Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Stew's potty situation
Some days he eats breakfast so late (3 pm) that he doesn't want to eat dinner until very late. Of course then he doesn't go to the bathroom at night and he'll typically hold it until morning.
Recently though, he's been frantic at 2:30-3 am to go out, scratching at my bedroom door to get out then running to my front door and frantically scratching to go out. Once I take him out, he squats immediately and goes.
I REALLY don't want to make a habit of this, so I started feeding him dinner earlier at 6 pm instead of 7. It hasn't helped. Over the weekend, I tried feeding him once a day but he'd want breakfast later in the day (3 pm) then would be hungry before bed at 11ish. Then of course he'd have to poop in the middle of the night.
He's also gotten a lot more mellow or lazy I guess since hitting a year old. He's definitely not lethargic but after a long walk in the morning, he's content to hang out most of the day. He usually gets a burst of energy at night which is when I'd prefer him to want to hang out since I'm home during the day and could tire him out if he would play, lol. He might be more content to hang during the day since he knows I'm here instead of working. We practice fetch while I watch TV.
Today, he went to the bathroom at 3 am then again at 11 am. He hasn't eaten more than a mouthful today so I took it away and will give it with dinner. Any suggestions?
Update: Stew ate all but a 1/2 cup of his dinner at 6:30. He only gets 1 1/4 cups a day even though for his weight, 26 lbs, he should get a little over 1 1/2 cups. He's never eaten the full amount. Took him out for a 20 minute walk & he peed/pooped. I'll probably give him the 1/2 cup as treats for fetch.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jess & Stewart on
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Should I change his food? He's been on BB Chicken and Rice since I switched him at 7 months and has always eaten it right away until the past month.
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Permalink Reply by Ricki and Tara (doodle) on
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It sounds like Stew's appetite may have dropped off along with his energy level. Tara did the same thing at about that age. When they stop growing they just don't need as much food. I suggest you go back to the regular feeding schedule but do not leave the food down for him to eat when he feels like it. Give him 10 minutes or so to eat and if he doesn't then pick it up and don't give him another meal until the next scheduled meal time. At that time do the same thing. He isn't going to starve by missing a meal or two and he will learn to eat when the food is offered. Also be careful of the amount of treats he is getting between meals now. This could decrease his desire for food at mealtime. I wouldn't change his food right now, just work at getting him back on a scheduled eating routine.
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I'm more concerned with his elimination schedule. It's making it tough to know when he will go. Like today he went at 11 am & 6:30 pm although he'd barely had food during the day. I'm concerned about him having to go in the middle of the night but hopefully it'll stop since I'll feed him earlier. I take him out because I'm worried about him going in my bedroom and he usually whines horribly. I'm getting almost worse sleep than I did when he was a puppy!
He doesn't get many treats between meal times. I do give him small bits of cheese because he guards things throughout the day. I'm not too concerned with the caloric intake because he doesn't get nearly enough for his weight.
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I agree with Wendy and Nancy about the elimination schedule falling into sync with the eating schedule. I think you have a good plan with moving dinner up a bit so the food has time to work through before bedtime. It sounds like you have the treats under control too so just give it a bit of time and see if it will work out. But remember to pick the food up if he doesn't eat it within your allotted time period (10 minutes to 1/2 hr or so).
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on
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Perhaps if you stick to a rigid schedule for meals, his elimination schedule will regulate itself accordingly.
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Permalink Reply by Wendy and Myla on
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I think if you start feeding him on a regular schedule, he will start eliminating on a regular schedule. If his dog food states that he should have 1 1/2 cups for his weight, I would feed him 3/4 cup first thing in the morning (same time every morning) and 3/4 cup at night (same time every night). After feeding him in the morning, if he hasn't eaten or finished his food after 1/2 hour, I would remove the dish. At night, just give him his regular 3/4 cup. The next morning, give him 3/4 cup again and he'll probably eat it right up because he's hungry from the day before. It might take a couple days, but I'll bet that he figures out the schedule quickly and as I said, when he eats the same amount on a regular schedule, he will eliminate on a regular schedule. I would also watch the amount of treats that you are giving him now - don't give him treats because you think he's not getting the amount of calories he needs - he'll figure this out quickly. Get him on a regular schedule and then give him treats when you're training, or reinforcing training. As stated earlier, a dog will not starve themselves. If he starts to lose weight, then I would bring him to a vet to make sure there is not another problem.
Good Luck!!!!
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He's fed on a schedule, typically 9:00 am & 7 pm. I always pick the food up after 10 minutes. The eating at 3 pm and 11 pm is after his scheduled meal times & was because he's scratching at the cabinet where I keep the food to eat. Could chewing on antlers have any affect on digestion? He got a new one 2 weeks ago and chomps away at it everyday for a bit.
It's 11 pm & he still hasn't pooped from eating from 6:30-7. I also just spent 30 minutes practically screaming at him outside to drop something he picks up right after he dropped something & got praise/treats for it. He guards s*** every night & it's getting old fast. Especially because I live in Philly & it's dark by 6. I wish his bad habit was something easier LOL.
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Permalink Reply by Jaime + Oliver on
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Oliver liked to eat on his own schedule, so we had to use some tough love. We followed Doggy Dan's advice and picked up the food the second he walked away. There were about two days where he sat mournfully in front of the pantry door waiting for food to appear outside his normal times, but we didn't cave in. If he missed breakfast he had to wait until dinner for his next chance to eat. He learned pretty quickly that food down = eat now. Now I'd say 90% of the time he eats when he gets fed, and thus had bathroom trips on a more regular timeline. You might just have to be really tough for a day or two until Stew figures it out. Good luck!
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I've been following Doggy Dan as well, for a few months. I was more concerned with how frantic he was to eat, then in the middle of the night needing to go. I was thinking something was up with his digestion or the food.
This morning like always, I acted like I was eating from his bowl then put it down and he gobbled it up. Maybe he was just having a weird off week/weekend. Hopefully he'll go back to his 9:30/6:30 schedule from now on.
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