# 1.5 yr old male poops in house



## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Hi there, Charlie is 1.5 years old, fully housetrained (or so I thought until this week), but in the last week has pooped in my living room three times. 
I get up in the morning and EVERY morning, he goes for a walk with me, this is only a half hour walk, as time is of the essense in the mornings. I then bring him home, feed him, and get ready for my day. I always make sure he has done his business outside, (and lately have been really watching to make sure he is), but for the last week, 3 times now I have come home to mess (or messes) on the living room carpet. 
He greets me like normal, all tails and grinning around his favorite shoe (mine), whining like he hasn't seen me in decades.. but I am instantly upset because the pile(or piles) are like mountains!... not fun to clean up, and the smell is horrible. 
Well today I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the pile and firmly (did not yell) said BAD DOG! His ears drooped, his eyes dropped and his entire body flattened to the floor. 
If he was smaller, (as my yorkie/shitzu) I would have shook him (grabbed by scruff and shook as mama does), but since he is 70+ lbs, all I could do was grab him by the scruff and pull on him to get him outside. I kept telling him he was a BAD DOG! 
Now I know you aren't supposed to punish a dog after the fact, (he could have pooped in the morning), but frustration got the best of me. 
I am not sure what is happening, or why he is even doing this. Prior to this, he never even peed in the house. Now I am worried about this all the time. 
I take both Charlie and the little dog (Brody) for a walk in the morning, and again when I get home at 5, and again before bed, so it is not the excercise, or lack of.. what could it be? 
I could use some advise, and some help. Thanks!


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

He might be sick. Please take him to the Vet as soon as possible.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Yes, first of all, punishing your dog after the fact is, in my opinion, cruel. The dog doesn't know what you're punishing him for. You might as well be yelling at an infant for pooping in its diaper. Shaking a dog, any sized dog, is just... wrong...

How long is he left alone during the day? Is he crated? Perhaps you need to hire a dog walker to let him out halfway through the day to go potty. Also, you seemed to imply his poops are very large. What do you feed him and how much per day? You might be feeding him too much, which is why he has to go to the bathroom so often.

But since this is coming out of no where, I'd check up with a vet to make sure he isn't ill.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

I agree. Good luck and please let us know how you make out.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

He is due for his check up, I have an appt. with vet for next week. 
he is not crated, and he is in the house from 7:30-5. But in the past, he has never done this, this is totally new. 
he gets 2 cups in the morning of dry food, mixed with a half tspn of wet stuff, and the same at night. 
Vet said that he can be dropped to 2 cups/day when his energy level drops. It hasnt. Even after getting neutered, he has the same energy level.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I am sure you don't want him to be afraid of you because you have become angry and unpredictable- you 'bite for no reason' -punishing for no reason in the dogs eyes (he has long forgotten the poop on the floor) has this affect. Getting 'physical' with your dog can seriously erode the trust your dog has in you. 
Perhaps try cutting his meals down a bit and/or feed him a bit earlier in the morning to give him a little more time to do his business? You may have to get up a bit earlier, but it beats cleaning up 'accidents'. I am willing to bet he is not 'liking' having to poop in the house, anymore than you 'like' to clean it up- he can't help it -he has no choice. 
You mentioned having another dog - any chance the other dog contributing?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

You've punished a dog for something he doesn't remember, quite possibly there is a medical reason he can't wait, and most definitely he is not having accidents just to make you mad.

4 cups a day is twice the amount of food a 1.5 year old dog should eat that is a house pet getting normal walks. Cut him back to 2.5 cups total a day, but slowly reduce the amount over a few weeks. I bet the problem will resolve.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Charlie1 said:


> He is due for his check up, I have an appt. with vet for next week.
> he is not crated, and he is in the house from 7:30-5. But in the past, he has never done this, this is totally new.
> he gets 2 cups in the morning of dry food, mixed with a half tspn of wet stuff, and the same at night.
> Vet said that he can be dropped to 2 cups/day when his energy level drops. It hasnt. Even after getting neutered, he has the same energy level.


I think 7:30-5 is a fairly long bit of time, although I know dogs can do it - Flora (my dog) is often alone from about 8:30-5 and she does fine. However, with his problem, it might be that you'll need to have someone come by around 12 or 1 to let him out and evacuate his bowels.

Do you make sure he goes #2 before you leave for work? And 4 cups seems like quite a lot, but it really does depend on the dog. How much does he weigh? My dog weighs 60# and she gets 2 cups of food a day.


