Okay, so, let’s talk about this puppy pooping in the kennel situation. It’s been a real headache, let me tell you.
So, I got this new puppy, cute as a button, but the little guy just couldn’t seem to hold it in his crate overnight. Every morning, it’s the same story – open the crate, and bam, poop city. I started to get worried and frustrated. My first thought was, “What am I doing wrong?” I mean, I take him out right before bed, and he does his business, so why the midnight mess?
First things first, I started to pay more attention to his feeding schedule. I figured, maybe he’s eating too late. I began to give him his last meal earlier, around 7 PM. Then, I made sure to take him out multiple times after that, hoping he’d empty out before bedtime. It’s like I’m running a poop marathon every evening.
Then, I thought, maybe the crate’s too big. I remembered reading somewhere that they don’t like to soil where they sleep, but if there’s too much room, they might think it’s okay to go in a corner. I had a crate that was a bit too spacious, so I blocked off the excess space, making it just big enough for him to lie down comfortably, but not big enough to have a poop party.
I also started rewarding him like crazy whenever he woke up to a clean crate. Treats, praise, belly rubs – you name it. I wanted him to associate a clean crate with good things. “Good boy, no poop!” I’d say, throwing a mini celebration every time. It felt silly, but hey, whatever works, right?
But, the problem still happened sometimes. I started to wonder if it was something more. Was he sick? Anxious? Maybe he just didn’t get it? I even considered that he might be eating his own poop at night. I read about copro..copr… whatever it’s called. That was a dark thought, and I quickly tried to push it out of my mind. I also read it could be separation anxiety or some medical issue. Man, the internet can be a scary place when you’re googling puppy poop problems at 2 AM.
One important thing, I also learned that puppies just have a hard time holding it in for long periods, especially when they’re really young. It’s like expecting a baby to be potty trained overnight – just not gonna happen.
What finally did the trick?
Honestly? A combination of everything.
- Earlier dinner.
- Multiple potty breaks before bed.
- Smaller crate space.
- Lots of positive reinforcement.
- And, most importantly, patience.
It wasn’t an overnight fix, but slowly but surely, the accidents became less frequent. It took a few weeks, but we finally got to a point where I could wake up, open the crate, and not be greeted by a smelly surprise. Now, he’s doing great, and we’ve both learned a lot. It was a messy journey, but we made it!
So, if you’re going through the same thing, hang in there. It’s a phase, and it does get better. Just remember to be patient, consistent, and maybe invest in a good carpet cleaner, just in case.
