Well we are loving our 11 week old boy Hayden, he has fit in and adjusted well to his 3 older Husky siblings. However......we cannot get him to stop pooping in his kennel. We have tried everything!! We have several different sizes of kennels, and have tried every size we have, he even poops in a smaller one. We get up every 2 to 3 hours and let him out. We can put him to bed, he cries we take him back outside and he goes again, then he goes back to bed, and will poop in his crate with in minutes sometimes. Sometimes he will even go 3 to 4 times before bedtime and still go in the kennel. My poor son is cleaning up poop every morning from him. Not to mention Hayden is getting daily bathes because he always has poo all over him. We are on a feeding schedule too, so I don't think that is an issue, his housebreaking is doing well. This is the first pup we have ever had that is doing this.

PLEASE HELP!!!

JO

could you be feeding to much food? and what food are you feeding?

I know you said you're on a schedule, but I would stop all food after 7pm (or 3-4 hours before bed time). I would continue letting him on frequently and set an alarm at night. Also, like Jennifer said, you could possibly be feeding him too much, so I would cut back on that too. Did you recently switch his food? If so, that could case his tummy to be upset. If he is freaking out in the cage, try letting him sleep outside of the cage for one night and see how he does. Our puppy HATES being crated at night and will only sleep through the night if he's out of his crate next to my bed.

What food are you feeding him? When he poops, is it solid, formed, or mushy?

It sounds like a diet issue to me. A dog shouldn't be pooping that much and so often, so I'm thinking he might just have a more sensitive stomach than your other huskies.

Hi, thanks so much for your quick replies. Hayden is currently eating the Kirkland Puppy Food, I find this is the only food the Huskies can tolerate. His stools are healthy and solid. He eats the allotted amount for his age. I am thinking that maybe he just cannot handle being in the crate. Our female Chloe has never been crated at night. She has what I would call a Panic/Anxiety attack whenever she is in there. The times we put her in there, she paces and whines the whole time. Maybe Hayden is this way also. My daughter is going to move his crate into her room tonight, and then maybe let him sleep with her. The first night he got home, he wailed for so many hours straight that she put him with her, and he fell asleep on her chest and did much better.. The odd thing is Hayden does not cry or fuss when he goes in his crate, he even puts himself to bed sometimes, he usually will start crying when he poops in there. I am confused about this whole thing. LOL. I guess we shall try the other way first, then go from there.

Thanks Again

Jo wrote:

Hayden is currently eating the Kirkland Puppy Food, I find this is the only food the Huskies can tolerate. His stools are healthy and solid. He eats the allotted amount for his age. I am thinking that maybe he just cannot handle being in the crate.

First off, don't be silly. That is CLEARLY not the only food huskies can tolerate. Kirkland is a very good dog food though and it helps to know these things to rule out diet issues.

Second, having all the information first is helpful in helping you to solve your problem. It could be anxiety, but I would just personally be concerned over the amount of times you said that he poops in one day. If he is eating on a schedule and fed twice a day, he should really only have 2 BMs a day. Maybe 3, but if they are healthy, solid and formed... I'd be concerned about him going more times than that. If your other post was misleading, then perhaps that really isn't an issue, but it definitely seemed like he was going more than 3 times a day.

Anxiety could be a cause. Where is his crate normally located? Is he away from the other huskies? The family? What is in his crate with him normally? My only concern for you is that if you do ever want to crate him in the future, I wouldn't want him to learn that if he poops in the crate, he doesn't have to stay in it.

FYI - On Kirkland food

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/reports-of-possible-problems-with-kirkland-dog-food.html

Does ur costco cary nature domain grain free food? I would try that. How many cups of food a day are u feeding? Bag suggestion tends to be to much food for huskies.

Lordbroll wrote:

FYI - On Kirkland food

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/reports-of-possible-problems-with-kirkland-dog-food.html

That whole article seemed to be a bunch of hearsey, with no concrete evidence. Either a poorly worded report or poorly researched. I hope they are accurate with the report but stuff like that could do a huge amount of harm if it ends up being wrong............

Again, we do NOT know for certain if the Kirkland food is linked to these illnesses

No independent laboratory testing has been done on the food - yet.

Wow!! I am not being overly sensitive, but I really feel I was treated unfairly with my reply comment. I did not phrase the proper way and I did not mean it to come across as it did.

I did not mean to say that Kirkland is the only brand all Huskies can eat, I meant after trying several types of food, this is the one that seems to be compatible with their tummies.
My MinPin and 1 year old Husky Chloe have problems with Anal Leakage, and this food has been the only one that does not cause them to have it. I am a Vet Tech, and am well aware of the quality of food, and I am a fanatical researcher on everything I do for these dogs, I would not do anything intentional to harm their health.

I am still thinking poor little Hayden is having anxiety poops when he is kenneled, because he is pretty much housebroken. No puppy is perfect of course. Last night he slept with my daughter in her bed and did beautifully, he curled right up and went to sleep, slept the night through, woke her up around 11 and went outside, we have had no problems with poops today. I am thinking this is going to be his new routine now.

Thanks So Much for all your help!!
JO

Jo wrote:

Wow!! I am not being overly sensitive, but I really feel I was treated unfairly with my reply comment. I did not phrase the proper way and I did not mean it to come across as it did.

I did not mean to say that Kirkland is the only brand all Huskies can eat, I meant after trying several types of food, this is the one that seems to be compatible with their tummies.
My MinPin and 1 year old Husky Chloe have problems with Anal Leakage, and this food has been the only one that does not cause them to have it. I am a Vet Tech, and am well aware of the quality of food, and I am a fanatical researcher on everything I do for these dogs, I would not do anything intentional to harm their health.

