Night pooping

[Blueant59]

I need some suggestions please! This is my second week with my 4month old yorkie. He does ok with potty during the day because I watch him close but at night. His last meal is at 3 pm and water at 6pm, bedtime is 10 pm. He always poops and pees before bed as well of course during the day but he ALWAYS poops in his crate every night! How can a 3lb dog have so much poop and how can I stop this, thanks!

[BiteyShark]

He is still tiny and can't hold his poo during the night. My much older dog eats at 3:30pm and poos at 5ish which is our usual wake up time.

You need to get up during the night and let him out until he has better bowel control. You could try moving the last feed later if you aren't prepared to get up but if it was me I would set an alarm, get up, walk him round the garden to encourage him to pee and poo. As he gets older you can gradually extend the alarm until he can hold it all night.

[Lucisky]

If your puppy's last meal is at 3pm, when do you next feed? Tiny puppies need regular food so their blood sugar is kept stable. Also, when you say last water at 6pm, are you removing the water? This is not good practice. Reducing your pups food and drink in the pm and evening will not stop him pooping or peeing at night. The ability to control bladder and bowels comes as they grow, much like a human baby. They can't help making a mess when they are little. All you can do is give them many many opportunities to go outside to relieve themselves, as much as every 30 minutes during the day, and every few hours at night, with lots of praise when they manage it. They will eventually become housetrained.

[ruthsmumkath]

Our pup wears nappies in bed as she was messing in her crate.

She now goes out between 7-8 and poops straight away. Before even at 5.30am she had already messed.

Her nappies are simple solution ones and I got them from Amazon

[Oops4]

How big is your crate? If they are too big they are more likely to mess in them. Can you hear her at night if she asks out or is she in another room? Maybe worth moving her or using a baby monitor until she is a bit older?

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

Are you removing water at 6pm? Puppies/dogs really should always have access to water.
Whilst I understand your frustration, at 4 months, his body just can't hold his bowel movement for that long. Perhaps set an alarm for the middle of the night to let him out?
Also as a PP said, 3pm is very early for a pup to be having "dinner". Little and often is a good rule, especially for smaller dogs. Ideally I would be recommeding feeding 3 times a day eg breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[ButFirstTea]

Your puppy is without food for 7 hours and water for 4 hours before bed!? That seems really extreme and not healthy at all. We also have a 4 month old puppy and he eats 3 meals a day plus two snacks in the afternoon and evening (usually a chicken wing or a frozen kong). I'd definitely reconsider your feeding arrangement if you can!

[Blueant59]

My puppy is not underfed, he is being fed twice a day the amount his food recommends, his water is a little earlier, ( for a 10pm bedtime should be 7 not 6) but I have him out of his crate usually before sunrise. If you're goin to crate train they cannot eat or drink during the night or you're defeating the purpose., thank you everyone for your input.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

At that age he should be on at least three meals a day, four if he's particularly small (as many Yorkies are these days). He should also have access to water 24/7, it makes no difference if you're using a crate or not.

A crate will not make him hold his bladder/bowel if he physically can't and at that age most puppies still need to go out at least once during the night. It's completely normal and restricting food and/or water in the hope of stopping it is completely inappropriate, the fact you're using a crate is neither here nor there.

You need to be taking him out during the night until he's physically able to sleep right through.

[DimplesToadfoot]

The rule of thumb I was always taught with puppies is that they can go without needing to toilet for the equivalent amount of hours to months of age, so at 4 months old the longest your pup should go without the need for toileting is 4 hours, If it was my pup I would be setting my alarm and getting up with him, letting him out to do his business and straight back to bed with him, I did this with my own dog when she was a pup, as she aged I increased the amount of time she was left at night, its a pain but its part and parcel of being a responsible pet owner.

I have never withheld her water, she has access 24/7 and I'm actually gobsmacked that you think its ok to withhold water for 12 hours ish. If his last meal is 3pm and he than has to go without to say 6am you're making him go without food for what? 18 hours? when he should be on at least 3 meals a days minimum .. honestly I suggest rehoming the pup and getting a goldfish.

