Night time poohing - help needed

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Denisejoy
Posts: 4
Joined: 25 Mar 2017, 19:30
First Name: Denise
Dog #1: Ruby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 05 Oct 2016

Night time poohing - help needed

Post by Denisejoy »

Our lovely 9 month mini schnauzer has taken to poohing in the night. She has achieved night time cleanliness in the past but has regressed. It has been an ongoing problem for a couple of months now. It doesn't seem to matter what time her evening meal is ( have tried 4pm - 7pm and all times in between!) however she still poohs during the night. We are generally up by 6.30am. She usually gets 2 walks a day, always one in the evening and goes out for a toilet break before we go to bed usually around 10.30pm but only does a wee.
We have had a real battle finding her a food that she will eat but achieved that with raw food (natures menu).
My current thinking is this :
feed around 6pm
Take her for a short walk around 9.30

Otherwise I will consider crating her overnight but feel a bit resistant to this.
Getting a bit concerned that this is a habit now so any advice or similar experiences of there would be great :)
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Dinkum
Tech Team
Posts: 2576
Joined: 10 Jan 2011, 12:47
First Name: Dean
Dog #1: Rupert RIP
is a: Black Mini Dog
Born: 24 Dec 2010
Dog #2: Watson
is a: Black Mini Dog
Born: 21 Feb 2012
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Re: Night time poohing - help needed

Post by Dinkum »

Hi there

We have the same problem with Watson. He is a nocturnal pooer. The only solution we found that works, is crating him at night.

In the summer months, they have their last walk around 6pm for an hour and are fed when we get back. I don't let them out before bed. Both boys will hold it until they go for their morning walk at about 7. Watson holds his, but is in the crate overnight. Occasionally, he will sit at the back door in the morning and won't budge until you let him out. We've got to know the signs now.

You can bet your bottom dollar, that if you forget to crate him overnight, you will be greeted by a pile of poo in the morning. Even after months in the crate with no accidents, the first night out of the crate, there will be an accident.

I don't have any other solutions for you. Maybe the crate may be a temporary way to reset the bowel movements and stop it happening overnight. It hasn't worked in our case and I prefer that he sleeps in the crate than finding poo in the morning.
Dean (Dog dad)
Rupert, black mini, 24/12/10 - 01/03/24
Watson, black mini born 21/02/12

I offer my advice freely, but I am not an expert, breeder, groomer or behaviourist. It is simply my experience of raising pups in a way that seems to make sense.
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Barbarauttley
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Posts: 162
Joined: 25 Aug 2013, 12:16
First Name: Barbara
Dog #1: Billy
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 08 Oct 2012
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Location: South Yorkshire

Re: Night time poohing - help needed

Post by Barbarauttley »

I don't think I can offer you any advice Denise just relate my experience.
Billy is going on for five now and we had no problems with toileting until about two years ago when he started pooing in the kitchen overnight several times a week.He has always had the same food and routine, run of the garden, afternoon walks and at 10pm I always go into the garden with both dogs for "wee wees" which they do. Then settle for bedtime with run of lounge and kitchen overnight.
Fortunately his poos are firm and the floor has lino so I resigned myself to poo bag and spray.
Then after a year of this he went back to his old routine, 8am poo in garden and another on afternoon walk. No rhyme or reason to any of it!
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Robin black mini
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Joined: 03 Mar 2015, 13:48
First Name: Jo
Dog #1: Robin
is a: Black Mini Bitch
Born: 13 Dec 2014
Dog #2: Stanley st poodle
Born: 24 Nov 2012
Location: Italy

Re: Night time poohing - help needed

Post by Robin black mini »

I agree with Barbara ,the key to solving this is a strict routine..my girl will poo in the same place on her walks each day and we are fine if we keep to her schedule...but in an Italian heatwave ( it can be 35 c here some days, the routine sometimes goes out the window..and this is when we have had issues)

I like to give my second meal between four and five pm...then walk the dog any time after six pm ,( best at 7 pm) and we usually see a good result.
If we feed later and thus leave less time to digest,before we walk , there is a risk of nighttime waking us to go out,as she didnt poo on her evening walk.
Routine is the key and my girl has two poos a day..morning at 7to 8 am and then again on her evening walk as above.
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