# Night poos - help!



## Tetley1 (Jun 11, 2014)

Hi. Willow is doing absolutely brilliantly and she is already so much a part of our family. However, for the past 2 nights she has done a poo in her crate - exactly the same pattern, about 12.30am. She has stirred in the night, we have taken her outside..where she just curls up and starts to go back to sleep. We leave her there for 5 minutes but she is clearly just snoozing so have brought her back in and popped her in her crate where she has settled well. Then, under half an hour later, she has had a poo in her crate. The first night she seemed distressed but last night she didn't even make any noises. I have washed the bedding on a hot wash and cleaned the crate to try and get rid of the smell. We just wonder what we can do to try and stop this as it is obviously not ideal! All help/advice gratefully received!


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

So her digestive tract is timed so that when you are feeding earlier she has to poop in the middle of the night. My two had an 11 hr schedule, so I adjusted breakfast to earlier so that I didn't wake up in the middle of the night. Also be mindful of how much you are treating throughout the day. I reserved training for right before bed. I'd say journal the times for eating and poops to help you get her schedule. 

Also when she wakes you up, I'd wake her up by putting a lead on her and walking her. Don't let her sleep outside. Finally I'd say the crate is too big if she's able to sleep and not roll in her poop. Maybe blocking more of the crate. Here is a picture of Beemer as he is napping in his crate. Lexi napping on the floor.










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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Agree with Maureen. Put your entire feeding schedule back an hour. At this young age their bowels are like clockwork, and they can't control when they need to go so you can try to control it a bit. You need a poo before bed to ensure no poos need to come during the night. Lola pooped twice in her crate as a small puppy and both times it because we had fed her a bit later than usual due to being out at puppy socialisation class. We knew putting her to bed that she hadn't pooped but being new puppy owners we just thought she didn't have to go. Well she went about an hour after going to bed. Then it happened the next week  humans don't learn as quick as dogs do!


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

Bess use to poop in her crate for the first few weeks at night time, sometimes 3 or 4 times. The smell was pretty awful especially as I kept her in her crate in the bedroom with me.
It will get better as they do learn to hold it more and it's surprising how quickly this will happen.
I moved the crate to the bedroom door and eventually moved it into the spare room which worked really well.
Don't forget though that they're babies and have been taken away from the litter so they will feel insecure for a time but they also adapt quite quickly to their new surroundings.
Good luck xx


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh the joy of those before bedtime wanders around the garden waiting for the poo 
Some nights I could be out in the garden for half an hour and the weather last autumn was persistently wet  seriously it is really important to go out with her and walk around with her - no good huddling in your pjs by the door... encourage her to walk with you and practice lead walking. When she does perform lots of praise and a small tasty treat. Dot learnt this lesson well - even now she will bomb all around the garden and then come and pee or poop about 2" from my shoe and look at me with her 'Aren't I clever?' look.

It really does help to keep a chart showing when she poops, because they do tend to adopt a pattern and it is easier if you know when to expect a poop.
How many meals a day is Willow on? Dot was on 4 when I brought her home and then had a nasty tummy for a little while. We had two nights when she pooped in her crate, but it was only a stage. I would take her out for a last poop/pee around 11:00pm, and could be out with her for 30 minutes to achieve this... She would have been in her crate between about 8 and 9:30, then I'd get her out, have puppy snuggle time and a bit of a play - if she pooped between 9:30 and 11:00 I wouldn't expect her to go again before bed time, but always gave her the chance. I never got up with her in the night, and apart from a couple of times during the first week she was dry and clean. I get up at 6:00am and would take her straight out and she'd poop and pee quickly then. Her 4 meals would be 6:45 about 11, about 2:30 and then around 6-6:30pm.

This is a stage - it does pass.
I was amazed when I switched Dot onto raw food how little she pooped.

More photos please


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## Tetley1 (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks everyone...great advice. I think we will try feeding her earlier, although it has been no later than 7 but we'll shift it earlier tonight. The problem we have re walking her round the garden is that at the moment we are limiting her garden area to a small pen as we have foxes in our garden and I am concerned about the risk of Parvo for her in the wider garden - therefore, walking her about is going to be a bit tricky until I am confident she has the right protection from her jabs as the space is quite small? We tend to be earlier to bed people and again, up early so given that my work finished today for the summer holidays, I may try staying up later with her tonight too. We'll see how we go. Will post more pics soon - off for our initial vet check now so hopefully all will go well.


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