Pooping in kennel...

[Kandy Kunzman]

Hey everyone!!  This is Harper. She is 9wks old. We've had her for a week now. She has been doing well in her kennel at night other than she is pooping at night in there now. I can make her kennel smaller, but I was wondering if I should just put her food bowl up at night.  Any suggestions??

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I may have just ans. you in Introductions?  On the chance, I did not, I'll repeat.  We have a Doodle that will be 11 weeks old tomorrow.  I usually try and pick her food and water up around 7pm.  She has never pooped in her crate and very rarely wets in there.  This seems to work for us!

[Kandy Kunzman]

Thanks Rosemary!! I will try that!! I love your doodle, also!! He/she looks huge compared to Harper....lol

 

[Kandy Kunzman]

Enzo....what a cool name!!

 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LOL...thank you. She actually looks a lot bigger in this pic. She weighs less than 9 lbs, so she is still pretty small.
Yes...Enzo a guys name, but...1) Hubby is a car fanatic and we did have a Ferrari at one time and 2) she is named after the Narrator dog, Enzo, in one of my favorite books: " The Art of Racing in the Rain". Every dog lover will love it!

[Robin & Josie]

I am reading that book now - awesome. Anyway, definitely make the crate smaller! I'm sure you've heard: only big enough for them to stand up, lie down and turn around. Also, you shouldn't be "free feeding" at this point. You need to know when Harper is eating so you'll know when she has to go out 30 min or so after. So feed her last meal by 5 or 6 and you should be fine. I assume you are taking her out right before bed, too, right?

I've been at this for about 6 weeks and I'm trained very well ;) that's what I tell people when they ask if Josie is housebroken yet. I don't know about her, but I am!

Good luck and welcome!

[Kandy Kunzman]

That pic of Enzo is very deceiving!! lol We used to have a goldendoodle that weighed 70lbs...so Harper is about as big as her paw was... still trying to get use to her size.

[Linda And Loo]

I would make her kennel smaller. Most dogs will not pee or poop where they sleep so that is why you want them in a small crate. When my dogs were that young they ate between 5:30 and 6 at nite and I put their water up at 7. Good luck! She is a cutie!

[Gail & Bogey]

What a cutie? When we first got Bogey we picked up his food and water by 7:00, never had an accident. As time went on we left it down longer (some times just because we forgot). The more we forgot and still no accidents we left it down longer. He is now 6 months old and I don't pick it up at all. I will say one night last week he went back to his bowl and finished food left in his dish fairly late in the evening - that was the only night we've had him that he woke me about 2:30 AM to go out - no more late night snacks!

[Kandy Kunzman]

Thanks for your help!!! I will try all of your suggestions.

[Kandy Kunzman]

I made crate smaller last night, but my daughter let her eat after she had taken her to a babysitting job...needless to say, she pooped again last night...will make sure not food tonight!!

[Linda And Loo]

Kandy, what time do take her out for the last time before bed? Do you give her time to go poop as well as pee? When my dogs were puppies, they sometimes pooped 3 or 4 times a day. The last time was before bedtime. Going that often did not last that long but it took some time to get on a more normal schedule.

[Kandy Kunzman]

We take her out around 10...and my  husband works nights and had been taking her then too. She poops often..at least 3 or 4 times....maybe we are feeding her too much...i'll see what happens tonight..took her food away aroud 7.