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My dog poops in his crate. Can diet changes help him poop before bed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 4 days old

Max is currently fed 4 times a day in small portions starting at 8 am. His last meal is at 8pm. But his poo timings are way irregular. He never poops after dinner, and ends up messing his crate by morning. Is there any diet plan to follow which makes him poo before bedtime (11:00)? I've tried walking him and taking him outside for hours, then I keep checking him at 3-4:00 am. I made him walk twice at 5:am and then 5:45 am but he pooped at 6am in his crate. This has happened 6 times.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Susan England-Foster

Veterinarian

Published on July 26th, 2017

I would recommend decreasing the number of feeding for max through the day. If max is a Labrador he should be big enough to only eat twice a day. If you start feeding him twice a day it will help limit the amount of times he defecates. I would recommend the latest you feed him be 6:00pm. That way he has plenty of time to digest his food before bed. Hope that helps

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    Answered By Anna M., DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 29th, 2017

    Hello, this sounds frustrating and messy! Since Max is still quite young I would recommend feeding him at least 3 times daily if possible until he's 4 months old, then you can decrease that to twice a day (as long as the total volume is appropriate for a 24 hour period). Unfortunately, it sounds like you're doing everything right to try to get him to defecate outside. Some pups have messes in their kennels overnight because they get worked up and stressed, and stress often leads to more urgent defecation. If being kenneled is a point of stress for him, work on developing positive associations with being in his kenneled, by feeding him meals and treats in his kennel. Eating is often another trigger for pups to defecate - I suggest feeding his dinner a bit earlier, perhaps ~6pm, and take him outside to run and play before you want to be inside for the night. This may help get things moving and encourage him to defecate. However, if that doesn't work, it may just take more time for him to get used to the routine and develop better control. Hope this helps - good luck!

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