Got a new pup recently and do not know what to expect?
One thing you should know, which is a challenge to most dog owners, is that your pup may poop in its crate at night.
There are multiple reasons as to why he is pooping in his crate, from medical conditions to a lack of potty training.
If you are a dog owner and your dog is constantly pooping in its crate, read more to find out how to prevent it.
Common reasons why your pup is pooping in his crate at night
As mentioned, there can be various different reasons why pups poop in their crates, some being more serious than others.
Potty Train
One reason could be due to the lack of potty training.
If your dog is still a pup, he may not have been completely potty trained and maybe too young to hold in their poop for a long time.
This means that pups may have to relieve themselves more often than adult dogs.
Puppies can only hold in their poop and 2 hours max, meaning that accidents may very likely occur at night, especially if he is confined in his crate.
As dogs grow older, their bowel muscles get stronger, allowing them to hold in their poops for a longer period of time.
Do note that this is not a rapid process and some adult dogs have limitations as well.
Separation Anxiety
Another reason could be due to separation anxiety.
If you leave your pup in its crate overnight, he may develop anxiety, resulting in whining, panting, pacing, and also pooping.
Further, when a dog is agitated, it can also result in immediate on-the-spot bowel movement.
Chronic Conditions
Your pup may also have a chronic condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, or infections that may cause your pup to poop.
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic health condition, affecting your pup’s intestinal tract and causing inflammation and allergic reactions.
If you suspect your pup of having this condition, look out for other symptoms too, including diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss.
Infections may also result in digestive problems causing your pup to poop.
Infections can also cause bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, and a decreased appetite.
If you suspect your pup of having an infection, do look out for other symptoms too.
How to prevent your pup from pooping in his crate
Stopping your pup from pooping in the night takes patience and determination.
With a few simple steps, you may even help speed up this process.
1. Regular Health Check
If you believe that your pup may have a chronic condition, causing his worrisome bowel movements, you should visit your local vet and get a health check-up for your pup.
With a quick medical check-up, you can be ensured if your pup has a medical issue that needs to be fixed.
Before visiting the vet, take note of your pup’s bowel movements and symptoms.
This will allow your vet to have a more accurate diagnosis for your pup.
They may need to run blood tests and urinalysis for a more accurate analysis too.
If medical reasons are ruled out, you can examine your pup’s behavioral issues.
This includes getting them potty trained and checking if they have anxiety.
2. Potty Training
If your pup has not been potty trained, it is time to do so.
When training your pup, use positive training techniques when teaching them where to poop.
Potty training needs patience, consistency, and encouragement to ensure that he understands what is needed to be done.
In this case, punishing your pup when he does not do it correctly is not as effective as positive reinforcement.
While you can hire an expert to teach your pup, you can also train him yourself.
Learn More:
3. Anxiety Training
Anxiety can be treated and reduced at night through behavioral modifications and counterconditioning.
This means stimulating your pup and changing their emotional response.
Try to leave your pup’s favorite toys and treats when he is in his crate at night.
this will help him associate good things with his crate and make him feel less threatened by it.
4. Choosing a crate
As crate sizes may also result in your pup’s bowel movements, make sure that you get an appropriate size crate for your pup that prevents them from soiling their crate.
Ensure that his crate is not too big — you can also consider getting a partition if it is.
This will help the crate appear smaller while still having enough room for your pup to lie down with his legs out.
Dogs like to be clean.
Have an appropriate amount of space for them to sleep in and no space to poop with reduces the chances of them soiling the crate.
5. Feeding Schedule
Feeding your pup at the same time every day can help you to know his pooping schedule too.
Give your pup enough time after dinner and before going into their crate to poop.
Your pup’s regular pooping schedule will give you a chance to tweak your feeding schedule too, to prevent any more poops in their crate.
Do note that puppies go 30 minutes after their meals, but remember to listen to your pup as every dog is different.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you should listen to your puppy and its needs.
As all pups are different, your pup may not have developed strong bladder muscles to hold it throughout the night or they have not been adequately trained.
Remember that you should not punish them for their accidents, as they may not understand what they did wrong.
To prevent your pup from pooping in his crate, you will need patience and determination to see results.
