Dog Pooping at Night

greyc

We rehomed a dog at the end of August and she's been really great, she's about 1 year old and has a lovely temprement. For the first 3 weeks she always went to the toilet outside, but then occasionaly when we came down in the morning she'd gone in the kitchen.

This stopped again for about 3 weeks but over the last few weeks she's started doing it again, not every night but maybe 3/4 times a week.

We feed her twice a day at about 8.30 and 6 and she goes for at least 3 walks during the day. During her morning walk she'll usually go to the toilet, but that's usually it. We're feeding her on Burns Chicken and Rice and the vet said that this might only cause her to go once a day, but obviously she needs to go at some stage during the night and we really need to break this habit.

Yesterday morning when I came downstairs she'd pooped in the kitchen, I cleaned it up and gave her her breakfast, went upstairs and came back down 10 mins later only to find that she'd gone again.

We've tried leaving her in a different room at night, but this doesn't make a difference. I was thinking of trying her with a crate but I'm not sure how she'd adapt and it might be a slow process.

Any suggestions.

The Sweeper

Okay, two main things:

Stop the 6pm feed, or move it an hour earlier and take her for a long walk an hour after it so she poos outdoors.

Breakfast feed - dogs usually need to poo within half an hour of eating, which is why puppy toilet training has the guide to being taken out to toilet after eating, drinking and playing.

Crate training only works if you have the dog's routine down - if she really really needs to go overnight, which is why she's pooing indoors, then she'll end up pooing in the crate and be extremely distressed by it.

Try to get your timetable down so you know whether or not she's been for a poo after she eats, and stick with it until you see her doing one. Praise her hugely when she goes outdoors.

Toulouse

What's the routine before bed?

I'd suggest maybe moving her second feed back to 4.30 and re-establishing her house-training by going outside with her and giving lots of praise when she goes.

It's never too late to crate train either http://petcentral.yolasite.com/printables.php Check out the doggie den section.

rua327

I would have to agree with the previous posts. I always walk our dog in the evening (even for 5mins down the local green) and she never poops in the house.
Any evening that I don't she will punish me by pooping in the hall, almost as if to say "bet you wish that you walked me last night".
We found that new people calling over sets her off too because she gets nervous.

greyc

Thanks for the replies. I've tried feeding her at about 5 and bringing her out at 6 for a 15/20 mnute walk but all she does is pee. I'd also bring her out again at 9.30/10 for the same length of time, but again she does nothing.

She gets a walk at this time every night, but it seems that the only time she wants to poo on a walk is after her morning feed. I always give her plenty of praise when she goes, and obviously I don't punish her or say anything when she goes in the house.

I'll try an earlier feed at 4.30 and see how it goes.

Tranceypoo

What sort of poops is she doing? Are they firm or more runny/soft? Does she fart a lot?

I ask because I had a similar prob with our second dog when we first got her and it took a good 6 -8 weeks for her to 'settle in' and get into her pooping routine, she was on a good quality food but cos she'd been in kennels for a long while she was very anxious and stressed still, I used to crate her at night and she wouldn't poop in the crate, however, when I would leave her out of the crate for the night I'd come down to a big sloppy poop and pee on the floor, she was pooping about 5 times a day at that stage, so I kept crating her at night until I could see that her poop was firmed up and the farting stopped, but like I say it took a good 6 weeks or more, I know you've had your pup longer than that but it could still be a settling in period.

I would really try the crating and see how you get on, I was also advised to feed earlier in the day so I used to get up at 6.30 to give them their brekkie (and let them out for toilet) and then do the second feed at about 3pm, no later. It might just be a case of persevering and adjusting times for walks/feeds to see what works best.

greyc

Tranceypoo wrote: »

What sort of poops is she doing? Are they firm or more runny/soft? Does she fart a lot?

I ask because I had a similar prob with our second dog when we first got her and it took a good 6 -8 weeks for her to 'settle in' and get into her pooping routine, she was on a good quality food but cos she'd been in kennels for a long while she was very anxious and stressed still, I used to crate her at night and she wouldn't poop in the crate, however, when I would leave her out of the crate for the night I'd come down to a big sloppy poop and pee on the floor, she was pooping about 5 times a day at that stage, so I kept crating her at night until I could see that her poop was firmed up and the farting stopped, but like I say it took a good 6 weeks or more, I know you've had your pup longer than that but it could still be a settling in period.

I would really try the crating and see how you get on, I was also advised to feed earlier in the day so I used to get up at 6.30 to give them their brekkie (and let them out for toilet) and then do the second feed at about 3pm, no later. It might just be a case of persevering and adjusting times for walks/feeds to see what works best.

No they're just normal poos. What I don't understand is that she was fine for the first 3/4 weeks after we got her. We didn't change her routine or diet but obviously something has affected her.

I'll try the earlier feed before I go the crate route.

DamagedTrax

what breed? a 15/20 minute walk isnt enough for my girl after eating. she needs a good hour to get everything "flowing".

try leaving her for 30 minutes after feeding and then go for a good 45 minute walk if she's able for that length.

greyc

DamagedTrax wrote: »

what breed? a 15/20 minute walk isnt enough for my girl after eating. she needs a good hour to get everything "flowing".

try leaving her for 30 minutes after feeding and then go for a good 45 minute walk if she's able for that length.

She's a small terrier. In the morning I usually take her out about 15 mins after eating and she'd go about 10 mins into the walk. I'll try doing the same in the evening and see does that work.

I just thought that if I fed her at 6 and took her out at 9.30 that she'd definitely want to go, but maybe if she's holding it for a few hours a longer walk is required.

Sigma Force

If I feed my lot at 6 the smaller girl will poop over night, so during the winter I feed them earlier ..once in the morning then once around 4ish the smaller girl will still poop over night she can't help it. I find smaller dogs tend to need to go more often or can't hold it in as well. No matter what time I feed her at she rarely goes poop or wee free. Only time is really at the height of summer when they are out and about till dark which can be 10pm but at this time of year that's not possible.

The collie however can be poop and wee free, for the whole night, the Papillon usually needs to go during the night depends how knackered and busy the day has been. Parents dog is the same she normally gets up in the night to go out she's a small terrier mix.

Try feeding earlier and letting the dog out last thing at night that should work.
I know some terriers over the years that could never hold it in all night despite them being well excercised and being let out last thing though.

phil1nj

I'm glad I found this thread. I am currently having the same problem with my own dog (a male chocolate lab). We've had him for well over a year now and he appeared to be house broken (we did all of the various things suggested - rewarding him when he went outside etc). Over the past four weeks or so though he has started to wee and poo on the kitchen floor late at night (not every night, but enough times to be concerned considering his previous good behaviour). This is despite us letting him out last thing at night to do his business in the back garden.

During the summer we got a smaller dog (jack russel) to keep him company and I initially thought that this may have had something to do with it since the bigger dog obviously saw the smaller dog having "accidents" and assumed it was fair game. I'm at a loss as to what to do as it seems he has regressed from his previous behaviour. Perhaps as has been suggested, changing his evening feeding time coupled with a late walk may be the way to go as a start anayway.