[Blueant59]

He wears a belly band to bed at night with a panty liner in it so the pee gone into the pad but he does hold his bladder almost every night, he's not in his crate at night but 6-7 hours

[Blueant59]

I have a two year old maltese that's as close to perfect as a dog can get I just know how yorkies are, hard to train, I'm not abusing my dog and never would, sorry you feel that way

[Blueant59]

If you're suggesting I free feed him or feed him more than what his body should have that in itself is abuse and will lead to an obese dog, this isn't the first one I've owned. I feed him Nutrisca which says under 10 lbs 1/4 to 1 cup per day, the breeder I got him from free fed and his little stomach was so bloated when I got him he was pitiful and he vomited at least 1/2 cup of food on the way home, now that's abuse.
He gets 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day split into two feedings, plus he get's treats for training and pooping outside, he's not starving.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

I'm not saying you should be feeding him more, just that at that age his daily food ration should be split into three or four meals not just two.

If he needs to wee/poo at night then you need to suck it up and take him out, it's as simple as that.

Let him have access to water, feed him at appropriate intervals, do away with the belly band/panty liner contraption (which is a bloody awful idea, if he does wee is he just supposed to sit in it until you get up?) and just deal with the interrupted sleep until he grows out of it.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

I'd recommend reading the guides linked to on this list, they cover such things as toilet training and crate training which you may find useful.

[Pradaqueen]

Gosh my puppy (Leonberger) is 19 weeks old and his last food is 9.30pm. He is fed 4 x per day. He has a secure area of the house which is cool (they get very hot, very quickly) but he does not soil the area ( we are lucky, he literally never has). Are you still putting down puppy pads/paper? Our breeders view was 'if you put it down, he'll use it, if you don't he won't want to mess his area and will wake you. He is a giant breed so sleeps a lot (12 hours+ if you let him, 10 usual). Is it possible that if you remove the paper he won't mess the crate? I obviously can't crate train a Leo as the crate would be larger than the downstairs wc so I can't comment on that part, but I assume the principle is the same? Good luck with your little Yorker though, they are adorable!

[Pradaqueen]

Sorry re read your post. Maybe remove the belly band/pad combo? My pup has free access to water during the night. He's also on a raw diet. Could you consider that as an alternative?

[ButFirstTea]

Lots of puppies will vomit on their way home or for the first couple of days, it might be their first long journey in the car or the change of environment might be stressful. It doesn't have anything to do with feeding.

You need to set an alarm during the night and take him out every 3-4 hours to give him chance to go outside.

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

Fuck me. Rather than bothering to get up in the night to allow your tiny young puppy out like you should, he has to sit in a pad of his own piss? You honestly think that's ok?
As Cornflake said, it's not about feeding him more, it's about staggering his feeding. It's much better for him at that age. And yes, I'm used to crate training but withholding water for that length of time is wrong. Sorry, but it is.

[BiteyShark]

OP all puppies are different so even if your previous ones have never pooed in the night that doesn't mean this one doesn't need to go.

The problem with using pads is that he is a dog and he doesn't realise that when the pad is on he can pee in his bed but not poo or not pee at other times. Ditch the pads and simply get up in the night to wake him for frequent toilet breaks. If you look on the puppy survival threads you will see some puppies don't toilet in the night but many including my own needed for many weeks. I used the principle that he could hold it for 1 hour per month of age plus 1 so for 4 month old puppy I would set an alarm for 5 hours after his last break and wake him up and take him outside to toilet. You don't have to do this for long as they soon grow up but it does mean they don't associate toileting in their bed as something that is ok to do.

[IdaDown]

When did nappies for dogs become 'a thing'?

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

Also, the biggest piece of advice is simply patience. He's a very young pup and you haven't even had him a fortnight. There is no normal yet. He needs time and repetition to learn the behaviours and for his bowels to strengthen to actually allow him to hold it for that long.

[TheHodgeoftheHedge]

PS sorry for the multiple posts, another thought, as you mention a bloated belly - has he been wormed properly?

[Thestarslookverydifferent]

My girlie was no trouble to train. Created only at night in my bedroom, he woke 2 or 3 times a night brought him outside to poo or pee. Gave treat back to bed. Djtch the pads/nappies no need for them. Also should have access to fresh water when not in bed.

[Thestarslookverydifferent]

Eh yorkie not girlie. He's a boy 🐶

[Blueant59]

Yes i set the alarm for 5 he still pooped so I'll go for 4 tonight