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  1. #1
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    Default Dogs and frequency of pooping

    We've been dogsitting a small dog (Lhasa Apso) for the past couple of days. Her owner told me to walk her 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening) so that she can do her business outside. She had a small potty accident upstairs the first day, even though she's supposedly house trained (she's at least 8 human years old). So I've been letting her into my backyard every few hours because I'm afraid of another accident in the house. Almost every time we take her outside, she poops. She poops in the backyard, she even goes twice during a 10-minute walk! I've run out of potty bags my friend gave me!

    My question is this: can a dog make herself poop when she goes outside? Is she going so frequently just because I let her out? Or is it something she can hold for several hours until I take her for her 3 walks, as instructed by her owner?

    Thanks in advance! I'm a complete, utter newbie with dogs. I would ask my friend, but she's currently in a place with really poor cell phone reception.
    DS1 2006
    DS2 2009

  2. #2
    baymom is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    By age 8, I'd assume that she could hold it for 5+ hours. My guess is that she had an accident at your house the first day because she was in a new place/with new people and likely stressed. Now that you've had her for a few days and she's more accustomed to your home/family, I think it would be fine to just take her out the 3 times your friend used to. But, what you are describing is surely a lot of pooping! Our dog goes 2-3 times a day. Occasionally, she will go twice during one walk, but rarely. She does pee a lot more, for sure.

  3. #3
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    hillview is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by baymom View Post
    By age 8, I'd assume that she could hold it for 5+ hours. My guess is that she had an accident at your house the first day because she was in a new place/with new people and likely stressed. Now that you've had her for a few days and she's more accustomed to your home/family, I think it would be fine to just take her out the 3 times your friend used to. But, what you are describing is surely a lot of pooping! Our dog goes 2-3 times a day. Occasionally, she will go twice during one walk, but rarely. She does pee a lot more, for sure.
    This except my 5 year old dog hasn't pooped twice in a walk that I can recall.
    DS #1 Summer 05
    DS #2 Summer 07

  4. #4
    urquie is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    My large dog poops 2-4 times a day, usually twice on the morning walk. He is a very light eater.

  5. #5
    rlu is offline Ruby level (4000+ posts)
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    If she's 8 in human years, I'm guessing under 2 years old, still a puppy.

    On occasion 1.5yo GoldPup will mess twice on a walk. Usually just once. I think the walking gets the bowels moving hence the poop when on walks.

    You can use bread bags, newspaper bags, produce bags, etc. If you're squeamish you can use a paper towel to pick up the mess and then put in the bag to make it less obvious.
    DS Mar04, 8th grader. Life Scout. Being read Flash the Homeless Donkey.
    GoldPup (golden retriever born Dec14); Big Boy Dog (1997 - 2008); Little Girl Dog (1997 - 2005); two 10-yo (2007-2017) huge goldfish we can no longer find in MIL's fish pond
    Go Sharks! Go Mirai, Nathan, the Shib Sibs and Team USA
    Recently read The Hate U Give (highly recommend) and The Noel Diary (ok, light). Starting A Dog Named Boo.
    Pooh - "It's a beautiful day." Eeyore - "Not from where I'm sitting." Pooh - "Try standing next to me." From The Best Bear in All the World, Spring.

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