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## Casey and Samson's Mom (Sep 24, 2011)

Maybe try feeding him less in the morning--you dont have to divide it evenly. Also, feed him a bit before you leave in the morning. My guys do the same schedule, and this is how I do it. Both usually poop on the walk and then not again until I get home.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm thinking that it could be excess food causing the spontaneous poop in the house. Dogs typically need less food once they're past the 12-18 month mark because the growing is pretty much done. The calories that were used up in growing are not needed and could be causing extra poop as that's essentially 'waste'. If he's at a healthy weight, I'd drop it down to at least 3 cups and see how he does with that.

Are you giving him time to relax and poop outside? Walking does get the bowels moving and some dogs learn to poop on walks but others need some 'downtime' after a walk to relax and poop. If he's not pooping on the walk, then doesn't get enough time in the yard after the walk to relax and poop before you decide he doesn't 'need' to, then that would explain why there's the poop in the house when you get back. The need to poop hits once you're out the door but there's no one to let him out.

Pay attention to your emotions. If you're standing in the yard after a walk impatient for him to poop so you can get going to work, he'll feel the anxiety but not know what's causing it. Being a golden, he'll be worried about YOU and the anxiety might make it hard for him to poop. He's so worried about why you're worried that he can't relax...then you leave the house and BAM. He can now poop. 

Speaking of emotions, you need to get them under control. Yes you were frustrated but you treated your dog poorly and quite possibly made things worse. if he's already tense due to your anxiety in the morning (see above) then you came home, were anxious, and then gave him a reason to be anxious with you by dragging him around. Chances are he doesn't WANT to poop in the house but for the time being is feeling like it's his only option. Maybe channel your emotions into figuring out how to help your guy instead of getting mad at him. What you did was not productive at all - possibly harming - so you essentially used your dog as an emotional punching bag. How will you feel if you find out he's sick and then remember the way you acted?

Next time, if you need to relieve some frustration - which is a normal feeling we all have - find a productive way to do it. Close the bedroom door so your dogs are outside and then punch your pillows a few time. Go for a jog by yourself. Whatever. Just leave the dog(s) out of it. 

Also, Nature's Miracle works really well for getting stains out and breaking down the smell of messes. It really is a Miracle. I had two foster puppies poop on my white rug this summer and there's no mark after using it.


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

If it's a newer problem, do you sense anything else off about him? having more anxiety when your are leaving for the day? Some dogs will poop in the house due to anxiety/stress. That may be what is happening as well. I would maybe put him a room or in a crate if you don't want a mess (if he's comfortable in the crate). 
IF the poop is a little off I would too say get it check for worms or something like that.. maybe that is contributing? Good luck..hope it doesn't continue!


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Yes the other dog is a 15 lb Yorkie/shitzu. And his poops are definetly smaller. No i am very certain that Brody is not contributing to the messes. 
I am going to cut down his morning meals. I have also placed a call into the vet, who unfortunately cannot get back to me until Monday.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Yes I make sure he goes poo before I leave. I am up at 5 a.m. and we go for a walk right away. During the walk, Charlie is more interested in the sights and smells to do any business. He will not even pee. Only in his yard will he does what he needs to do. (The exception is the park). Once home, I let him out and allow him a chance to relax, roll around on the snow (grass in the summer), and he will always do his business then. I bring him in, and he gets his breakfast. 
At 1 year old he was 72lbs. (he was neutered, and that is why I know his weight), he still has the same energy level he did prior to neutering, and still walks for half hour to hour in the a.m. and another hour after work. And of course there is the running in circles, (RPMs - Rapid Puppy Movements I call them), and the playing with Brody (the yorkie/shitzu), or my husband or my son. 
As for the food intake, I feed him Natural Balance. According to the feeding guidelines, he should be getting 3 3/4 - 4 1/4/day. I agree that this is probably the reason for this problem, and have begun to reduce his morning breakfast accordingly. I do not know how far to drop it though. My concern is his activity level.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

2.5 cups a day? wow. that seems such a small amount. My vet did say that after a year he should only be eating once a day. REally? I have always fed my dogs twice a day, never once, but have always had small dogs. Brody (shitzu/yorkie) is about 15 lbs. And he eats 1 cup a day (sometimes less).