No one said or even remotely implied that you did?

And sorry, Jo. You're not being treated any differently than any other member. While it may be hard to understand why at first, we are operating on an internet forum where all we know of each other is what we write. When you write a post asking for help, we automatically assume that you only know as much as you tell us that you know. You can't ask us to give you credit for being a vet tech when you didn't tell us that you were (even if you did in another post because sometimes people miss intro posts) and you can't ask us to automatically understand that you DON'T mean that Kirklands is the only food huskies can tolerate. You'd be surprised what sorts of things people come on here and start spouting.

That being said, do we take you at your word? Sure as heck we do. What else is there for us to take you by? So please don't be offended. Just understand that we can only respond to the information that YOU provide.

Glad to hear he's doing better

Hello, sorry I was not able to get back quickly enough. I appreciate your thoughts, and apologize for being offended. Its true you don't know all the details of my life, and it would have been better to give more details first. I hope noone hates me now. LOL.

Well back to our little problem. UGH!!! He just won't stop!!! He is only pooping when he is in the crate. The other morning my son got up because he heard him crying, went in there to let Hayden out, and it was too late, he had already gone, stepped in it and what a mess.
They let him outside, he peed, and the minute they put him back in the kennel, he squatted right in front of him and went again. Ran him outside again, and he just wanted to play. Played for awhile, got sleepy, so my son put him back to bed, and went to catch a catnap, same thing again, an hour or so later, Hayden started crying, this time my daughter went in there, and same mess all over again.

I just don't get this dog, he doesn't fuss when you put him in there, he will actually put himself to bed in it.

Any thoughts, I will be eternally grateful.

I think there are two things going on...

1. I know you think I'm beating a dead horse, but that is a really ridiculous amount of poop. That's 3 times in one day and the second time (right after your son put him back in there) really concerns me. Why was it so urgent that he went again? I think you need to consider putting him on a bland diet and start seeing how he does. Every dog is different and while Kirkland has worked for your other dogs, it's entirely possible he may disagree with it. I would suggest putting him on some boiled chicken and rice for a week and seeing if he changes his behavior at all. I just really don't like the sound of him going to the bathroom that much.

2. It's POSSIBLE that he's doing it because he's now associated going poop in the crate as being let out of the crate. Instead of whining to be let out or waiting for you to let him out, he's pooping and crying... I'm not convinced by that though because it's a really bizarre association. I'd try a diet change first.

3. What are you using to clean the mess in the crate? Are you using an enzyme cleaner? It's normally more important for urine, but it's possible that he thinks it's okay to go in the crate because it still smells like a safe spot to go to the bathroom. I would look into a product like Nature's Miracle.

Hi, I love that expression "beating a dead horse." I have been wracking my brain and going nuts online trying to find a new food that I think will be okay with him. When you put it that way, that is an awful amount of poop. He does have the worst gas, but all my Huskies do. HAHAH!! I will make him some chicken and rice and try that. I am also going to schedule him for a vet visit.

I never thought about him thinking, if I poop they come let me out. But why does he want out of a crate that he puts himself in willingly? Then on the other hand, why did he do so good the night he slept with my daughter in her bed. She was hoping not to let him get into that habit. She is now being treated for insominia and taking Ambien so she is worried she will not hear him getting into something. ARG!!!! I need a dog whisperer.. .

I do use Nature's Miracle, I buy it byl the gallon every payday. That stuff is a lifesaver.

This is seriously a weird dilema we are in. We have the two brothers 8 months old now, and they never had this problem, then again they had each other, our 1 year old girl, she has anxiety problems, and has never been in a crate, only when we leave the house, then she gets to stay with pups. We have an XXX Crate for all them.

Still taking pointers, any food ideas for Hayden, what is your opinions on Lamb and Rice, I use to feed it to my Boxer, but oh did he stink us out of the house.

Thanks so much
Jo

Jo wrote:

He does have the worst gas, but all my Huskies do. HAHAH!! I will make him some chicken and rice and try that. I am also going to schedule him for a vet visit.
Jo

ok sorry just gonna say it, but that much gas is NOT good for any of your huskies! my friend was feeding the kirkland and her boy had the WORST gas, she almost lost her boyfriend over it cause he could not stand the stink, she switched her boy to the Nature Domain http://www.naturesdomainpetfood.com/faqs sold at most Costco, not sure if its at yours or not, its grain free and his gas stopped, the the boyfriend is still around

also have you tried any grainfree food? like TOTW, its on the "cheaper" grain free food list and most of us feed it here, i use a mix of the TOTW and the nature domain.

Okay will try right now. Heading to Costco immediately. One question should I get the Turkey version or the Salmon.

Thanks
JO

My philosophy is when in doubt go with Salmon.

Okay, went to Costco, took back 3 bags of the Kirkland Puppy Food, and bought two bags of the Salmon. Got home fed them dinner (late), and they loved it. If this will help with the gas, and the puppys frequent pooping, I am all for the 33 dollars a bag price. Right now we are stink free, and have 4 very happy Huskies!! I will post tomorrow and let you know all know how Hayden did in his kennel.

I cannot thank you all enough for the help you have given me.

We use the salmon and switch up the TOTW meat.
I hope it helps and I'm happy they had it there. Now if hayden is still pooping it might take a few days to work in the system, u can also cut back on how much ur feeding, let us know how many cups ur feeding if the pooping keeps up.

One problem you might come across feeding the salmon is that their breath after eating isn't to sweet so avoid the kisses of appreciation. Wait a while then let them show their thanks.

Just an FYI: You might start to see results soon, but a new food takes 2-3 weeks to completely show its affect on your dog's system, so be patient

Good luck!