeping him in his crate. He did great the first few weeks.

Well, lately, he has started pooping on our carpet.  I even caught him peeing on it the other day.  He recently even started trying to get on top of our kitchen table to look for scraps.  He licked some of the frosting off my daughter's birthday cake the other day.

I am beside myself what to do. I'm a teacher and when I start back to school in three weeks, we will be gone from 7am-4:30 pm each day and I'm not sure if we should leave him outside all day, in his crate, or what. I could really use some suggestions or advice.

Thank you.

Debi

For starters,  I would no longer give him the run of the house.  Have you tried crate training him?  Perhaps keep a leash on him around the house to keep him close and watch for signs he's about to potty,  get him outside quickly and praise the heck out of him for doing it.   If you're not doing so,  I'd feed once or twice a day at specific times to get him on a schedule so you'll pretty much now when he has to go.  It's worked for my dogs, although they're hardly ever home alone.

Hopefully Nora or another knowledgable poster will see this soon and give you some useful advice.  I hope you get it worked out before you go back to work.

Thanks for the advice.  I think you're right, we shouldn't let him have so much control of where he is.  I love that trainer on Animal Planet. She seems to work so well with dogs. I wish I was that good!

When I go back to work, what is your opinion of the best place to keep our dog?  Bathroom with door shut, crate, or in our fenced in back yard with shade and dog house?  We live in Texas by the way.

Thanks!

Debi

Everything your ratty is doing my ratty does.  He is 4 mths old.  I do crate but sometimes he is just a little bad dog.  He has been good about the pees though.  I usually take him out at 5am he eats and tries to eat the other dogs food and then my two cats food but I watch him.  I have to or he would eat everyones.  He then goes back out for a short walk and I hope in goes poop.  If he doesn't I put him in the crate.  Sometimes I don't and then he poops in my dining room or living room.  My fault for not being consistant.  He is not consistant yet with his pooping so sometimes it is hard.  He sometimes goes three times a day sometimes two sometimes or once.  I have not figured him out because I to am home and have him on a schedule.  He goes in the crate when we eat because he loves to get on the table.  If I don't crate him and I walk away from a sandwich he can be on that table in two minutes flat and running because he know he is in trouble.  He also loves to pick on my cats all the time.  I do get after him about that.  Binkie the one in the picture likes to play but Jasper never leaves him alone.  My girl cat minnie will chase him and cuff at him.  So he kinda leaves her alone but when he gets to bad I put him in his crate for a nap.  I did catch him peeing yeasterday  for the first time, but he had been crated all night and i didn't get my self around fast enough when I let him out of the crate.  I just said NO and he stopped.  I rescured my ratty to and I love him so much.  Really he is like our little one and had brought alot of love, fun but like any baby alot of work.  I promise you consistant training and crating is better, and a water bottle for bad behavior.  He really changes his ways when he sees me get it.  Is your Ratty fixed?  That helps to with any male dog.  My will be when he gets older. 

Good luck!