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

I am starting to do that. will give him smaller amount in the a.m., and more at night. 
how much do your dogs eat in a day? what are their weights? I was told from another memeber (see above notes) to only give Charlie 2.5 cups/day. 
I do not want to harp on this, but that seems rather a small amount to give a 70+lb dog who is aactive as he is... 
But to be the devils advocate, he is housebound during the day, and only serious activity is early a.m., and nightly, and of course the weekends when I am home. So maybe the guideline on the food is wrong? But it does say according to weight, activity levels of animal, climate temperature (I live in Alberta, Canada).


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

If he's only getting leash walks 2x a day, then I think 2.5 cups a day is perfectly adequate to maintain his weight. My dog Flora doesn't get a lot of exercise on a daily basis b/c of my schedule and b/c she has joint problems. I say she probably gets 1hr of off leash walking/hiking per day and 2 cups a day is more than enough to maintain a weight of 60lbs. 

Try cutting back to 3 cups a day - 1.5 cups morning and evening (I wouldn't feed him only once a day, that sounds like a long time for a dog to go without food) and see how he is. More and more I'm starting to think his pooping is out of anxiety and too much food. Both issues can be easily controlled.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

_Thank you, I will definetly drop his food level down, and will go by the advice of Casey's mom and feel him less in the a.m. and more at night. I get up at 5 a.m. and do not leave until 7 a.m., so he has plenty of time to relax and do his business before I leave. And in thinking about it, it has to be the excess of food, because the amount he poops before I leave is normal, the piles I have found in the house is his normal mountain. But the fact that he is pooping AGAIN before I get home tells me it is the amount of food. My concern is that I will drop it down too much (or too fast... exactly how long do I take to ween him off - persay - to 3 cups for instance) And how will I know if it is NOT enough food for him? _
_Charlie is the sort to require the "downtime" after a walk to do his business. Yes he gets that time. I see him poop every morning before I leave. _
_I feel absolutely horrible about how I handled the situation. I know better than that, and do not normally treat any of my animals in this manner. I should have handled it the way I did the first two times. Calmly let him out, clean up the mess.... _


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I'm glad you're taking this advice and thinking things through. Hopefully it works out. I can completely understand your frustration and if it makes you feel better, everyone overreacts at times and does something they regret. Once I leaned down to get a toy out from under the couch and Ranger SLAMMED his head into my face...I pushed him away and he then banged his head on the end table. Whoops. But he forgave me instantly...it took longer for me to forgive myself and I use that memory and the guilt to dictate my actions now. 

To answer your other questions, Ranger on kibble was usually fed per number of calories, not on volume. Back when I wasn't injured, he was getting walked 3-4 hours a day, roller-bladed with 3 times a week and hiking 8 hours a day on the weekends. The most food he ever got was 3 cups a day to keep his weight up to par (he weighed 70 lbs) when he was 9 months old. When I went to a higher calorie food - EVO with 527/cals a cup - I dropped it down to 2 cups a day and he still maintained his weight just fine, even with all the activity and the cold temps in winter (I'm just south of you!)

My brother's dog Blue has a super high metabolism and while he was getting 4 cups of food a day (1300 calories a day - more than I eat!), he dropped down to 2.5 cups once he was done growing. He actually got a little heavy - close 90 lbs - so he had to drop back. He was maintaining his weight well on 2.5 cups and a moderate activity level. (He's now on raw as of Tuesday).

So check the calories of how many per cup and do the math to find out how many he's getting. He probably will need less now that he's done growing, even if he is still as active as always. I'd drop him off to 3 cups right away - no weaning - and then see what happens. Hopefully it is something as easy to fix as feeding less food...fingers crossed!


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Ok. 1.5 cups in a.m., same at night. can I do this right away? Is there a weening period? like changing food taking a week or more? Or can I do this effective today? 
I honestly do NOT want him anxious about being home during the day and worrying about having to hold it when he cannot, or worrying about how mom will handle it.. I dont want my dogs raised that way. You know? If it is something as simple as the amount of food he eats.. that is fixable! 
He is such a lovable, happy dog, always smiling, talking to you, following you around.. he is my best friend...
I want to thank all of you for your advice in helping me figure this out. I will keep you all posted on what is happening. 

