If you’re the proud owner of a new pup, you understand your puppy’s bathroom schedule can be a bit erratic when they’re first adjusting to their new home. Potty accidents can occur at all times of the day, and unfortunately, they can also carry on through the night and into the wee hours of the morning.
This leads some pet owners to wonder: why does my puppy poop so much at night? And more importantly, what can be done to stop it? In this article, we’ll discuss why puppies might have an increased urge to go potty at night, and provide some tips on how to prevent any unwanted future accidents.
HOW TO STOP PUPPY POOPING AT NIGHT
When we first lay eyes on the pup we know we’re bringing home, it’s hard not to feel completely smitten. We are aglow in a wash of puppy kisses, savoring the scent of puppy breath and soft, wet nose boops.
Admittedly, some new dog owners never grow out of this honeymoon phase and refer to their adult dog as a “puppy” for the rest of its natural life—however, any new dog owner’s adulation might be tempered slightly when the pup decides to poop inside the house.
Waking up to puppy poop is not the most glamorous way to start the day—least of all if it requires bathing your furry friend before you’ve even caught a whiff of coffee.
And, while it is generally expected for a few accidents to occur in the beginning, there are ways to prevent your puppy pooping at night or at other times of day when you are not able to attend them. Read on for our best tips for preventing overnight puppy poops!
STICK TO A FEEDING ROUTINE
One of the best things you can do to minimize accidents is to structure your pup with consistent eating habits. This means striving to wake at the same time in the morning, exercising your pooch, and feeding them on a set schedule throughout the day.
Some pet owners feed their dog a large amount of food in the morning rather than several throughout the day, in order to discourage the urge to poo come nightfall—though others find more equilibrium in spreading their dog’s kibble servings out throughout the day.
Remember that if you make changes to your puppy’s diet, you can expect a change in bowel activity and appearance. To make transitioning foods easier on your dog’s digestive tract, it’s generally a good idea to slow introduce the new food mixed in with the old food until they have acclimated to the adjustment.
It’s important to pay attention to what your dog eats throughout its time with you—from its puppy years to growing into an older adult dog. This includes paying attention to your dog’s habits, such as eating trash or decomposing materials from outside, but it also requires that you consider your dog’s primary source of food. If your dog is producing overly large poops, it might be a sign that the food you are feeding them is too highly processed.
ABIDE BY A REGULAR BEDTIME
Want to keep your dog’s bowel movements on a schedule? Dog owners can take great care of their pooch, even when they’re sleeping—all by sticking to a regular nighttime routine.
By following roughly the same sleep schedule every day, you are setting your dog up for a certain circadian rhythm during waking hours—translating to relatively consistent needs for potty trips at certain times of day.
SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS WITH A RELIABLE POTTY BREAK REGIMEN
If you are a pet parent to a new puppy, the first thing you’re going to want to establish when potty training is that your expectations for your pup holding their pee or poo are not only achievable lengths of time, but that they come with rewards like yummy treats and praise.
As such, it’s generally a good idea to establish a routine of regular bathroom breaks throughout the day, taking care to remain consistent in praising the transition of your puppy’s poop and pee habits to the outdoors.
MITIGATE SEPARATION ANXIETY
Part of supporting a healthy puppy is meeting the mental and emotional needs as well as the physical ones that might come up in a dog’s life. As a general rule of thumb, pet owners should be mindful of their interactions with their new pooch and any reinforcement they are giving (or not giving)!
Does your dog have anxious triggers, such as loud noises, fireworks, or cars backfiring, that cause them to spiral into impulsive behavior? Many dog experts agree that while behavioral issues can be initially challenging, they can often be mitigated with a few simple adjustments.
If your pup poops in the night when you place them in a crate for the evening, for example, you’ll want to differentiate between an accident borne from a lack of understanding and one spurring from behaviors related to separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety can also manifest in the form of excessive drooling, destructive behavior like chewing or scratching, excessive crying, shaking, or pacing, and frantic attempts to free itself from its confines.
If left unattended, a dog in a state of severe separation anxiety could dangerously injure itself—so if this is in any way a challenge for your pup, you’ll want to consider working on crate training around the clock. T
his creates an area where your dog feels it has a safe place to be while also instilling an essential component of house training: waiting for you to release them!
If you keep the first time you introduce your pooch to the crate positive and build happy connotations with it, you will set yourself on the track for a securely house trained dog.
RULE OUT POTENTIAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS
Of course, it’s always a good idea to get a professional perspective from a trusted veterinarian. If you’re concerned about your dog’s pooping patterns, stool consistency, energy levels, or even their anxiety levels, a vet will be able to parse the normal behavior in your furry friend from a bacterial infection, dietary indiscretion, inflammatory immune systems responses, or any other potential medical issues.
Whether through blood work, stool samples, or other means, a qualified vet will be able to help you home in on any potential underlying cause or medical conditions causing symptoms like frequent poops, or a change in your pup’s stool consistency.
THE BEST WAY TO STOP YOUR PUPPY FROM POOPING INSIDE
While it can be frustrating to have to clean up a puppy’s poo first thing in the morning or set an alarm for the middle of the night to take them out to potty, they won’t be a puppy forever. When they become older dogs , the struggle will be worth it.
Having accidents as a young pup is considered normal behavior—but that doesn’t mean you want to turn a blind eye to their poop frequency, schedule, and consistency.
By monitoring the food that enters your dog’s stomach and providing your pooch with opportunities to succeed through regular potty breaks outside, you may be able to wake up to sweet puppy kisses—without the smell of poo.
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