My 6 month old lab has started pooing every night, through the night on the kitchen floor. This gas been going on for 2 weeks now. There has been no change of food and his routine is the same. He is still as happy as ever and is eating as normal and drinking plenty of water. Any advice gratefully received
Hello, I'm no expert but I would consider things like feeding last meal earlier, taking out on leash to make sure he/she has emptied in the evening or even a later walk at bedtime. Could you make the space smaller in the kitchen using gates/blocking off so the dog is less inclined to poo. Hope things improve for you as it's not the kind of present you want to be waking up to, especially this time of year! Emily.
Hi Chris, recurrent soiling at night is not an uncommon problem. There's usually a trigger, something that starts it (such as being disturbed during the night or being upset about something) The problem is, as you've found, that it quickly becomes a habit that can be hard to break. Once the habit is established, you really need to put the dog on a floor with a different surface. That could be a crate, or (and I've had great success with this) switch the dog to a different room. A utility room or the bathroom can work. The dog is less likely to poo in a place he hasn't gone before and you get a fresh start to set him up for success. If you do try a different room I'd set your alarm for an hour (or even two hours) early so the dog has a really good chance of succeeding. I agree with Emily that it can't hurt to feed earlier and give last walk later too. While you didn't change your dog's routine in anyway, that routine has now become associated with nighttime accidents, so altering the routine to reduce that risk is a good plan
