Potty issues when isolated

[SoulofQuint]

My grey has been with me for three years (he's six years old).  He never goes in the house when I'm around or anyone else is sitting him.  However, in the last year when left alone he'll leave something for me when I get home (both #1 and #2).  I make sure to take him out regularly which he's good about his schedule.  I even make sure to take him out right before I leave.  Sometimes I won't even be gone an hour and he JUST went heavily outside, but to no avail he'll go.  I think this may be some sort of anxiety issue.  With the height of COVID this didn't seem to be such an issue, but now with things getting back to normal he is alone more and more.  He HAS NEVER been in a crate, because when I initially tried a crate when I first got him he would chew the wire and hurt himself trying to get out....

 

Any help, thoughts or directions is much appreciated....  

[Time4ANap]

Are you leaving the radio or tv on when you leave? Doing so will not only distract him from the silence of being alone, it will block any other noises from outside or neghbors that may be causing anxiety. 

[HeyRunDog]

It would be interesting to know if he messes soon after you leave him or sometime later or does something disturb him. A cheap webcam would help to find out preferably one that records movement but don't keep checking on it, wait until you get home otherwise your stress levels will go up and you can't do anything about it until you do get home anyway.

I give Grace a Kong filled with kibble when I have to leave her. This seems to calm her and she accepts that it is a planned exit and I will be back.

[Apollo_the_Grey]

I had a Separation Anxiety Pharaoh hound for many years.   After I found the med combination that worked, I still needed to distract him when I left.  So I started hiding treats around the condo before I left.  Its a habit I do to this day.  When I leave the house, I hide a handful of dry treats around the place.  It allows the doggo to use his hunting skills to sniff out his food.  And it's a great distraction.  You have to use mid and high level treats though and teach a "stay" so that you can hide a few treats in a designated area.  ( I used to catch my PHs peeking around the corner often and I'd give the old "NO PEEKING!")

 

Anyways that might not deal with the surprise eliminations, but it could help distract him from the initial depression of seeing his person leave.

[Sniffy]

I'm curious as to how long he is outside when you take him out just before you leave. Wondering if a long walk 45 mins - 1 hr.  on a leash would be opportunity to 'let it all go' while outside while also being enough exercise to encourage him to nap while you're gone. Just a though and good luck.

[BandM]

Bennie has his share of accidents, I couldn't leave the house for a couple of hours. But in true greyhound fashion, he likes a good snooze after a fast paced 40 minute walk and is content with this, allows for a thorough "emptying". If this means delaying his breakfast, so be it.

Edited March 14, 2022 by BandM

[Toffeesdad]

I’m wondering if he’s regressed with lock down and getting use to being with someone a lot more.  If that seems the case then I’d suggest revisiting alone training.  They are such creatures of habit, our guy had SA for the first three or four months when we got him. Eventually we established a routine that prepared him to be alone and I’m guessing he knows when the country music comes on and he gets a Kong, he knows we’ll be home eventually.  Good luck.