Pooping issues..

[Seravieve]

Do you free feed or feed on a schedule? Feeding on a schedule helps to regulate their pooping times.

We feed at 8:30am and 7pm and all three go potty outside either before or after eating. They all go out while I get their bowls ready, they come in and eat and then go back out for about 5 min afterwards. I always tell them 'go potty' when I let the out as well.

I have no experience with potty training, so I cannot help you there. I'm sure someone else on here does though! =)

[conchitaroja]

My daughter & I trained her dog from the time he was a pup. We crate trained him. It took only one time for him to have to lay in his urin & excrement to know that it wasn't a good idea to go to the bathroom where you live. A typical day went this way: As soon as I got up in the morning I'd take him outside to go potty, then I'd feed him & go through my morning routine. I'd take him for a quick walk before going to work, and crate him while we were not in the house. When I got home from work, the first thing I'd do would be let him outside to go; then I'd give him his supper & fix our food. & Just before going to bed he'd get one more walk. When he was a pup we'd crate him while we slept; after he didn't want to go into his "house" (that's what we called the crate) anymore, we just had to reason with him a little bit... unbelievably, he understood & has never given us a problem since.
The thing here though is ROUTINE... once a dog gets a regular routine, they're fine... at night, if I happen to fall asleep in front of the tv my dog will let me know when it's time for his nightly walk because the regular routine is to take him out right after the weather report on the nightly news... you'll hear a little grumble & he'll nudge my foot... LOL he's so spoiled... but we love him soooooooo dearly, & he knows it
Good luck with Lilo

[steelergrl]

We are really good at a walking routine. They know that they will go out before I leave for work (between 6-6:15), before my boyfriend leaves for work (between 8:30-9), when I get home (between 4:45-5) and before we go to bed (between 9:45-10:15). We do leave the food out for them to eat whenever they'd like, so that might be a problem. Maybe they need to be on an eating routine? We also put food in their crates when we leave for the day. Is that bad? Sometimes they eat the food and sometimes they don't. The problem with Lilo is, she will go outside but not poop. She will wait until we get back into the house and then go. It's like she's scared to poop outside. We try staying outside with her for long periods of time too. She is more concerned with sniffing and what is going on elsewhere then with actually going to the bathroom. My boyfriend works long days (usually 10-12 hours), so I thought maybe she was acting out because of this. I mean, she was 'his' dog before she was 'our' dog. Maybe she misses him? I just don't know anymore.

[Seravieve]

I could be a lot of the changes in her life all adding up and this is how she relieves stress. A very easy way to control her need to potty is to control her food intake. Since you'll know when she ate, you'll know when she needs to potty. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. It might take a few days for them to realize, Oh I only get to eat now.. but they'll catch on.

When you start a routine.. I'd pick up the food bowls the night before.. let them nibble until 7 or 8.. and then pick them up and no more for the night. Then offer food in the morning, leave the bowls down for 15-20 minutes. Let them eat what they will, may not be all of it the first few times, until they catch on, but this is ok. Then offer dinner (10-12 hours later) and again, only leave the bowls down 15-20 minutes. Eventually they'll realize this is when they eat now.

Also, put them outside while you prepare the food, and then again after they eat, to ensure that they both go potty. =) Good luck!