Maui was 13 weeks on Monday. It's been 13 years since I've had a puppy so some of my memory is foggy. Do puppies change their bowel habits as they mature? When I first brought her home I got used to peeing all the time of course, but in the morning she would do a poop first thing after eating her breakfast and then another just a few hours later. After that sometimes later in the afternoon, but not always and always after eating her dinner at night. And again before bed sometimes, sometimes not. So, I was used to 3-4 poops a day. I just figured like a human baby ... they eat and poop all the time. This last week she is totally confusing me. She doesn't always go right after she eats and yesterday only went twice, once after breakfast and the next time quite awhile after dinner when she was out with my husband while he was watering the garden. I think my Maggie as a grown dog used to go maybe once or twice a day ... using in the morning and in the evening. She's not had any accidents this week, but seems like I'm always out with her waiting for this poop that just isn't coming! Just wondering if they change their habits as they get older.
I think that all tend to be different and sometimes it depends upon what's going on. Juno used to poop around 4 times a day as a pup but now only goes normally 2 times. She poops first thing in the morning before breakfast and then normally after dinner in the evening, unless we are out for a long walk in the afternoon at which point she will normally poop while out - particularly if we're with our doggy friends at which time the first 10 minutes are excited greetings followed by lots of peeing and followed by pooping, it's quite funny really to watch.
I would have thought they would poop less as they get older as they cant 'retain as much' - eugh! Lovely!
Thanx Rosemary .... so I guess I'll just keep looking for that poop! LOL!! Just want to avoid accidents, but if she doesn't go, she doesn't go, LOL!!
Murphy seems to have clusters - he always does one first thing in the morning then again after breakfast...nothing all day, then one about 6pm before his tea and maybe one before bed! It cool when you see a pattern emmerge - makes it much easier to predict!
Just try and relax, it's much easier to predict when they want to poop and now at 13 weeks she is less likely to have an accident indoors. Frequency does seem to depend upon quantity of food consumed against rate of growth so I found it did vary from 2 times a day to 4 times. Doesn't seem possible that Maui is 13 weeks already - time flies
Yes, time certainly does fly, doesn't it? Amazing she's 13 weeks already! She has had remarkable growth .... food consumption has remained the same .... so maybe she's slowing down a bit on the growth. We'll see. Two so far today! Thanx Rosemary!
ahh, Maui is a week older than Murphy, and they look very similar! Does she had a period of the day when she is more active than other times. Murphy is on the go from 7-10pm - he doesnt stop! most of the day he is quite chilled but this is his super awake time!
Keep in mind it depends what food they're eating, as well as any new treats… Maisie seems to poop less on her new food (down to 3 from 4 I think). I can tell more when she has to poop and sometimes take her on a "poop walk" just to make her poop, haha. She never poops inside (she did ONCE when she was in a puppy pen, but never after that) and is more whiney when she wants to poop.
murphthesmurf yes they do look similar! And I think the behavior is about the same too. So .... WATCH OUT!! LOL!! The last few days Miss Maui has been absolutely wild! The Breeder made a comment about labs having the bodies totally surpass their brains much too quickly and I have to say I think that is what has happened here! Maui was very mellow and we were training very nicely, especially on the 'no bite', 'easy' thing, but now it seems she has so much energy and has gotten so much bigger that she wants to play all the time and it gets out of control! I still work with her on this and substitute a chew toy for me, but yesterday was a tough one. I remember when my Maggie got like this and I decided she needed a lot more exercise and it helped. Yesterday I couldn't even sit at the computer without her jumping up and having me for a little snack! This morning after she ate and pooped and did her thing, I played 'ball' with her out back and she's sitting quietly like she used to when I was at the computer. I'm thinking some sort of indoor exercise with her this afternoon (it's a hot one out there) and then my husband has been taking her out after dinner while he waters the garden and she runs, but that didn't work yesterday, so in addition, maybe a little more ball before bedtime, even tho it will be in the dark. We'll see how it works! maisiesmomma Maui is doing well with the training and yesterday she did the usual 3 poops, so that was fine. But, as mentioned above, her energy level is very high lately, so I think tomorrow morning first thing (she gets me up at 6:00) after she eats I may take her for a little jaunt before it gets too hot here ... who knows maybe that will be 2nd poop time, LOL!! MaccieD ... yes, much like a baby in the loss of sleep department, but at least a baby stays where you put them and doesn't nip you! LOL!!
mmomom that all sounds about right!! thank goodness for Kongs - Murphy was relentless last night from 7pm up and down and bombing around - he is ready for walkies now I think (roll on Sunday!) - in the end about 9.30 I gave him his kong with a bit of cheese pressed in the bottom, he was at it for 40 mins - bliss! then fell fast asleep! We have puppy training tonight so Im hoping meeting 7 other puppies will tire him out tonight!