On a side note... has anyone ever heard of a Golden howling when the battery in the fire alarm is low and the alarm beeps? 
My son was sleeping in his room the other day (a day off work), and he said he woke up to Charlie howling... he bolted out of bed, cause this was not his normal howl (he howls when he wants to go outside, or mom is in the house and he is outside, or he wants to play...), this one was a scared howl.. (did not know there was such a thing). He couldnt figure it out. He went upstairs, and Charlie immediately came to him, quivering and whining. My son petted him and looked around, but couldnt figure out what was the problem. Charlie followed him to the bathroom (he does that alot by the way.. loves it when his ppl are taking baths or showers!). While in the bathroom, my son heard the beeping (two beeps - high pitched), Charlie immediately howled and started quivering again. Since my son did not know what the problem was, he checked the carbon detector, the alarm system, everything, but only when he was right below the fire alarm and it beeped did he figure it out (this was 3 beeps later all the while with Charlie howling). Once he changed the battery, of course the beeping stopped. And Charlie was fine. 
When he told me the story later that night, I told him what happened six months ago. Same thing. only the beeping started at 2 in the morning. Charlie howled at 2 in the morning. I would get him calmed down, search for the source, not be able to find it, and go back to bed. I would just get comfy, and the beep would happen again. Charlie would start howling. By 6 a.m. I was literally ripping the alarm system out of the wall! My hubby got up, exclaimed WTH! (he slept through all of this), and while I was holding the house alarm in pieces in my hands, the beep started again, and Charlie howled. That is when I discovered it was not the security alarm, but the fire alarm. 
My husband shook his head in disbelief of crazy dogs and even crazier women!


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Awesome, Thanks Ranger for your advise on this, I will check the calorie intact on the amount and figure that out. I will give Charlie 3 cups today instead of 4.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Additional note.. found the information on the dog food he eats. Natural Balance Venision and Sweet Potatoe dry, with tspn of fish/sweet potatoe (same brand) for moistness. 
In this forum, there was already a member searching for this information. http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...s/28312-nb-sweet-potato-venison-kcal-cup.html
The member received an email from Natural Balance stating that there is an average of 368 calories/cup of the venison and sweet potatoe. Which means Charlie is getting 1472 calories a day! Wow! That is more than I eat! And that is not mentioning the tspn of moist food (fish/sweet potatoe) with each meal. 
No wonder he is a pooping factory!!!!!!
I mean.. kudos to any animal who can live with the daily schedule of being in the house from 7-5ish during the weekday.. I certainly couldnt do it.. but to each 736 calories in the a.m. and try and hold all the excess in? 
No.. I have to agree with all of you.. he is eating too much. I am sure I can safely drop his food intact down to 3 cups/day (1104 calories) and he will survive!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Yep for sure high pitched noises will cause a dog to react like that. My old golden retriever would freak out when my mom's pager would go off. He was in obvious distress and would go outside and refuse to come in for 20-30 minutes afterwards. My border collie hated the sound of the fire alarm, as well. I think it's the frequency of the beeping. I mean, I hate it and I don't have half as good of hearing as a dog would, so I can only imagine how much that pitch/frequency hurts them!

Actually, that's a thought - could something be beeping during the day causing him to void his bowels in distress? That happened occasionally to my border collie if we couldn't either get him outside or stop the beeping fast enough. He got so upset by it that he couldn't help pooping. One more thing to think about! Sometimes it's a puzzle to figure out what's causing a dog's behaviour.

And yep, just give him the 3 cups today. No weaning necessary. He'll probably feel better with less food since his stomach won't be as full. Hope it works!

ETA: Just saw the calorie info - yep, I'd bet that's what's causing it! That is a heck of a lot of food! I hate how food companies give such high recommended amounts on the bags. Leads to too much food and overweight dogs...but then, food companies want to keep selling more and more bags so it makes sense they do it. I'd say you could probably even cut down to 2.5 cups without missing a beat, especially if he's still going to get the wet food on top.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Huh. I just had a conversation with my son about this very thing. And he noticed the beeping that one day, he tried to figure out the sound. He did not mention it to me until he saw me next which was Friday night (the night of the third pooping accident in the house.. three days after the first one happened).id not think much of his rather normal statement of "Mom something was beeping the other day.. I thought perhaps it was my hubbys cell phone, and left it at that.. It was only on Saturday morning I realized the fire alarm battery was low.. when it beeped again, and Charlie started howling... 
The weird thing is this though. The fire alarm is not constantly beeping.. (as you would think with an appliance with a low battery life), it is perhaps 3-4 times during the day. If I was not home when it began to beep, I would never have thought nothing of my sons statement. 
Only when I saw my son again last night did I tell him that it was the fire alarm battery, and Charlies reaction to it, did he mention Charlies reaction the other day. 
Could be the high pitched frequency that triggered the accidents, and will definetely keep it in mind to change batteries about every 6 months. but will still drop his food level down to 3 cups.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Any updates? Hopefully with the beeping resolved and the food cut down the pooping at home has stopped.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Fire alarm battery*

I'm very sure that the low fire alarm battery and the beeping could frighten Charlie as my dogs were panicked when ours was beeping!! I think giving him less food will also help.

