Dog keeps pooing at 4am

[fruitstick]

My spaniel is 2 and a half.

Recently he's taken to waking up barking at 4am. I go downstairs and on 3 occasions this week he's pooed on the floor.

He doesn't have diarrhoea or anything, it's all quite solid.

He's had 2 poos today already. One in the garden and one on our walk, and I let him outside before I came to bed.

Sometimes he also barks without pooing so I think it's become a habit/attention seeking.

But I'm shattered, it's worse than having a toddler.

I've just been down, put him in the garden, cleared the poo up, but he's still barking.

I have no idea what to do.

I want some sleep, and also don't want him thinking pooing on the kitchen floor is ok.

Try changing the time you feed him. If it’s twice a day then maybe last feed at 3pm .

Try changing the food.
Dogs don’t poop for attention.
Our Tibetan Spaniel is similar and wakes us for an outdoor session at 0400 but the current food walk routine works well for our other dog so we simply get up.

Could he be cold? Sometimes they wake if cold and then they need the toilet as a result of waking.

What time are you feeding him?
It could also be a bit of separation anxiety if he sometimes barks but doesn't toilet.

I did think about the cold.

Also I have changed his food, although about a month ago. To be honest he's a bit of a grazer so I do need to take his food away if he hasn't eaten it. He's probably eating too late.

Also, I'm not sure this would make a difference but we've recently changed the house around a bit so we now spend the evenings in a different room (we used to always be in the room where he sleeps)

He's in the room with us in the evenings but I'm not sure whether it's unsettled him.

A few nights ago I let him out before bed and then he's pooed within 10 minutes of coming back in.

Or he doesn't like pooing in the rain 🤷🏻‍♀️

Our dog is 5 years old and we know the bark that he needs to go outside for a wee or a poo, it’s a loud persistent bark. Fortunately it’s only very occasionally, but whatever barking is telling you something, so you need to get up and let the dog outside. It could become a habit and distressing for the dog, so you need to maybe set your alarm for 3.30 am and let dog out for a few days, just to show him it’s ok. Also agree with others saying change feeding time slightly earlier to see if it makes a difference.

Our dog started doing this, poo on the kitchen floor at 4am😭. We slightly reduced the amount of food we gave her and that seems to have worked.

Allowing him to graze won't be helping - he really should have set meal times. Put his food down, give him twenty minutes then remove it. Eventually he'll realise he needs to eat when he's fed or he won't get to eat at all.

Is he a generally anxious dog? Is he getting enough exercise and stimulation?

He's not an anxious dog at all. Very friendly and chilled.

He is possibly getting a little less exercise this week because of the storms, so maybe I need to up the mental stimulation to compensate.

Three poos a day would indicate to me that the food isn't of a good quality in terms of his own personal dietary needs.

All mine poo once a day and at roughly the same time, two will occasionally poo twice a day.

I do an early hours of the morning (2-3am)wee walk for two or my older dogs and I have an afternoon nap of twenty minutes to recharge.

Physical exercise stimulates them to go to the toilet - unfortunately no amount mental stimulation is really a substitute for that.

Our dog went through a phase of this at a similar age, we went back to puppy basics and did a couple of days waking up before she would to let her out and treat/praise for going in the garden.

This soon sorted it, we also don't let her in straight away on a night if she doesn't go for a poo now, as often she will if she knows she has to be out there for a couple of minutes anyway, she just tries to avoid the cold ground if she can get away with it

I think I need to switch back to the pricey food.

I moved from James Wellbeloved to Harrington's to try to save some cash but clearly this was foolish!

Which James Wellbeloved was he on?
Which Harringtons is he on now?

By comparing ingredients you may be able to still find a cheaper (and tbh better) food than the Hames Wellbeloved

He was on the standard James Wellbeloved and Superfood Harrington's

I'll check the ingredients.

Just to report back that 'fingers crossed' this phase seems to have ended.

I've moved his dinner time slightly earlier and remove it if he doesn't finish.

I think it was actually storm related so will keep an eye out over the winter.

Thank you all.