Finally had enough…

[Patty]

Somehow I still feel that this is due to feed. How often does he poo in a day normally (including the problem one)? please let us know the result of feeding him earlier. Personally i'd feed him only once a day and in the morning. You could increase this once he stops the night pooing. A normal, healthy dog should be able to go through the night after a certain age.

Have you considered raw feeding? Normally there is far less output with this because all nutrients are used. Have you had him vet checked to ensure that he is now clear of giardia which can be very persistent and immune to some wormers.

[Buddys Pal]

"He has done this all his life and I'm sure it's not health related unless due to his gastrointestinal sensitivities…"

that may very well be the reason. What are the consistency of his stools once he goes???? If they are soft, may you can help with some fiber added from sweet potatoes (about two teaspoons) and the enzymes help with a dog's stomach. (I have recommended this to many people with a Vet's blessings) Is the amount of stools large or small bits here and there when he goes? I am not familiar with the ingredients of your food, does your Vet think there is a problem? For your sake and since you live up in the great white north....have you ever thought of having a small area for potty in the house? I know this is a wide open subject, and if you don't have another dog, maybe for convenience for the both of you??? If he is in your room at night, you can close the bedroom door and put a pad, paper, whatever placed in your bathroom so he can 'go' at night and not wake you for a walk or soil what you don't want soiled.....not an easy one-hope you can figure it out..

(oops, made this comment before I read pg3 of the thread.....)

[Chealsie508]

The consistency of his stools are formed, he usually poos in pieces. The first one or two pieces is always the biggest and most formed but the third and fourth tend to turn soft and less formed. Because he has done this "routine" all his life the vet feels its more behavioral and not health related. He has had giradhia check since and they were negative, he shows no discomfort when going to the bathroom, no swelling or tenderness when touched..he thinks this is a learned behavioral routine and I need to retrain him ( easier said than done when coupled with the fact he takes forever when outside and it's not an easy connection for him to make about outside->bathroom-> click despite the key terms and praise. I have thought and half tried to use pee pads to go to the bathroom and he realizes peeing on the pad but he doesn't connect pooping on it. But I do admit, I haven't put effort into teaching him to go in the house. I have recently started keeping my bedroom door locked so he can't push it open and I'm going to start a "bathroom log" to include what time he's waking me up at night to see if I can find trends or patterns.

He is such a smart dog I can't find reason why he isn't catching on to alerting me to go the bathroom, and at this point why he doesn't know when I say per or poop that it means "go! Nevertheless, I will try to find a workable food situation that works better, start the log and adjust walks to at first accommodate, clicker train and treat as he goes and slowly work towards why I want him to do.

I consider my self a smart dog owner and I did what people would consider the right things to do to potty train so I'm a little stumped as to why we are having these issues but the again, Oakleys always beat to the tune of his own drum.

I plan and Oakley laughs

[lisastewart]

I got the pups used to useing the paper for everything from their first day with us. As they always slept in the bed with us, I would take them into the bathroom with me when I got up every 3 hrs or so and put them on the pad. They learned quickly, that once they were empty they got to crawl back in the nice warm bed and go back to sleep.

[Buddys Pal]

Ok, so I hope this won't be 'gross' but maybe this weekend try to keep a piece of poop on his pad for the night time. Let him see/smell it on own. If he is following you as they do in the sleep ritual! In other words, don't make a big deal of it. Just stand there brushing your teeth or what ever, and do just like a basenji-pretend you are not looking or interested in the (small piece) of poop on the pad…..go to bed as usual and see what happens over night for the next few days. If it is a learned behavior and he just likes your company combined with his relief at 4am or whatever, try to break the cycle. Everything takes a little longer with these smarties. I guess they just like it their way!

[Kongo22]

Kongo had giardia as a pup and had problems with diarrhea. I used to take him out on the regular without prompting. We have a bell by the door that we have been trying to get him to use. He doesn't ring it. He jumps on the door. I help him ring the bell before I open the door in hopes that one day he will get it.
I stopped taking him out every few hours and he was used to going outside so I think that is why he let me know by going to the door. I don't know if you do this or not, but I have been told that you shouldn't go back inside right after they use the bathroom, which is easy to do if they take forever to go in the first place. They said that if your B knows they go inside after they pee that they will hold it on purpose to stay outside longer.
Good luck!

