Dog pooping problem?

Question

I have a Golden Retriever that is around three years old who has had a great record of housebreaking. Recently I moved in with my girlfriend who has a one year old cockerspaniel. WE have noticed that a few times the dogs have pooped in the morning when we wake up. We do not know who to blame but we want to make sure we do the right thing regardless. Is there anything we can do to stop the dogs from the nighttime pooping? They have changed food a bit, and they are being taken from my house during the day to her house at night. Could these be contributing factors?

Answer 1

i would kennel them at night because u don't know who is doing it also when they don't do anything on the floor take them out right away when they go outside give alot of praise with a treat if they do it inside give them nothing but giving the treat and praise should help training at night also make sure u cut off water and food at a certain time and take out right before u go to bed

Answer 2

Could be full-out diarrhea or it could just be loose stools...where the stools aren't quite diarrhea but they aren't solid and formed either. Lots of things can cause loose stools and diarrhea and while some of them are serious most of them are not emergency situations. Stress, intestinal parasites, bacterial infections/overgrowths, viruses, unfamiliar foods, foreign bodies, and pancreatitis can all cause loose stools. A few pieces of reeces puffs (as in the breakfast cereal?) could possibly cause this, especially if she is a small dog or if she has a sensitive stomach, but if it was only 1-5 pieces then it is more likely to be something else. If she is having no other signs, then I would just take a wait and see approach. If she develops any other symptoms (particularly lethargy or vomiting) then a trip to the vet ASAP is definitely warranted. When in doubt, call your vet. That's what they're there for. They will probably recommend bringing in a stool sample to check for parasites or bacterial overgrowth (not a bad idea) but they should also be able to give you recommendations to help her feel better for now. They may recommend witholding food for today or offering her a bland diet instead of her normal food. They may also recommend something like pepto that you can do at home to help.

Answer 3

yes, sounds like dominance thing going on. you need to start walking both of them before you bring them into either home to stay for a while. this will bring them together as a pack. plus you should be walking them at least an hour every day! this helps to drain some energy. But you have to make sure you are in charge of the walk. or else the dogs will think they are pack leaders and will not respect your homes. also watch for patterns of eating and pooping. and take the dogs out right before bed. keep them in the room with you, on the floor. a crate will probably hinder the dogs at this point, if they already have a good house breaking record.

Answer 4

Dogs are creatures of habit - more so than humans. Changing food, feeding schedules, domicile, introduction of a new alpha female (your girlfriend) or another dog - are ALL contributing factors to "accidents."

Unless you catch them in the act, punishment is futile and a form of bullying. So prevention is the key.

Take the dogs out about an hour after eating - so they will be encouraged to eliminate. Of course praise. And again, briefly before retiring - again to encourage eliminating.

Don't change their food - or if you must, do it gradually.

Don't leave "free choice" food in their bowls at night. This will discourage arguments between the dogs as much as eliminating during the night.

Make sure your dog has HIS own space/blanket/pillow so that he feels secure.

I urge you to crate-train your dogs so that each has his/her own space.

Eventually, as your households come together, this will be less of a problem.

In the meantime, it's best to ignore - or at MOST, express dislike at mistakes and accidents (unless you can catch them in the act) and praise the good behavior to the hilt.

Answer 5

I would most likely attribute this to stress. Is the stool soft and diarrhea-like? If so, you can assume that the change in food and the change in lifestyle has their GI systems stressed out.

Don't discipline the dogs just yet. YOU CAN'T DISCIPLINE A DOG UNLESS YOU CATCH IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACT! Anything later and the dog will have absolutely no idea why it is being reprimanded. You should first get them back to their original diets. Try excercising them a bit before bed and giving them an opportunity to go potty outside. Maybe a short walk before bedtime or some heavy duty playtime followed up by plenty of outside time to go potty.

If this doesn't resolve in a few weeks or gets worse, you should talk to your vet or an animal behaviorist.

Answer 6

The change in routine is likely to blame here. Once they both get used to each other and the new surroundings, the problem should stop.

Also, you should be able to tell which dog it is. Isn't the Golden Retriever quit a bit larger?

Answer 7

The main thing is to show dominance with the dogs. They like to know who is boss. If your not the boss then they will try to be. Also the house is your territory and they are defacing your territory. Never let the dog in before you go in. ALways make sure your the fisrt one in, and then "allow" them to come inside.

Also if you want to punish your dog, never do it with your hand. Your hand is also what gives love, so the dog gets confused. Rather use a rolled up paper or something. Make sure you you are letting them out at night before bed time. And if they do pop in the morning, pick it up and put it outside. Show the dog it is outside. DONT squash his face in it, he wont understand. When its in the house say things like "bad dog". Once you have put it out side say "good dog" with the appropriate tones and they will soon understand. :-D

Answer 8

changing your dogs food is contributing to the problem. My dogs always go through a transition when there food and water is changed. Are you kenneling them at night or are the dogs all alone and on there own in a strange place? don't punish the dogs for something that might not be there misbehavior'

Answer 9

Sounds like they need a late night walk as their routine is out sync, Their could also be an anxiety problem as in not knowing where home is

Answer 10

Yes a change in their environment can affect their bowel movements. You should try and keep them on a schedule so that they will be regulated. Keeping them in a kennel is also a good thing to do.