How do I know when my dog needs to poop? A Comprehensive Guide

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Is Your Puppy Sniffing the Ground?

Sniffing is one of the first signs that a puppy needs to be let out to potty. Your puppy will start to sniff the floor to search for an area to pee or poop. Sniffing may happen inside the house if your puppy has previously soiled in a given area. With a powerful sniffer, dogs can find previously soiled areas which inform them where the “bathroom area” is located. This can happen if you fail to clean a soiled area effectively by using the wrong product.

  • Avoid Ammonia-Based Products: If you use an ammonia-based product to clean, you may actually amplify the “bathroom smell” because pee contains ammonia. Cleaning puppy pee accidents using ammonia-based products, therefore, will only attract your puppy to potty in the same exact spot. Big fail.
  • Use Enzyme-Based Products: The best cleaning products to clean puppy accidents are enzyme-based. As the name implies, these products contain enzymes that “eat” the odor-causing bacteria and eliminate the smell. With the odor neutralized, puppies or dogs may be less compelled to return to the “bathroom” area.
  • Prevent Access to Hot Spots: If you do not have a good enzyme-based product on hand and your puppy keeps eliminating in the same spot, you are better off preventing access to that area by making a barrier or placing a large object on top. This way, you can prevent him from making the same mistake.
  • Praise Your Puppy: Do not forget to praise your puppy and reward him with a treat once he eliminates outdoors. The praise and treats will reinforce the desired behavior. Wait to reward him until he has finished the deed.

    • Insiders Tip

    A dogs superior sense of smell can be your ally. Use the paper or towel you used to blot a soiled area (or gather a poop sample) and place it outdoors near the area you want your dog to potty. This may help your dog to get a better idea of where the real “bathroom” is.

    Use odor to your advantage. Place a stool sample in the area of your yard that you would like your puppy to use for pottying.

    Signs Your Puppy Needs to Potty

  • Abrupt changes in activity, behavior, or play
  • Circling
  • Whining
  • Going to the door; scratching or pawing at the door
  • Returning to a previously soiled area in the house
  • Sniffing or licking the groin/rear

    • Puppies will abruptly stop an activity when they feel the urge to go.

    Circling Indicates That It’s Time to Potty

    When your puppy starts spinning around and sniffing a particular area, he is expressing a natural urge to poop. There are several theories why dogs circle when they need to poop:

  • Dogs Eliminate on Grass: One theory is that dogs circle because they eliminate on grass. The circling, therefore, helps dogs pat down the grass with their feet so that stool does not adhere to the grass and stick to their fur. At the same time, circling can leave visual marks on the grass and may inform other dogs that “I was here.” Stomping may also scare off snakes or critters potentially hiding in the grass.
  • Alignment With the Earths Magnetic Field: A more recent theory comes from a research study on what influences a dogs urge to potty. This theory suggests that dogs have a tendency to align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field prior to pooping. Researchers spent two years gathering hard data in Germany and the Czech Republic. After evaluating hundreds of dogs doing their business and evaluating whether wind, time of day, and the angle of the sun played a role in pooping, researchers concluded that the only verifiable factor that influenced a dogs pottying behavior was the Earth’s magnetic field.

    • Regardless of the underlying motive triggering your dog to circle, one thing is for sure . . . be quick to take him outside when he starts to spin in circles. Always remember to give praise and provide a treat when he is done pooping outside. Remember: You are training your dog to use the right location to go potty!

    Dogs are thought to align with the Earths magnetic field while pooping.

    We all wished our puppies could talk and tell us, “I need to go potty!” Well, heres the good news: many do! When your dog starts crying, don’t get annoyed or angry. Whining could be one of the signs a puppy needs to be let out. While whining may communicate several things, your puppy most likely has to potty if its coupled with several of the signs mentioned above.

    Puppies that are early in the housebreaking process are unlikely to be able to indicate that they need to go out. This is because they have little bladder and bowel control to start with. Whining is, therefore, a good sign that things are progressing. Your puppy is learning to associate the outdoors with pottying. Cherish this form of whining with attention. Rush to the door saying “outside?” and open the door to accompany your puppy out. You can take advantage of this opportunity to teach your puppy to go potty on command.

    Puppies will start to associate the outside with pottying and may indicate the need to go by sitting by the door.

    10 Signs Your Dog Needs to Go Out | House Train Your Puppy Faster!

    Has it been a few days since your dog last went for a number two? How do you know if your dog is constipated? Can dogs be constipated? Bowel movements are an important bodily function for both humans and animals alike.

    However, struggling to pass stools, also known as constipation, is one of the most common digestive problems among dogs, and it can affect canines of all breeds and ages.

    ​​​​​​​The fact that we are responsible for clearing up our pet’s poop makes it relatively easy to keep an eye on how often they go, for any dog constipation symptoms, and if there is anything unusual about their stools. This is useful when it comes to determining if your dog is suffering from constipation. It can also help you to get her the treatment she needs before it becomes a painful or dangerous problem.