Night time poo woes

[fizzledays]

Our 12 week German Shepherd pup is so good in so many ways, except poo schedules. Oh my god, it takes forEVER. He goes in the morning after breakfast after a 10-15min wander, usually around 4-5pm after another 10-15 min wander, then we have to get him to go before bed...the few times we gave up after wandering for ages and ages at 10pm he cried and cried from his crate because he needed to go - got up and took him but still took a good 10min wander.
I take him out for play/exercise other times in the day.
I just really don't want to be walking around in freezing pouring rain at 10pm at night 😩 suggestions??

[sleepismysuperpower1]

do you have a garden?

[fizzledays]

@sleepismysuperpower1 yes a big one! We have a garden and paddock which we walk him round

[Fluffypie1]

Why are walking him round the garden ? Is it not secure.?

[fizzledays]

@Fluffypie1 that's what everything I've read says we should do... he's also not the best at coming back to us yet if he doesn't want to come back in/ go to bed. Can't 100% trust what he's up to either so have to watch him. He's only 12 weeks, could we just let him roam? We did at first but then I went back to lead walks.

[adaline]

It gets better, but at 12 weeks you really need to stay out with him until he goes.

Ours is eight months now and when we take him out he goes within a minute or two.

[Booom]

have you got a phrase you use when you take him out? We say "off you go". start saying whenever it is obvious they are going to do anything. It helps them remember why thwy are out. Also supernanny style. If we have to take them out the cage again it is done in a perfunctory manner. So it doesn't become a game. If you never want them using the garden as a toilet I wouldn't let them out as a little bit of ease right now takes a lot of retraining.
Our pup woke up for a couple of weeks til about 3 months but soon stopped and me we does now at 6 months.

[fizzledays]

Yep we use a phrase to take him out, try and make it very 'matter of fact' but he is either sleepy and just lays down or wants to play! I walked him round for 15 mins last night and he had no interest at all, so we decided to just put into his pen and we'd go to bed, accepting we may need to get back up... we didn't! but he did go quite soon this morning. if you don't have to go... you don't have to go i guess?

[fizzledays]

So, he's basically stopped going at night now! But he will go first thing when he wakes up...he doesn't cry in night wanting to go out so that seems to be a good solution!

[lelepond]

I have a two-year-old German Shepherd. My boy was exactly the same (if not worse) and that is precisely why we got him at the beginning of Summer . We also gave him a phrase but it ended up only working(ish) for pees.

Honestly, it just sorted itself out in a way. He got into the routine of going when he's walked in the morning and evening (he has special spots in both the local field and copse). He will also interrupt games of fetch and take himself to the bush if necessary. If he needs to go on top of that he lets me know with the world's sweetest bark.

Hanging around in the garden for his majesty to take a dump was the main activity of our first summer together.

I know puppyhood can be tough with a landshark but enjoy it while it lasts. I really do miss those floppy ears!

[fizzledays]

@lelepond oh my, so nice to hear from a fellow German Shepherd owner! The poo'ing situation does seem to have sort of resolved, he's a twice a day boy and I know it'll get easier when we can walk him properly.
Today it's been his biting and chewing on me which has driven me literally insane 🙈🙈 I'm home everyday at the moment, and I feel bad him being in his pen a lot (even though he's pretty happy in there!!) but whenever I've let him out to play or train today he's been a nightmare!
His floppy ears are the best, they both stood up earlier and he was ALL ears, I was secretly happy when they flopped back down!

[lelepond]

fizzledays my boy was a nightmare when it came to mouthing/teething. There was a period of time when you couldn't walk past him without him latching onto your trouser leg/ankle. He's perfect with it now but it did take a while to get there. He was probably around 10 months when we had the issue fully resolved.

For us putting my boy in timeout for 20 seconds EVERY time his teeth made contact is what really worked (and repeating if necessary). Our timeouts consisted of putting him or ourselves in a different room. The yelping method seemed to make no difference (may work for you though). Being consistent and doing it every single time is what really made him understand that it was not ok. Also, distracting him with a chew toy and praising him if he stopped himself also appeared to work.

It really is something that takes time but if we managed it I'm sure you'll get there too.

P.S my personal favourite ear stage was when one flopped down and the other stood up .

[fizzledays]

Thanks so much @lelepond that's so reassuring! The yelping does seem to work as long as I then ignore him and walk away as well...there is some general improvement but wow my clothes are getting some holes 😩😩😩
Ha he's at that stage now...one ear usually stays up more than the other, but it changes all the time! Right now they're both folded over to the left. So funny!