[eeeefarm]

@Kongo22:

They said that if your B knows they go inside after they pee that they will hold it on purpose to stay outside longer.

Not if it's raining! My guy has figured out that if he doesn't do what he was sent out to do, he is going to get wet!

[dcmclcm4]

Which Fromms are you feeding? Do you give any treats or biscuits?

Jennifer

[Chealsie508]

I have started (Saturday) to feeding him only in the morning. At 5:30 pm he gets up, starts getting into things to get my attention and playing with his bowl until I pick it up…it's been har because he's been so persistent at his "dinner time" to eat. I have notice that even with just feeding him 1 cup in the am that he still goes 2 times a day but he hasn't been getting up every night to pee or poop...two out of the three nights. I'm still debating picking up pee pads...I can't make up my mind I I want to go that route. If I can rework a few things and use repetition I'm hopeful I can retrain his mind. As for the type of Fromms I feed- I switch between two varieties at a time. This last rotation was 1 med size bag of the hickey a la veg and a med bag of grain free beef a la veg. He also only gets Fromms treats (mostly the cheddar or Parmesan version)..the only other supplementation comes from one 6" bully stick..a couple times a week

[Chealsie508]

I don't think Oakley will ever be the dog to go quickly, much I my dismay! However, I am working on outlasting him when he is stubborn to go and then to continue walking so as to get him to realize the walk continues after the bathroom break

[YodelMa]

As suggested by another post, I prefer to feed first, then walk. I had a puppy mill foster who would walk for an hour in the AM, then poop in his crate. I gave him 2/3 cup of bran cereal for breakfast (mixed with LOTS of water) one morning, let him 'digest' for about 20 minutes, THEN took him walkies. Worked like a charm!

But hey, if it's raining out all bets are off…I actually put a tarp up one year because we had so much rain the dogs would refuse to go outside, then do it in the house. They liked having a roof to poop under!

[Chealsie508]

Yodelma: so glad that it's not just me!! Fortunately, my favorite time to walk or run is during the rain. It tends to be deserted on the streets and parks or forests..all you hear is the rain on the river or hitting the leaves ( it's my moment of sanity)..therefore Oakley has gotten used to the rain enough to where I know I can get him to go if I stay out long enough…it used I be concrete that he wouldn't go in the rain.

Ps- he no longer screams, he resists at first then gives in

[Kipawa]

@eeeefarm:

Otherwise I don't see any reason for your "surprise package" other than spite. Yeah, I know, dogs don't do that. But I have seen too many cases with Basenjis to rule it out! (their inner "cat" coming out!)

Regarding spite - it does happen. This year, I decided to give each neighbour in our cul-de-sac an autumn sunflower. They sprouted successfully and since then I have been prepping them for delivery. Yesterday I put some coloured rocks on top of the soil, staked them all and prepared the care cards for them.

At one point I ran into the house to watch the Olympic men's 200 meters. Kipawa normally follows me wherever I go. This time he didn't. I hadn't noticed that until he jumped up on the couch with a bright green sunflower leaf in his mouth. Now if THAT isn't saying "these things are getting too much attention" I don't know what else Kipawa might be saying.

This weekend we will be walking the neighbourhood and delivering them. Kipawa will be with me. I know he's going to love seeing them leaving the backyard.

[Muzz]

Aw Oakley. You need to have a talk with Greta. She not only holds it all night but in the morning I have to drag her out of bed and she still won't go. I won't play games so she holds it all day till I get home from work- and she's not crated. Only once did she poop inside and that's after 3 days of torrential downpours and it came out like a rock. Bladder of steel.

[dcmclcm4]

We had an older rescue who was used to getting up early between 5 to 6 a.m. We had to take her out and none of the other dogs would go out with her as they were still in bed under the covers. It was like she had an internal alarm clock. It did not matter what time we went to bed or what time she had been out the night before.

Jennifer