I have a show cocker spaniel. He is a lovely dog but with just one problem. He poos regularly at night. We have tried leaving him in different places, but his bed is in our kitchen utility, which he has always seemed comfortable with. I can take him out before it gets dark, feed him earlier and a bit less and nothing seems to work. I don't even shout at him although he knows he's been naughty. How can I stop him pooing at night? I am 70 and I dread getting up in the morning.
The Most Dog Friendly Community Online
Join Dog Forum to Discuss Breeds, Training, Food and More
Poo at night
- Thread starter Larrydog
- Start date
- Messages
- 5,900
- Reaction score
- 5,521
- Points
- 113
Is this a new habit or has he always done it?
- Messages
- 5,900
- Reaction score
- 5,521
- Points
- 113
So - sorry for all the questions but to fix a problem it's important to understand the cause.
Theres a few things you could try.
Any change in toilet habits is usually best checked by a vet, but this isn't really a change as such.
One thing you could try is to keep a detailed diary of what's going on when it happens. I'm wondering whether it might be a particular treat or scraps you feed if he gets these, something happening outside that upsets him, or after a visit to a particular place where he might be scavenging something? Or maybe something else, but a diary might help pin that down.
The next thing I'd do is look at whether he simply can't wait. You could put a few kernels of sweetcorn into one meal. That will let you see which meal he is passing. If you can work out which meal, you can adjust the timing of the one he is passing - it may be that feeding later rather than earlier lets him hold it until morning.
Also - and this is important - it might be because you see this as naughty. He won't be doing it just to make you cross, dogs generally work to please us, not the opposite. So even though you don't shout at him, don't let him see you are annoyed at all. Dogs are very tuned into our body language, so not even a sigh, a slump of your shoulders or a roll of your eyes. Dogs don't realise we are cross at the place they have toileted, they sometimes think we are cross at the act of toileting. And that in turn can make them avoid making you annoyed by toileting when you aren't there; by sneaking off or just waiting until you aren't there. It's possible that's what's happening here, he is trying to avoid making you cross but he has chosen the wrong way to do it.
At the same time, I'd go back to rewarding outdoor toilets - reward immediately and generously. It has to be immediate to be clear that it's for toileting and not for anything else and it has to be generous to make it worth his while to try to hold until he is outside.
Do let us know how you get on.
Theres a few things you could try.
Any change in toilet habits is usually best checked by a vet, but this isn't really a change as such.
One thing you could try is to keep a detailed diary of what's going on when it happens. I'm wondering whether it might be a particular treat or scraps you feed if he gets these, something happening outside that upsets him, or after a visit to a particular place where he might be scavenging something? Or maybe something else, but a diary might help pin that down.
The next thing I'd do is look at whether he simply can't wait. You could put a few kernels of sweetcorn into one meal. That will let you see which meal he is passing. If you can work out which meal, you can adjust the timing of the one he is passing - it may be that feeding later rather than earlier lets him hold it until morning.
Also - and this is important - it might be because you see this as naughty. He won't be doing it just to make you cross, dogs generally work to please us, not the opposite. So even though you don't shout at him, don't let him see you are annoyed at all. Dogs are very tuned into our body language, so not even a sigh, a slump of your shoulders or a roll of your eyes. Dogs don't realise we are cross at the place they have toileted, they sometimes think we are cross at the act of toileting. And that in turn can make them avoid making you annoyed by toileting when you aren't there; by sneaking off or just waiting until you aren't there. It's possible that's what's happening here, he is trying to avoid making you cross but he has chosen the wrong way to do it.
At the same time, I'd go back to rewarding outdoor toilets - reward immediately and generously. It has to be immediate to be clear that it's for toileting and not for anything else and it has to be generous to make it worth his while to try to hold until he is outside.
Do let us know how you get on.
Some detective work needed! What is he fed? Some commercial foods are packed with filler and so some dogs can't last all night. Do you take him out last thing or just put him out and assume he'll know what for? Does he poo on walks during the day?
Try feeding him his main meal after his morning walk and a smaller meal at night, see if that makes a difference. And also - you say you've changed evening meal times, but by how long?
We can get to the "bottom" of this!
Try feeding him his main meal after his morning walk and a smaller meal at night, see if that makes a difference. And also - you say you've changed evening meal times, but by how long?
We can get to the "bottom" of this!
Thank you
Ok thanks.
- Messages
- 2,457
- Reaction score
- 2,001
- Points
- 113
Sorry but this will be of no help to you.
We too had a show type Cocker Spaniel ( girl ) who would sometimes poo at night but never wetted at night. This was a long time ago, before 1987, we would never have rushed off to the vet and probably would never have thought about feeding times either.
There is nothing worse than getting up in the night to have a wee yourself without turning the lights on and discovering that you had put your foot in a dog poo!
I remember that if put her lead on at bed time and attached her lead to the leg of the bedroom chair that she never did night time poo's, she had access to good movement on her lead in and out of her bed, unlike today's modern quick fixes called cages/crates. She was happy and so were we.
We lived in a farm cottage she was a clean dog in the house, we never took her out for a night time walk but she was put out into the garden before bed ( a walk may have solved the problem but it was not done and probably never thought of !)
These days we have a dog flap into our back yard that all of the girls know how to use.
We too had a show type Cocker Spaniel ( girl ) who would sometimes poo at night but never wetted at night. This was a long time ago, before 1987, we would never have rushed off to the vet and probably would never have thought about feeding times either.
There is nothing worse than getting up in the night to have a wee yourself without turning the lights on and discovering that you had put your foot in a dog poo!
I remember that if put her lead on at bed time and attached her lead to the leg of the bedroom chair that she never did night time poo's, she had access to good movement on her lead in and out of her bed, unlike today's modern quick fixes called cages/crates. She was happy and so were we.
We lived in a farm cottage she was a clean dog in the house, we never took her out for a night time walk but she was put out into the garden before bed ( a walk may have solved the problem but it was not done and probably never thought of !)
These days we have a dog flap into our back yard that all of the girls know how to use.
- Messages
- 5,900
- Reaction score
- 5,521
- Points
- 113
If it's anxiety, you are likely to find it helps to let him sleep near you. Your presence will be reassuring.
Welcome to Dog Forum!
Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things canine. Whether you're a seasoned owner or new to the world of dogs, our forum is your go-to hub for sharing stories, seeking advice, and connecting with fellow dog lovers. From training tips to health concerns, we cover it all. Register now and unleash the full potential of your dog-loving experience!
Login or Register