Dog poohing in crate overnight.

elsien

Just after suggestions for ways to rejig his routine.
There isn't a problem at my house, he gets walked am, late afternoon and a quick down the road before bed. No accidents.

The problem is when I'm away overnight and mum has him. I walk him between 2 and 3 instead of the usual 5-6 pm. Mum doesn't walk him as a) he pulls and b) she's scared to go out when it's dark. Due to being burgled she is also too scared to take him up the garden at night. So even if she gets up at 7 it's still too late. He's at hers overnight once a week on average.

At the moment he's on dry food, no problem with loose bowels and gets 1/3 of his food am and 2/3 pm, mainly because he doesn't really like his food unless it's got something added to it, and it's easier to chuck in a bit of whatever I'm cooking for the evening meal.
Do you think changing the food so he has more in the morning would help?

lee111s

Can she no take him out for a little walk or put him in the garden after his food?

Could she get up with him in the middle of the night and let him out for a poo?

scheming_gypsy

Feed him more in the mornings when he's at your mums and less in the evening / afternoon so he's all poo'ed out before bedtime.

Bean13

Sorry but if reading that right it sounds like he doesn't get to go out from 3pm until 7am ?
16 hours is a rather long time to make man or beast wait.

skintandscared_2

Is there a kindly neighbour or teen who would take the dog for a walk on that evening on behalf of your mum?

elsien

No, he does go out on the patio to do whatever he wants at 10ish but he won't do the other unless he has a bit of a walk to get things moving. And mum is too worried to be walking her garden at night waiting for him to get the urge. Her burglar came over the fence from next door so she doesn't feel safe out there at night. And so far even if she stays out, he won't go on the patio for a bowel movement. He's on the lead because otherwise he wants to play and won't come back in, so she can't let him loose to get on with it. It's a big garden and she's not up for wandering round in the dark trying to catch him, or checking whether he's done anything or not.
There is no chance of her taking him out for a walk at 10 pm, just too frightened. She actually lives in a safe area, but the burglary really affected her confidence at night.
Looks like feeding more in the morning is the way to go.

Raksha

Many dogs dont learn to go in the garden if they are always taken on a lead for a poo. Could she take him into the front garden for a poo? Or maybe just into the back garden on a lead?

elsien

No front garden. And the patios as far as she's prepared to go. He's quite happy to go in her garden when he's bouncing around during the day. Just not when he's just out the back in the dark.

krlyr

How about a really long line to attach to him and let him loose in the garden? She won't have to walk far up the garden or even that near to him to 'reel' him back in (but I'd leave it trailing until then so he can't pull her over)

zaksmum

That's a bit of a problem elsien.

I can't see how a dog can hold on from 3pm till 7 the next morning.

I don't think changing his feeding routine will help with that.

Would fitting a security floodlight help your mum to go in the garden with him at night? We have one that comes on if there's any movement and it makes the garden as bright as daytime. It stays on as long as you - or the dog - is out there and may reassure her with regard to burglars too.

He is definitely going to need to go out before bedtime somehow.