How can I make my 12 week old Choc Lab puppy to chew his kibble and not swallow it whole? This just started?

Question

Also he is crate training and has begun to poop in his crate at night. How can I stop this?

Answer 1

Regarding the "gulping" of food, there are several things you can do. First, you can spread his food out on a cookie tray. This forces him to take much smaller bites and goes far in preventing bloat. You can also feed him in his regular bowl, but put a couple tennis balls or a Kong toy in the middle of his bowls so he is forced to eat around them.

Regarding crate training, there are a couple possibilities. First, the crate could be too big for him, allowing him to designate one side as his sleeping area and one side as his potty area. The crate should be just large enough to let him stand up, turn around, and lay down. If the crate is too large, put a Rubbermaid box or something similar in the back of the crate to cut it down in size.

He also might be in the crate too long. He should be allowed to go potty after changes in activity, after he eats, after waking up, etc. He should also be taken out every three or four hours.

If he does have an accident, clean the crate thoroughly and take a few steps backward in potty training.

******UPDATE********

According to your email, it sounds like he is taken out plenty. How long is he typically in his crate before he has an accident, do you know?

I would also take him to the vet to rule out any medical issues. Some types of worms and viruses can cause excess and uncontrollable bowel movements. A fecal exam would rule anything like that out.

Barring that, it could also be a nutritional issue. What are you feeding him? A food that is too rich for him could be causing this (i.e. Innova Evo, while a great food, is often too rich for dogs, especially young puppies), as could a food with poor nutritional value (almost any brand you could get in a grocery store, like Purina, Iams, etc).

I've also included a link that addresses some additional possibilities:

http://www.nehumanesociety.org/trainingandpetcare/behaviorproblems/behaviorarticles/dogarticles/housesoiling.pdf