Many people HAVE to leave their dogs 7:30-5:00 because they have to work and a dog walker can be extremely costly-$400 or more a month.
Our dogs did fine all the time I worked.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Update: 
Fire alarm is not beeping, dropped Charlie down to 3 cups/day, he is not a happy camper. Wolfing down the food to the point he is choking on it. Took him to vet, Vet stated with his energy level to bring him back up to 4 cups/day. 
Said that the amount of calories he should be eating is 1500/day at this point, becuase of his energy level. He checked his ribs, and said he is not fat in the least. 
Now am confused.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Wolfing down his food is not really an indicator of hunger. Some dogs just eat that way, I bet he ate that fast with the amount you were feeding him before.

How much does he weigh? Is he still having accidents?


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Had he pooped in the house since you've dropped it down to 3 cups a day?

Is the vet aware that you dropped his intake because of the pooping in the house and not as a weight loss measure? I find it odd that a vet would be so specific in how much a dog needs to eat, to say he needs 1500 cals/day. Have you thought about changing foods to a higher calorie food? That way he'd get more calories in less volume. Just off the top of my head, EVO red meat is 527 calories/cup so he'd only need 3 cups to get to 1500 calories compared to the 4 cups he's on now. 

If he's choking down his food, there's easy ways to slow him down. Put the kibble in a kong or a kong wobbler, toss outside in a fenced yard so he has to smell and find each piece individually, spread the kibble in a muffin tin so he has to go from muffin cup to muffin cup to eat...there's tons of ways. 

I'd be curious to see a pic of your guy to see what his weight is at. I know my vet thinks Ranger is too skinny but I like him on the lean side. Could you post a pic of your guy from the side?


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

Any chance someone(relative, friend or neighbor), could stop by mid-day to check on him and let him out? Not sure if you mentioned or not, about the amount of space he has access to during the day. Does he have full run of the house? Do you gate off an area for him? Did he poop in the same areas each time this happened? Has anything changed in his routine? Any additional changes going on? Work around the house or a neighboring house? Changes in people in the house or animals? I don't have much to offer, but trying to help with the detective work. I definetly would cut back on the food(all vets have differing opinions on diet and how much), I took like Maggie on the lean side of things. Did the vet run a stool sample? Perhaps your dog has an irritated bowel? Any changes in treats possibly? You could add green beans to help make it look like more food, with not many additional calories, to help with satiation. Has the food you use changed any of the ingredients? 
I hope this resolves for you. Your dog dosn't mean to do this on purpose, so don't get angry at him. It's frustrating, but use this experience as a tool to learn from and move forward. My thoughts are with you.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

No he has not pooped in the house since I dropped the amount, and the wolfing was new. He has never wolfed his food down like that.. I increased it up to a very strict 4 cup/day (making sure it is not heaping). 
I have lots of pics, but had to get one pic of him on the side, hubby had to hold him still. I asked him to stay, and he sat. So had to get hubby to hold him still. (He also follows me everywhere.. ) 
I also put food or peanut butter in the kong. Peanut butter is his favorite. I have heard of EVO, though, not really familiar on where to get it. He is currently on Natural Balance, because he has a wheat allergy, and there is no wheat in the food. Does EVO have wheat?
I can post pics, but trying to figure out how to do so, so please have patience.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Everyone in the family works (me, hubby, son), and when son is home, of course, he makes sure that both dogs go out. Yes he pooped in the same area, in front of the window in the living room all three times. To my knowledge there is no construction etc. going on around the house. The only different thing was the fire alarm beeping (low on batteries). His routine has not changed. 
No the vet did not do a stool sample, he checked him out, said that he looked fine. Treats hmmm. ok, normally the dogs get a piece of beef liver (I buy liver from store, and bake at home, chop up and dogs get a piece or two in the am.), and a crunchy cookie (no wheat... those are soo hard to find I have to admit). but I did buy some chicken jerky from Costco a while ago, and he got a few of those. Perhaps those did it? I am not sure. will have to study that one closer. He has not had the chicken jerky since the pooping, and no pooping, so that could be it. 
OR it could be the alarm. OR it could be so many things. I know the vet gave him a clean bill of health.. so it has to be something. 
Having said that, since i dropped the food level to 3 cups/day, he has not pooped. Tonight I gave him (totalling 4 cups) 2 cups for dinner. 
Hubby said he agrees with the panel though, dropping him to 3 wont hurt him. and in the summer when he is more active, I can increase accordingly (when we are hiking in the mountains or exploring for hours on end) if I need to. 
I know Charlie is not meaning to do this on purpose, he is such a happy dog, he obeys without question, (except for come when he doesnt want to come inside), and you can just see that he wants to make you happy. I feel very horrible for how I reacted, and that has made me think of all my actions with him since. So yes, am using the experience as a learning tool. 
Thanks.


