You are here:

Dogs/Puppy schedule and Fece eating

Advertisement

Expert: Nancy Perry - 11/10/2009


Question

coco
Hello, I adopted a female cockapoo, Coco, a few months ago from a shelter.
She is 5 1/2 months and adjusting well. I have a couple of questions.

We are crating her at night and during the day when my wife isn't home or when Coco hasn't gone to the bathroom in a while. She is on a good schedule for house training. She goes out in the morning at about 6:30 am, then gets fed. She gets a walk most times afterwards, and then in the afternoon. She usually goes pee and poop in the afternoon, gets feed at 5pm, and then a walk around 6:30-7 to go again pee and poop.

I had been taking her out around 10-11pm to go to the bathroom again. Recently, the past week or so, she won't go right before bed. So, I just stopped taking her out.

Is there any problem with just taking her out at 7pm and then not again till 6-7am the next morning. She seems fine with it and is never in a rush to pee or poop in the morning. She's been sleeping thru the night since 3 months. It's fine with me, but I just want to make sure it's okay.

Also, I take her off-leash to a local park and she is is constantly searching out other dogs poop and will eat it if I don't get to her first. I have decided just not to let her off-leash for the winter (i live in the Boston area). I hope she will just out grow it.  Any tips to get her to stop wanting to eat poop?

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi,
I would move your 6:30 out to 8 PM and that would solve that problem.   As far as the eating poop. Yes keep her on a leash...Get a long retractable so you can let her go out to run, when she even goes to search for the poop, snap the leash and tell her "NO" very sharply....This is a learned behavior, so she must be taught to "unlearn" it.
nancy
PS  PUT HER ON A VITAMIN MINERAL SUPPLIMENT.  SOMETIMES THIS STOPS POOP EATING AS WELL

Nancy Perry

Expertise

You can ask me anything on dog training, dog breeding, dog grooming. What type of dog you should get. Pertinent facts about different breeds. I am also specifically knowledgeable about terriers and the diets that help maintain coat excellence. I have trained and helped owners train their dogs.

Experience

I have worked in dog training for 35 years. I have been a dog groomer for 25 years..

Education/Credentials
Certified trainer with Petsmart Certified Groomer with Petsmart

Past/Present Clients
approximatedly 2 to three hundred clients since 1993

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.