# Pooping at night in Crate



## [email protected] (Aug 19, 2008)

:frusty:My baby is 6 months old. We have crated her (Piper) since we got her when she was 2 months old. 

She does not go to the bathroom in the house but will poop in her crate at night now and then. When we get her up in the morning she has poop all over her. She does not urinate in the crate. 

What do you think is causing her to do this from time to time. We have not changed her diet. She is on a raw food diet. 

Woud appreciate any advise.


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

*Feed dinner earlier??*

Daisy usually needs to poop a few hours after dinner...especially if we go out back and throw the ball for her. I think the exercise spurs her digestive system! I'd try feeding dinner earlier and exercise....


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## [email protected] (Aug 19, 2008)

Thanks for your response. We walk her 2 times a day the last one after dinner. I feed her her last feeding around 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM. She always poops on the walks, the last time around 6:30 - 7:00 PM. Occassionally, she will still poop in her crate. 

I am baffled as to why she does this as she does not pee in the crate at the same time.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

If she is holding her pee all night, and not pooping in the house at all, I would say that she is not getting it out before bed. Where is her crate? Is she with you so you can hear her "ask" to go out? It must be very frustrating for her, and uncomfortable. I would feed her a little earlier and be sure she poops before bedtime. Or move her crate close to you so you can hear when she needs to go out. Good luck


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

It could also be a nerves thing. My boy Jasper started pooping on OUR bed when we took away his crate. Took him to the vet to make sure nothing was wrong and she said it was a security thing, he wanted his crate-- sure enough she was right, problem solved. We thought we were doing something special for him by letting him sleep with us...but the poor boy wanted his own space. 

So is night time the only time anymore that Piper is in her crate? As Laurie asked, is the Crate away from her pack in another part of the house? Perhaps if you trust her all day in the house she could sleep in a her own bed in your room-- or in her crate in your room with the door open (that's what we do with Jasper) 

It also seems like two potty breaks a day is not very much for 6 month old Hav. She may just not be emptying herself (although I would think pee would be more of a problem) As adults my boys get 2 walks a day but 2 more chances to go potty (we either just let them out back or we take them on leash to the corner for a quick break) and the last one is right before we go to bed around 10p. 

Good luck and keep us posted... And we would love to see pictures of Piper.


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

It looks like to me that going from 7pm to middle of the night might be too long for her. I take my guys out for their last walk between 9:30 and 10pm. No food or treats after 8pm except for their water. My guys poop every time they go out. I agree twice a day may not be enough.


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## [email protected] (Aug 19, 2008)

Thanks so much for all the responses. 

I am home with her all day. She is taken out numerous times a day in the yard but is taken for long walks twice a day. Even with her last walk around 7:00 PM she is still taken out to go potty prior to going to bed. 

She does not go in the house at all and she does not pee in her crate. I am now feeding her twice a day with the last feeding around 3:30 PM and then a Chicken Jerky around 5. She is also allowed to have dry food until 6:00 PM. She never eats much of it but just a nibble or two. 

Thanks again.


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## SaydeeMomma (Sep 9, 2008)

How big is your furbaby's crate? I've found that my puppies would normally only go potty in their crate if it's too large for them. It should be big enough to comfortably turn around in and that's it, otherwise they may consider one part of the crate "bed" and the other part "free" space. I had a trainer once tell me if the crate is too big, put something in there that will make it smaller for the time being, like a a few baby blankets tightly rolled. As she grows, remove a blanket here and there, always making sure she can go in and comfortably turn around. It's just a thought...


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

Piper sounds like she is doing great with potty training, except for the night time accidents. Is her crate in an area where you would here her scratching to go out, such as your bedroom?

I think that perhaps the raw diet is not agreeing with her young stomach. Perhaps at this age whe would do better with a kibble.


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

Cheryl said:


> Piper sounds like she is doing great with potty training, except for the night time accidents. Is her crate in an area where you would here her scratching to go out, such as your bedroom?
> 
> I think that perhaps the raw diet is not agreeing with her young stomach. Perhaps at this age whe would do better with a kibble.


If anything the raw is far easier on the stomach than kibble. It's more natural and not processed food. So I don't think that's it. However, the body does digest the raw quicker than the kibble.

You said you take her out for her last walk around 7pm. But just to be clear you also take her out again to go potty before going to bed? At what time is that? Also try taking away the treats or chewies you give her for a few days. Maybe just a small treat in the afternoon, but nothing after say 3pm. I would also move her dinner to about 6-6:30pm. If you take her out for potty before going to bed, let's say 9:30pm, I would think she would be fine overnight.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I still am wondering where her crate is located? Are you able to hear her at night to know that she needs to go out? My guys are in our room at night, and up to a year old, every so often they would have to go in the night, but we were able to hear them and take them out. If she is is whining and you cant hear her, she has no choice to go in the crate. I hope you are able to solve this issue!


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*night poop*

My dogs eat raw too. Riki sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night to take him outside. He usually has to poop.

If I don't get up super early in the morning, Daisy will leave a poopy gift by the front door. She shows me that she "wanted" to go out.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

ugh, it cuold be she has a bowel control issue since dogs don't usually like to potty where they sleep. It could be separation anxiety if she's crated away from you at night. I guess it could even be a habit if she's been doing it for awhile. Here's what I would do:

I would clean the crate completely with Natures Miracle or some other cleaner made to remove doggie odors, to reduce chance that she will do it again. Then the crate should be next to your bed and at eye level so pup can see you. That would make it easier to hear her if she is crying or trying to let you know she needs to potty. It would also help if she is pooing from separation anxiety. By any chance is her crate somewhere away from you? I would make extra time at her last potty break using a word she would associate with pooping.

Lastly, I would take her off the chicken jerky unless you are 100% sure it is made in the U S A. After the nasty problems last year with all the dogs that died or became ill from foods from China, I have zero trust in them for out dogs treats. Many our dogs on the forum love the chicken jerky, but it's near impossible to find any not made in China.


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