Need some help with our dog

While she may be a bit old for it, try crate training her. There's a reason for her doing this so if you can truly rule out that there's a "mental" reason (new baby, move, new pet, etc.) then perhaps you should consult your vet.

Have you changed or added something outside where she normally "goes"? New furniture, new landscaping, fertilizer, or flowers and/or plants that may repel dogs? Is there a new pet outside next door close to her 'bathroom' that may be worrying or irratating her? Check all these out first, then think about this - anyway she could be pregnant? If not, then I suggest a vet visit.

Maybe there was another dog there before you lived there. Have you tired cleaning the carpet with a deep carpet cleaner and a shampoo designed to get rid of pet odors? Because now that she has been doing it there, it is like her spot that she is to go. I would hate for you to have to make her an outside dog. I have always wanted my dogs to be indoor dogs because I want them to be part of the family. How old is she? Is she fixed? I know my dog has had training issues when she was about to go into heat. As much as a month before going into heat she will act like a completely different dog!

Emerald, What has changed in the last month? Have you had a new addition to the home (new kitten, puppy, etc)? Have you taken her to the vet to find out if there is a medical problem? or to rule any medical problems out? Since we just passed the holiday season, were there many light displays outside your house? The best behavior modification treatment that I know of is "Avoidance". When you see the accident, hopefully it is very soon after it happened, take her to it, grab the scruff of her neck, tug, look her in the eyes, and with a firm voice tell her, "NO". At that point have absolutely no contact or interaction with her at all for at least 20-30 minutes. Right now, she is the Alpha Dog and you have to turn the situation around until she realizes that You are the Alpha Female in the house. I know that what I am going to say next will generate a lot of boos and hisses, but it worked for me. Martha Stewart had a professional dog trainer on her show one morning when I was watching. My chihuahua was totally running the house (when Charlie the cat was sleeping). She barked even when someone would knock on a door on TV, she demanded to be picked up and put on the couch or in the recliner where we were sitting instead of jumping up, along with some other nasty habits that we had just ignored until they were out of control. On the program they discussed that the way the mother dog would assume her Alpha status with her pups was to bite them on their upper lip. I was desperate and thought "If Martha can do it, so can I". The next time Chiquita misbehaved that is exactly what I did. I did not bite hard, but I did bite hard enough that she could feel it and know that she didn't like it. Since your dog is so much larger than mine, I don't know if you can do an actual "time out" with her. Occasionally she will have a relapse and forget some of her training. She will run and bark when someone comes into the house. That's not a bad thing, but to keep it up is. When she does this, I pick her up, firmly deposit her on the couch, grab her scruff with a bit of gentle force, look her in the eyes and say "NO". All of this has made her a much more socially appropriate dog. (Can you tell that I worked in the mental health field most of my life?)~Donna

Does she circle when she is about to do her business? If so, move her towards the outside door as she is circling and then reward her, hopefully she will then go to the back door when she wants to do something and you can then transition her outside. I dont know what could be causing this, have you moved home recently? Or have you had new neigbours or something like that?

On the alpha dog thing, I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and he loves going after the seed on the floor around the parrots cage (which of course they deliberately drop to attract him!) one day I just couldnt get him to stop so I growled my very deepest and loudest growl I could manage and he was so surprised, he went and sulked in the kitchen for half and hour but it did stop him for a few days.

Try to walk with your dog at least onece a day. Big dogs need to walk. When dog is outside along, to many things can grab her attention. I let my dogs out few times a day, but I always walk at night for at least 30 minuts.

I dont have a dog but found this dog loo online which may help http://www.thepetloo.com/ Also this site has cleaning products and ideas on training. http://lifesgreatproducts.com/store/html/Category-9-0.html Hope they help you

It could be an emotional upset but because she's 5 1/2, it could easily be medical. She's not a young pup anymore, after all. I would call the vet and ask for suggestions. (Most will do that over the phone for no charge just because most pet owners cannot afford to take their pets to the vet for every little upset.) I know I have a female dog that just every once in a while gets upset internally and just has to go without any warning. It'll go on for a long time and then suddenly she'll just stop.