Don’t Let It Continue Too Long
While it’s easy to say that pooping in the crate is just normal puppy behavior, if it goes on too long it could eventually become “normal” adult dog behavior, too.
That’s because your puppy is constantly learning new behavior and your job is to reinforce the good ones and discourage the bad ones. By waking up at night, even though it’s tough, you’re giving your puppy a chance to reinforce positive behaviors like not pooping in their crate.
But if you let your puppy consistently poop in their crate at night, they may get used to this habit and consider it the norm. That means it’s going to be a much harder habit to break in the future.
If you’ve tried everything on this list, including a visit to your veterinarian, and your puppy is still pooping in their crate at night then it might be time to consult a professional trainer.
While I’ve got decades of experience with puppies and positive reinforcement, all the advice in this article is still general. By hiring a local professional, you can get an expert set of eyes on your specific situation and puppy.
Make sure you go with a certified trainer and while there are several organizations that certify dog trainers, I recommend the CCPDT which you can learn more about here.
Is Your Dog Suffering From Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety can occur for a variety of reasons and unfortunately, the exact cause of the condition isn’t always fully understood. The symptoms can cover everything from vocalizations, chewing, digging, and of course, pooping.
But it does occur much more frequently in situations where you’re actually leaving the house. But if you’re crating your puppy at night and it’s not obvious to them that you’re simply sleeping somewhere else in the house then separation anxiety could occur. It can be hard to figure identify separation anxiety as different from normal puppy behavior like having accidents and crying but over time it will become more clear.
Separation anxiety is a complex condition to treat but when it comes to nighttime crating, you can try moving the crate into your room so your puppy understands that you haven’t actually gone anywhere.
Infections
Many dog breeds are susceptible to infections from time to time, which could result in severe digestive problems.
And these digestive problems can, in turn, bring about uncontrollable diarrhea.
For instance, parvovirus is a highly infectious virus that can cause the following:
Intestinal worms and parasites can also trigger digestive disruptions, resulting in chronic diarrhea. This has the potential of severely damaging the muscles of the rectum.
And when this happens, your pooch may lose full control in that area. Some of the parasites that are notoriously infectious include: