Dog Suddenly Pooing in crate overnight nearly 6 months old

[sl918]

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Hi all,

My 5 (nearly 6) month old patterdale has started pooing in crate overnight (last 3 nights in a row). Prior to this from when we picked him up at 8 weeks old he has been good overnight and not had accidents.

He did wee in the crate initially during the day however is now fully crate trained so were not expecting this.

He is fully house trained other than this and has not had any other accidents in the house for the last couple of months.

He is highly strung and full of energy but generally fine in the crate, especially overnight were he will sleep through generally.

Going to get a vet appointment to rule out anything medical, wandered if anyone had experienced anything similar at this age?

 

[JudyN]

Is his crate in with you or elsewhere in the house? It's possible that he's being woken by the sounds of foxes or similar.

Has his diet, or the timing of meals, changed at all? Sometimes feeding a dog later in the day means that the next poo doesn't arrive till morning. Alternatively, feeding his last meal earlier can mean that he poos before bedtime. Some experimentation might help... also, if you put some sweetcorn kernels in his food, you can tell how long it takes to get from one end to the other.

 

[Hemlock]

Also - last trip out before bed - do you put him out or take him out? It's always better to go out with them so you can make sure he has emptied out and not become distracted by outdoor goings-on, such as the fox activity JudyN has mentioned. Dogs don't know we put them out to empty themselves - all they know is they were comfy indoors and suddenly they are outside. Outside on a windy rainy night isn't comfortable either, so he may just be waiting until he is allowed back in again.
Often a 10-minute lead walk out of the garden will do the trick.

 

[JoanneF]

I'll add - it's often at around six months that we take our eye of the ball in terms of house training because we think we / they have nailed it. And that's often not the case, so keep up with the big praise and reward when he toilets outside.

It's also possible his growth rate has slowed, and just maybe his digestion has changed with that. You could,d add a few kernels of sweetcorn to one meal, to work out which one he is pooing overnight. Then, feed that meal either earlier so he poos before bed, or later so he can hold until morning.

 

[Alex Daniel]

Hi all,

My 5 (nearly 6) month old patterdale has started pooing in crate overnight (last 3 nights in a row). Prior to this from when we picked him up at 8 weeks old he has been good overnight and not had accidents.

He did wee in the crate initially during the day however is now fully crate trained so were not expecting this.

He is fully house trained other than this and has not had any other accidents in the house for the last couple of months.

He is highly strung and full of energy but generally fine in the crate, especially overnight were he will sleep through generally.

Going to get a vet appointment to rule out anything medical, wandered if anyone had experienced anything similar at this age?

Hi there, sorry to hear about your pup's recent accidents. It's great that you're considering a vet visit to rule out any medical issues. Sometimes changes in behavior like this can be due to stress or anxiety, especially in high-energy breeds like Patterdales. It might be worth reassessing his routine and ensuring he's getting enough mental and physical stimulation during the day. Hang in there, and hopefully, you'll find a solution soon!