if Maui likes playing ball you can play that indoors with a soft ball. Juno loved squeaky toys (and still does) so we would play fetch with one and then she'd happily play with it making it squeak . You could also try "Find" with her when it's too hot to be out - I found really any game that involved going for a toy and bringing it back worked really well to tire Juno out, and tug toys are good for tossing for a puppy to run and get and bring back. One of the Kong toys I had for Juno was the Kong Puppy Teether which had ridged edges and was good for chasing as it had an unpredictable bounce and was really good for chewing with little puppy teeth. Short training sessions will also help to tire her out and can easily be practiced indoors when it's hot
Beautiful picture! He's a handsome boy! We just now got the okay to take her on walks where we are fairly sure most dogs have had their shots. So, tomorrow morning we will be off first thing. I'd do it today, but it really gets too hot here ... so it will be in the house exercise this afternoon, some pool time maybe later, run with my husband while watering and more ball before bed. Sure hope it helps!
Thanx Rosemary. We can do most of that and up until now, she's mostly played nicely with them herself, but think she needs more interaction now. That's the plan for today and the walk tomorrow morning ... we'll see how it goes! I'm going to look for the Kong teether when I'm out either today or tomorrow too. Appreciate your response!
This is the teether Juno had although the one I bought in the pet shop in the UK was blue - just as well I bought it on a trip over as it's nearly impossible to find Kong toys in the shops here...... http://www.kongcompany.com/en-uk/products/for-dogs/rubber-toys/puppy-rubber/puppy-teething-stick/
I actually think I've seen that at our local Petco. I've bought some Kong things there as well as online. Being a Lab, I like to keep to the Kong things. Thank you!
Well, happy to say yesterday went much smoother than the day before! After playing ball with her first thing in the morning, she settled down nicely. A little later we played tug and fetch and I gave her a bath, cleaned and changed the bedding in her crate and she took a very nice nap! Later in the afternoon while at the computer I just threw different toys at her to play with. After dinner my husband took her out to run while he watered and when they came in I did more of the toy tossing. She was beat then! But, when it came to bedtime, she really didn't want to settle down. I think I mentioned way back because of the different introduction to the crate, she had been sleeping with us on the bed. It usually took a while for her to settle, but eventually she did if we just ignored her, and it worked for us because if she needed to go out in the night I was right there and we have a slider to the outside in the bedroom. However, night before last she took forever to calm down and was really nipping at us .... that was the same day she was crazy with the nipping. I calmly picked her up and brought her to the other part of the house and put her in the crate. She was quiet and went right down. She did whimper at about 3:30 which she does when on our bed, but goes back to sleep and wakes me around 6:00. Being in the crate I didn't want to chance an accident so got up and she did pee. I brought her back with us and she went right off to sleep and woke me again around 6:00 to start the day. So, last night, being as tired as she was, I thought she would settle right down, but once the nipping began I just repeated what I did the night before. I didn't hear her till 5:00 this time, took her out, she peed and brought her back with us and she went back to sleep till 6:00. So, this morning she's full of energy again so after her breakfast and poop I took her for her first walk in the neighborhood (have to do it early because of the heat) and she thought that was just grand! So many things to look at and smell! I followed the 5 minute rule on that one. We're back now and even though I thought she'd settle down, we've been throwing the toys and playing, but she's jumping up and nipping now. I have to say that I work with her all the time on that with the 'no bite', 'go easy' and 'down', but when she's excited it's like she looses not only her brain but her hearing! LOL!! So, I calmly put some toys and a couple of pieces of kibble in the crate and she is there now. We will work on more exercise today, but I'm optimistic that we'll have another pretty good day without too many 'scars' for my husband and I! I'm also thinking that I may run down to the Pet Store and get a smaller crate to keep in the bedroom so we don't go through the whole moving etc. if needed at night. The one we have for her is her 'forever' home, so it's quite large and we have it portioned off. We'll see what happens! Ah .... puppyhood .... how wonderful!
She sounds as if she's doing really well. The nipping before settling down is probably tied to being tired but not wanting to give in - a bit like a small child , and when Maui is placed in her crate she is happy to chill, relax and sleep. Juno used to like to curl up in her crate during the day after we had been playing or out for a walk, but her favourite spot was the cats bed which was next to her crate at that time. Needless to say the cats took exception and wouldn't use the bed at all but they're happy with it now as they have it their outside enclosed minus the fleece blanket which Juno claimed Juno at nearly 3 months in the cats bed WIN_20140914_144414 by Rosemary McDonagh, on Flickr Tired little girl Juno nearly 3 months by Rosemary McDonagh, on Flickr In her crate Juno at nearly 3 months 1 by Rosemary McDonagh, on Flickr I loved Juno's puppyhood, seemed to end all too soon but for me to get through the bitey stage (although Juno wasn't very bitey anyway) is consistency and a variety of toys to keep her amused
