Another possibility, if it's only once a month, is that it happens on days when he's had more food ( like extra training treats) or has been given left-overs etc.
Good point, Joy. Will have to start keeping a diary with what food he eats and what treats he gets. That will be the only way to really pinpoint what is making this happen.
Update:Joy,you will enjoy this. I played ball with him last night for about 20minutes up and down the long hall....he loved it and ran and ran. Then we went outside and he did NOT pee or poo!!!The little rascal......BUT at 1:30AM his two front paws come onto my bed so I got up,opened the front door and out he went and poo'd and pee'd!!! Great, but not at 1:30AM!! Anyway, it's a start and, frankly, I would rather get up at 1:30 so he can go out than pick up his poo the next morning. Of course, when we got up this morning he didn't do either! I am going to start playing ball with him earlier than 20 minutes before bed and see how that works.
Oops! That wasn't meant to happen - 1.30 am in sub-zero conditions can't be fun. Hope things are better tonight.
It's OK Joy.....I stayed inside the door as he went out right where the light shone!!! And then back to bed!!!
Update of update....I really have to chuckle as to how smart our pups are!!! Last night we played the same game as night before....tennis ball/down the hall/he running like mad. Let him out and stayed watching.....he neither wee'd or poo'd!!!! He was out for about 15 minutes as I stayed inside the door. Went to bed....he woke me at 12:30AM, got up/opened door/I forgot to take off the house alarm so it went off and almost gave both of us a heart attack/called the company to say all was OK PLUS he declined to go outside. Back to bed. Woke me again at 1:30 ditto the above. Then again at 4:30...this time he DID go out and wee'd (no poo). I finally got up at 7:00 and he went out and poo'd. The reason I was (and am) sort of chuckling is that he has learned how to make me get up and do his bidding!!! Darn they are smart. Well,that is ending tonight. The first time he wakes me up he is going back to the past where he slept on his sofa in the family room and I have a gate that closes the house off from the family room! I know you will chuckle when you read this. I am ALWAYS surprised and impressed when realizing how smart they are. And how spoiled (by me)!! But enough is enough. It stops right now. Hope you all have a safe and very MERRY CHRISTMAS and/or HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Do you think he could be hot and wanting to cool down outside? Perhaps your heating is up? Snowie went through a phase of wanting to go out - and then just promptly lay down outside. No wees or poos either even though he cried to go out, the desperate I-need-a-poo cry. When we started keeping our balcony door open at night, he stopped waking us up - went out to cool himself if needed. Doesn't answer your poo problem! I did wonder if your dog had seizures? Snowie is epileptic and I found a poo downstairs once after he'd had a fit in the early hours - always needed to poo immediately after a fit. It was one time we didn't get to him immediately. Don't want to worry you but it did cross my mind given our experience.
Hi MF....don't believe he is having a seizure but....it's during the night, so what do I know, right? I have my heat on at 68 degrees F both day and night which is what it's been on since I brought him home back in 2014. The getting me up last night I think was "let's try to see how far I can push this situation and PLAY"...he also thought he was going to have breakfast! The rascal. He doesn't even whine to wake me up....he puts both paws on my bed and nuzzles me. I can't keep a door open to the outdoors because we are in Winter and it's brrrrr cold outside! Plus we have critters that come out at night....racoons, coyotes, woodchucks so I really dont want him outdoors on his own. The strange thing is that it just started about three months ago....had been fine until then and he is 2-3/4 years old so was certainly not something I had to worry about before. He had a topsy turvey year with my two surgeries ...so it was hospital....then rehabilitation clinic and then a friend had him for an extra two weeks 24/7 because I was using a walker to get around indoors and then had physical therapy in-house. So it HAS been a strange year for the poor chap. Thanks for responding.....I need all the input I can get! We will certainly get to the bottom of this behavior.
It does sound like he's had quite a disrupted year (you, too!) so perhaps he just needs a strict routine. Easier said than done!! We go through this from time to time but, because Snowie is epileptic, we never know if he's feeling unwell or just being plain naughty and demanding! Of course I always give in!!
I am so sorry that Snowie is epileptic.....I know it bothers you but does it bother him? Does he realize he is going to have or is actually having a seizure? Poor Snowie AND you. I can tell that you have the situation pretty much under control and certainly know what to do. You are right about Cooper having to get into a very strict routine. That is up to me and both he and I are ready for it!
Thankfully it is under control now - he's medicated. He's not had a seizure in 7 months, and before that it had been another clear 7 months. So he's had a really good year. The two seizures he had earlier this year were after taking Bravecto so we're assuming it was the Bravecto given he'd been doing so well till then. When he had the seizures, they were awful. He definitely knew a seizure was coming on, lots of signs of distress, he was not happy. So thankful they appear under control now. Dogs are such creatures of habit. I am sure once you get Cooper into a routine everything will fall into place! Including poos outside in their rightful place!
Oh dear, you must be cursing me and my bright ideas. Fingers crossed for an uninterrupted night's sleep tonight.
NO, NO,NO it's totally fine. I appreciate input, believe me. Wrote "the novel" so all of you could have a good laugh at how smart our doggies are.....tonight is going to be different, believe me. We live through each other's experiences. And I need all the help I can get! Have a great Christmas.
Here's another theory for you, Yvonne: A friend of mine (a vet, if that makes a difference) has a 7 year old Lab who does the odd indoor poo. Friend has noticed that it happens on days when she hasn't had a walk (new baby, routine up in the air). She also used to do it on nights when she wasn't crated. In crate = no poo. Xena woke me up last night at 2 am needing an urgent soft poo, thank goodness I heard the whimpering. OH was in charge for 24 hours while I was out of town so dog knows what he let her get into on her off-lead walk.
Thanks Sophie. I went back to my agenda/calendar....the nights he had those poo's indoors, he had gone to day care all day. I know they do not give dogs treats or feed them unless you take the food and I dont with Cooper....he does not have a lunch...just breakfast and dinner. Another friend sent me a note yesterday saying to check the FULL MOON....and, lo and behold, YES.....in all three cases there had been a full moon on or around that date!!!!! What the heck!!! This is getting more and more bizarre!!! As to crating....no, he decrated himself at about 11 months old. I still do have the doggy gate up in the family room....it's screwed into the walls.....so I could go back to getting him to sleep in there from now on. But I hate to do this now that he has the run of the house. But will, if it continues. Will make a big note in my book as to when our NEXT full moon is!! Thanks for your help.....hope the situation goes away soon!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS.....
