Dirty dog!

Can you fit a dog flap in the door? We always had one when we had dogs- now it is just a smaller cat flap. Obviously you need to have a secure garden so he can't take himself on midnight walkies! Our dog used to love going outside at night to listen to all the rustling & maybe chase a fox now & then. She rarely stayed out long & I don't think it was for a wee - she just liked being out there..
We did once lose a small child who was visiting when she found she could climb out of it- must have been a heck of a squeeze though.

I wonder if your dog who is clearly very close to you and reading your body language when you first go in the kitchen in the morning, has been picking up on your (unintended) vibes and is now anxious about it. Do you know if it happens just before you get up? If it happened in the night he won't remember pooing and may wonder about any negativity. A dog you've had for a while can probably read you better than you can read yourself! What about trying to ignore the poo for a couple of minutes, greet him cheerfully, and then casually dispose of it. I realise this doesn't explain why it first happened but it may be that you have unwittingly perpetuated what was initially just a temporary tummy upset. Good luck .

One thing I have found is that the dog food changes, same packet same price etc etc BUT the company has been taken over and the recipe has been fiddled with. Just a suggestion.

My 14 year old jack russel does this on occasion but we think she struggles seeing in the dark and along with arthritis does not want to be outdoors late at night.

I hope you find a solution, other ladies here were so helpful for our older dog who was peeing overnight. Some people on here shouldn’t have pets or children ?

The reason people leave their dogs in the kitchen overnight Gabriella is because if they do have an accident, it's usually a lot easier to clean and disinfect hard floors than it is carpeting.

Good idea re the car flap. Also we have recently adopted a 14-year old dog that nobody wanted. She has a bit of an issue at first but luckily it was in the hallway which might meet more with GabbyG’s approval.

We now take her for a short walk just before bedtime and that has broken the habit. I’m often to be seen wandering the streets in my PJs and MAC late at night.

It’s worth a try.

I have heard that dogs can pick up on hormonal changes - do you have a grandson or granddaughter who has just reached puberty? It can apparently make dogs behave differently.

One of our Irish Setters started dirtying and weeing at night but she was about 11. We had dog sitters come to stay and when we told them what she did they said they had a dog who did the same so they left the back door ajar at night so it could get outside. We did this and were able to lock the door from the kitchen to the rest of the house and she never dirtied or wee'd again. I think she judt enjoyed being abke to wander in and out during the night. Yet she never dirtied if we went out during the day and the door was locked.

Lovely thing to do Anja the oldies often get forgotten.

Hope you don't 'flash' people in your MAC

Think the OP may not be around today. She posted yesterday lunchtime. Difficult to give advice without knowing a little more.

One of my dogs, my old boy has had an occasional pee in the house recently. We put a puppy pad down by the back door just in case but it's usually dry. It does save the mess if he can't hang on though.

All part of loving them. Sometimes they have an accident. Not the end of the world.

6 is young to have those sort of problems though. Unless it's a behavioural issue, then possible he has developed a more sensitive digestive system and could need a change of diet (gradual).

I agree with most people's responses but would add that some dogs benefit from the effect of a short walk to stimulate pooing. Maybe a walk before bed, Bb?

Before I had a dog, I wouldn't have dreamed in my worst nightmare of picking up dog poo. Now, if my lovely dog and I encounter poo left by other dirty, antisocial dog owners, we pick it up and bin it. Dogs are not intrinsically dirty. Their paws are no dirtier than the soles of my shoes and their coats are not seething with pathogenic organisms. Children who grow up with dogs are generally healthier than those who have no pets. Cats don't confer the same health benefits, apparently.

It might be worth cutting out table scraps (if you give them) and only allowing grain free dog treats and raw carrots. My 6 year old cavvy has just been diagnosed as massively gluten intolerant. Check what proprietary dog food you're giving your lab. It may contain wheat or barley, often on the list as 'cereal'. These conditions may get progressively worse and only be noticed as a dog gets a bit older. Ours started having funny turns and that's how his condition was diagnosed. My springer has an iron stomach and can eat (help himelf) to just about anything with no ill effects. My reading glasses were the most recent casualty. ?

Thank you all for thoughts and help. Fed him two hours earlier yesterday and he was fine this morning. I'm also making a big fuss of him all during the day. My daughter in law gave birth to twins last December,three months early,and this has caused a lot of disruption with us being out more during the day and being upset and worried. I'm thinking he has picked up on this ,although his own routine hasn't changed and we have another dog ,so he is not alone. They are so clever and seem to know everything that's going on and especially when we are upset. I will continue to feed him early and plenty of tlc. Fingers crossed.

My grand dog, an 11 year old lab mix, has lost control of his bowels and often has accidents in the house. We've tried everything including food adjustments, medication, chiropractic and now acupuncture. My understanding, from the vet and research, is that arthritis in his back is causing an incomplete evacuation and he "builds up" until there is a spontaneous exit. When he is at my house, I put down foam tiles on the floor which are very easy to wash and sanitize. We have a new baby in his family so that has been a little challenging to keep the floor sanitized. Otherwise, the dog is still happy and enjoys life.

Possibly picked up on the edgy vibes in the house then Bellab

He is anticipating double the ear pulling in a year or so

Congratulations on the twins I hope they are thriving and doing well. Must have been a worry indeed arriving so early. I do hope all is well with them.

And good luck with your boy. I hope he settles down.

breeze
What you think has no impact on me and I'm most certainly not ashamed of my post. Worktops or floor, it's still a stink in the kitchen, flies go on poop and in everything else.
You have your view and I respect the fact that you don't think poop overnight in a kitchen is ok, however, I have different standards.

Breeze.
Thank you. The twins came home yesterday and have done really well. Going from 1.8lbs to nearly 6lbs.
We can all relax a bit now and hopefully my dog will too.

Great news Bellab that was very early especially for twins.

Why bother coming onto a Pets Forum, to criticize, with no advice at all to give to the OP?

Someone needs to "get a life"! ???

What a heartening thread. Bellab. so many useful tips and kindness.

Can you pinpoint when things changed and what was happening in his life.
Looking at things like vaccination, worming, any changes in diet, they may have changed the ingredients in his normal food.
Tummy troubles like diarrhoea/vomiting.
Anything like you being away on holiday, being left for an unusually long time, another pet dying. There will be some kind of trigger I suspect. It's unlikely to be age as he is a young dog.
I am a homeopath and that is what I look for in my patients and in my own dog.
Mine is 14+ and has the occasional accident but at her age it isn't unusual.

Get a plug -in thing from the vets ,it has theramones ? in, it worked for one of my cats that started weeing indoors despite having poo boxes indoors.Not cheap but they work. Good luck.

Pheromones!

Gabriella, please tell us you have had a dog and how you managed to stop him pooping at night. Obviously you left him outside in the cold?

Different subject but amazed stevej4491 was talking about the plugins then right below it is an advert for Feliway, the plugin. How much do these phones/ computers take in about us? Worries me at times

GabriellaG54: There is an old saying "If you can't think of anything nice to say, then say nothing" which on this forum I think should be "If you haven't got any good advice to give AND don't have anything nice to say, then don't post". Take a good look at yourself and your motives for being so unhelpful in future.