3am Poop???

[Moe]

My goldendoodle is 13 weeks old. She has been sleeping through the night 8:30 (can't keep her up any later, she just can't make it) to about 5:30-6am since we got her at 8 weeks. The last few nights she has been getting up at 3am to poop. I feed her at 8am, 12pm and 5-5:30pm. I take away the food and water at 6pm. She was getting puppy chow when we got her, I waited two weeks before switching to Orijen puppy food. Right now she is getting 1/2 of each. I'm planning on cutting back the puppy chow to 1/4 this week. She has been doing great with the Orijen.

I read in a few dog books that dogs metabolism shuts down while they are sleeping and they will not go in the middle of the night. So much for the dog books. She is in a crate in the family room. When she wakes up she barks / cries til I take her out. She gets right to business then goes pretty much right back to sleep. I'm usually up for an hour or so after that. :(

My question is, am I feeding her at the wrong times or something? Should I try feeding her later or just wait it out and hope these nocturnal potty breaks just stop on their own. What time did you guys feed your puppies when they were 13 weeks?

[Carol Brand]

I'd be careful.  You are getting her on a 4 a.m. schedule.  I know some people who have Goldens and to this day (their dogs are well into middle age), their dogs still routinely get up at 4:30a.m.