[rooney]

I know I've been posting quite a few threads, but this new puppy brings a lot of questions.

Anyway, I have a 15-week-old dachshund/chihuahua mix, and he's been home with me for about a week now. I know litte dogs have tiny organs, but it seems like, after he eats, he doesn't have to poo for at least forty-five minutes/hour afterward. I'll take him out to go to the bathroom, and he'll pee. Sometimes he'll go poo right away, but other times he'll just stare at me, or try to run back toward the door. Should I stay out there with him until he poos, or bring him inside if he doesn't go after a couple of minutes?

For example, this morning I fed him at 8 am, and then took him out at 8:30. He peed, but didn't poo. Then, I took him out again around 9:15 and he peed again, but he still acted as if he didn't have to poo, but I waited out there with him for about five-ten minutes, and he eventually went poo as well, but only after numerous attempts to pull me back toward the door.

Why does he act like he wants to go back inside sometimes?
Also, this is an issue for when I have to go to school, because if he doesn't go poo before hand, then I'll have to put him in his crate and worry about him having an accident. What should I do? Why does it seem to take so long for this tiny puppy to have a bowel movement?

 

[Hambonez]

It took a few weeks for us to figure out Hamilton's poop habits. At first he would ONLY go on the piddle pad in his pen overnight, or on the floor during the day, but never during potty breaks outside. Now we're all in a better routine. Our food/poop schedule looks something like...

6:30-7:00 am Hammie goes out and pees and poops. If the weather is bad he'll decide he only wants to pee. He doesn't win that fight, he stays out until he poops.
6:30-7:00 am Breakfast after he comes in from his pee/poop

12:15ish pm Husband home for lunch, Hamilton goes out and pees, sometimes poops, not always
12:30-1:00ish Hammie gets lunch (he goes out to pee again before my husband leaves)

4:30 I'm home from work, go out to pee & poop... though this last poop occurs sometime between 4:30 and 7:00, but he always goes again before dinner.

7:00 pm Dinner

So at 15 weeks now, he goes 2-3 times a day, and they aren't necessarily coordinated with meal times.

As for why he wants to go back inside -- for my pup... it's cold outside, it's wet outside, there's a weird noise, he was doing something inside that he wants go back in and continue doing, there's a cat looking at him from the door and he wants to go get the cat. Sometimes I think he's just in the habit of a quick out to pee because he does it 10X more than pooping, so he doesn't "remember" that he has to go all the time. The bell has come in handy for that, because he realizes he does need to go and will ring the bell if he has to go back out.

 

[hargyle]

our pup never went right after eating - like you said it could be up to an hour before he starts showing signs he has to go. I find taking him out for a talk about 20 min after he eats gets things moving pretty well and I have read time and time again on the forums that exercise helps to get the bowls processing and moving - so maybe schedule in some time to walk or play with him.

Also, when you are out wit him do you have him on a lead? This can help him stay focused on the task at hand, and it will teach him to use one spot for going ! Maybe try giving a cue like "hurry up" or "lets go"; when I need Loki to go I shoo him away from the door and say "get going" and he will run and sniff sniff sniff go and then come parading back to get his treat!

 

[rooney]

Usually it's a safe bet if I wait 45 minutes that he'll have to go--it just surprises me, since he's so small. I keep him on a lead, and tell him "let's go" until he goes, and then praise him and give him a treat. I think he's starting to learn what "let's go" means, and before we go outside, when I bring him to the door, I ask him, "Do you want to go out?" Maybe a little long of a phrase, but that's what we say to my other dog, and it works.

I'm just worried about him not going before I leave for school, and then him going in his crate instead because he can't hold it.

 

[dive2looe]

Your lucky your dog waits...mine will poop right in the middle of eating...and that is after she has already peed and pooped earlier

 

[chubby]

Hi Rooney,

You are doing a great job, and just keep a log and you'll see a pattern of when he needs to go. Always walk him and feed him the same times everyday, so his bodily functions rear up. Butters ALWAYS poos first thing in the morning, and during our evening walk, but it took several months for her to attain that regularity, Before, when she was young, she pooed wherever the wind blew.

 

[embedded]

Doggy poo schedule, talk about a personal thing. I have a lhaso that will poop 5 times per day and is very "purposed" about taking care of business. And I have a GSD that only goes 2 times per day and prefers to go in the woods with back to me, as he needs privacy, lol.

 

[hanksimon]

I agree with chubby. As you can tell, each dog is on a different schedule. Plus, a pup is still learning his schedule. I didn't remember, but I had kept a mental log of my pup's schedule...And, now 11 years later, I still walk and feed him based on his schedule as a pup.