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

post script... 
in thinking, I will keep him to the 3 cups a day for a week and check it out. watch his eating.. etc. I do not think the 3 cups/day will hurt him. and can always increase accordingly if (when) he is moving lots (hiking in mountains, etc, in the summer).


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

He is a beautiful boy - I love the last pic!

I would keep him at the 3 cups a day...it's hard to tell in the first two pics, but it certainly doesn't look like he's too skinny. I think it's a good idea to try the 3 cups a day and when it's back to summer and he's being more active, to maybe boost it back up to 4 cups. And if he starts pooping in the house again, then you'll know it's excess food. 

Hopefully it's all resolved!


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Yes the situation has been resolved, he is at 3 cups a day, and not wolfing his food anymore. Although he is licking his bowl clean!!!!
He is a beautiful boy, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love him and how proud I am of him. You can see in his eyes how much he loves to be happy. I try to keep the energy in my house calm. (Mostly because I CANNOT stand tension and chaos). And it works with my dogs nicely. Over the years I have seen what tension and chaos has done to my dogs when they are in homes that are not calm. 
Having said all that, I am not sure where I was going with that, lost my train of thought, but it certainly does make a medium energy dog more mellow. He has his high energy times of the day, but with walking him and letting him run in the field, it helps keep him calm, happy and relaxed during the day. Which is why this sudden change confused me. 
I want to thank you all for your help with this. And yes, will be keeping him on the 3 cups/daily regime for the foreseeable future until his energy level goes back up again in the summer.


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## My Big Kahuna (Dec 14, 2011)

Ranger said:


> I'm thinking that it could be excess food causing the spontaneous poop in the house. Dogs typically need less food once they're past the 12-18 month mark because the growing is pretty much done. The calories that were used up in growing are not needed and could be causing extra poop as that's essentially 'waste'. If he's at a healthy weight, I'd drop it down to at least 3 cups and see how he does with that.
> 
> Are you giving him time to relax and poop outside? Walking does get the bowels moving and some dogs learn to poop on walks but others need some 'downtime' after a walk to relax and poop. If he's not pooping on the walk, then doesn't get enough time in the yard after the walk to relax and poop before you decide he doesn't 'need' to, then that would explain why there's the poop in the house when you get back. The need to poop hits once you're out the door but there's no one to let him out.
> 
> ...


Couldn't have said it better... I have nothing to add... Good luck with your pup and I hope you get the problem resolved and that you maintain a loving relationship with your dog... Good energy!


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## Charlie1 (Oct 23, 2010)

Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that things are back to normal here again. Charlie has not pooped in the house since I first posted this on the site, his food intake is 3 cups a day. 
Now if I can figure out what is causing the ear "infections" which look like mud splattered all over and in his ear. There is not foul smell (for the most part), but he is also now chewing on his paws. (not lots, but I noticed it). He is on Natural Balance Venison and Sweet potatoe, and (canned) fish/sweet potatoe, he gets beef liver in the morning as a treat, and no wheat based cookie as well. I ran out of the cookies a while back, and bought the dogs chicken jerky from costco. Now I am noticing the ear thing and the chewing. I have stopped the chicken jerky, and will keep an eye out for the issues, and it does seem to be slowing down... but my question is this.. can a dog seriously be that allergic to wheat products to the point where what the chicken ate makes a difference to him when he gets the jerky strip????
My vet says yes...


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