Your dogs need to be pooping at least once daily: In fact, they should be “dropping the bad kids off in the Yard” more like two to three times a day (the “What goes IN must come OUT” rule). Puppies might go more often. The dogs diet, how often they are fed, their activity level, and some underlying health issue will dictate the frequency of their bathroom breaks. If you reach 24 to 36 hours with no sign of having a bowel movement, it’s time to see the veterinarian for a checkup and diagnosis.

Dog’s Can Adapt their Bathroom Breaks to Your Schedule: You don’t have to have a frank talk with Baron Von Barkington about your plans and availability for their poop needs, most dogs naturally adapt to a routine surrounding “a trip to Brown Town.” If you set and get into a regular daily Poop Ritual (Let them out first thing in the mornings, shortly after meals, before bed and at the same scheduled bathroom times each day), their bodies will naturally adjust to those times and “Release the Backside Hounds” accordingly.

Dog’s are NOT some Weird “Poop Camel”: They can “hold the load” for quite some time, but just like us… they will eventually reach the point of no return and can’t hold the 🎵🎵Doo, Doo, Doo, Looking Out their Back Door🎵🎵 so it’s up to the brains of the operations (That’s Humans) to keep up with the set routine, get on board with the process, and understand that accidents will happen.

It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint: Does your significant other stand in the bathroom with you, pace back and forth, yell out for you to finish up and come in, scold you if you take to long, and make you feel bad if they step in your poop (well, the last one is probably a “Yes” because its really weird and you probably need to see a professional to talk about why you’re pooping on the floor). Dog’s need time to setup the perfect “Evacuation Plan.” A dog needs to “walk it out”, “sniff it out”, and go through their routine to execute the perfect Poop Dismount” (they are always looking to “stick the landing” for the perfect score). So back off, Mom & Dad… give them space to do their work. In fact, if you learn their routine, you can help them. Dogs gonna sniff, mark, sometimes circle counter clockwise three times, say an incantation to the Poop Spirits, and then think about it, all before they decide the Time to Act is right. To be clear, at the end of this story (so to speak), your dog needs to just do their thing when it comes to meeting “Major Droppings” so let’s all “Get Aboard the Poop Train” and help them out.

Color is Key: A nice milk chocolate brown is the goal (that put you off your Dove Bar for the day, didn’t it?). The folks at Purina say that you might see some added colors, or a slight change in the overall color, based on what your dog digests. So that missing orange crayon, the few Skittles you underhand tossed Franklin D. Ruffsavelt, or the extra spinach you mixed in with their food, could come back as a “Cornucopia of Ca-Ca Colors” (that phrase alone deserve the Pulitzer for “Most Ridiculous Blog Content” this year).

The Shape of Water: Is NOT what you’re you’re looking for! A dog’s stool should be shaped like, of all things, logs. Ball shaped poop is not a great sign.  Just remember what Johnny Cochran said in the O.J. Simpson trial… “If the poop is round, you have a dehydrated hound” (our research department informed us that quote might not be a word for word quote from Cochran).

Consistency if Key to Any Successful Business: (WARNING: if you have a quick triggered gag reflex, this bullet point is NOT for you!) Purina knows dog poop, they make the stuff that makes the stuff… and they say that your dogs poop needs to be moist, compact, easy to pick up, easy to make into a ball and throw at your neighbors (okay, we made up that last one), and feel like Play-Doh (although they warn against make little Poo-Doh logs and building a fort). Watery or loose stool could be a sign of an Intestinal Upset (which was also the name our favorite 1990’s grunge band).

Size Matters: There is a very well known mathematics theory (we just made up) that comes into play here, “the Volume of the Outbound Load should be Proportionate to the Din(ner) they Take In” or in non-made up professional speak, “If they eat a bunch, there should be a lot of poop.” As with anything, there are factors that impact the amount of poop in the tunnel. Dog diets that include a lot of fiber will increase the amount of waste on the back end.

LOOK AT IT!: As unappealing and gross as it is, you need get in a good stare at your dogs poop. Not every dropping, every time… but you do need to get the real scoop on their poop, and do it fairly regularly (like a couple times a week). Keeping tabs on their tablets will allow you to have instant awareness if something changes or is odd (think on the terms of darker discoloration, very loose and not formed stools, white “rice like” specs that could be worms, undigested grass). If you find a change in the poop that lasts for more than one or two “outings”, then you need to consult your trusted veterinarian. Hard or dry poop likely means they are constipated, watery poo could mean they have an unsettled stomach, tar-like poop could mean blood in the stool. Learn to read your dogs droppings as if your a Major League Baseball catcher sizing up a batter. The more you know, the easier it is to get that batter OUT.

Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?  Your probably a great cook, so don’t take your dog eating their poop, or someone else’s poop, as a Food Critic type rebuke.  When dogs eat poop, its known as “coprophagia” in medical terms (We call it “Chowing Down at the Brown Town Diner”).  There is no “One Answer” to this question. The theory is that you dog’s eating poop could be their attempt to gather missing nutrients that their diet is lacking. Another popular theory is that its smells good to them. Experts suggest training the dog with the “LEAVE IT” command and/or spraying a taste deterrent on the poop.

Why Does My Dog do the Butt Scootin’ Boogy on my floors?

Dogs can’t use toilet paper, their claws just tear up the roll. For the same reason humans wipe their butts, dog’s scoot along the floor/grass/carpet. They likely are having a bout of loose stools and can feel the “extras” hanging around. It can also be a signal that your dog has worms, or impacted anal glands. If your dog suddenly performs the Butt Drop Tango as a normal routine, they need to be checked out by your veterinarian and get some help to solve the issue.

Why Does my Dog’s Poop Change if I Switch Their Food?

Think about your experience when your friend took you to the Indian Restaurant for the first time, or your ate at the Mexican Food Truck for the first time, or had White Castles after a night on the town… yep, it was a gross bathroom trip. Your dogs stomach is sensitive to change and will need time to adjust to a switch in brands or type of food. The best way to help them avoid the “Run & Shoots” during a food changeover is to gradually mix the new food into the old food. Over a 7 to 10 day period, slowly decrease their normal food and increase the new food until the switchover is complete.