feeding and potty
 

I have a bit of a dilemma. I can't get my little Chevie on regular feeding, she is soooo picky. Then after she eats, she doesn't need to poop. She has had a couple of poops in her kennel in the last few weeks and there was alot. I finally got her to eat last night around 8 pm, no poop this morning, no poop at noon and I had to go back to work. When I came home.....poop all over the place in her kennel. I need to know how to get her on a regular feeding schedule to regulate her poops. For the most part, she is a trooper and will hold everything as long as possible.

How old is she?

7 months. I got her at 5 1/2 months. She really tries...one day she hadn't pooped all day and I had to go out for a couple of hours that evening and I knew it was going to be tight. When I got home, I let her out of her crate and she ran to the door and pooped as soon as she got outside, so the training is going really well. I was wondering if maybe I was feeding her too much and that is why she is fussy in the morning when I go to feed her. Boy, it sure is a learning process....

AH MAN! I had this whole thing typed out and it didn't post. GRRR!!!!

Anyway, I had posted this semi long post about everything I take into consideration when I came up with Kaji's perfect portion size of kibble. (a days worth) But Kaji wants to play, so I'll come back and post it later. :D

Thanks, look forward to hearing about it. Well, she pooped again in her crate this morning. I fed her at 6, took her for a long walk around the block and put her in her crate at 7. My dad's visiting so I left a note to put her outside when he got up.....that was at 9 and between 7 and 9 she went in the kennel. I hope all the progress I have made so far has not gone out the window......

Ok, so this is how I determined Kaji's perfect portion size. Kaji has really bad LP in both knees, and since weight plays a role on how much discomfort his knees could cause him, I'm diligent on keep him on track. I looked at the bag, as it has a suggested serving size according to weight. It says for a 5 lb dog, it's 1/2 cup of food a day. For a 15 lb dog, it's 1 1/4 cups of food. Kaji is somewhere in between; he is 7 lbs. From weight alone, he could do well on 3/4 up to a full cup of food a day. BUT, we also have to consider lifestyle. Are we active? Does Kaji go out on frequent walks? Do I give him snacks/treats during the day? Do my parents sneak him food?
He only plays inside; I don't walk him as much as I'd like; I do like to feed him fresh veggies and fruits during the day; and unfortunately, YES my parents sneak him food. All of this is extra calories. So, to balance all of that out, and to make sure he is getting most of his nutrition from his kibble, Kaji eats 1/2 a cup of kibble a day. I also made a list of approved foods my parents can give. They give him mostly lettuce (he loves lettuce whites) and bits of apple and cucumber. It took quite a bit of playing around with portion sizes, and knowing Kaji. His knees pop less, so I must be doing something right. :)

Do you have a set predictable potty schedule for Chevie? Is she strictly outside potty only, or do you have a piddle pad for her?

Chevie is 3 pounds, so the bag recommends 1/4 cup but never specified per meal or per day. I am definitely feeding her too much. She is on a set schedule, very similar to the crate training schedule listed in the training forum.. 1st thing in the morning, usually between 5 and 530, at 1145 and 1220, then again at 345 when I get home from work. I usually walk her at 630 in the morning and again in the evening, plus there is fun in the yard after her business has been done. She doesn't whine or bark to go out, but she does go to the door when she is out of her crate. Although, it is not necessarily to go potty as she likes to be outside to chase bugs. She last goes out between 1030 and 1100 at night. If I wake up during the night, I take her out, but she has no problems making it through as long as she doesnt have to poop.

Each food is different. Mine says 1/2 cup and my friends says 3/4 cup for a similar sized dog. Anyway, what food are you feeding? Maybe I can help you figure out if it's per day or per meal.

Everything else you're doing sounds absolutely right. You have a schedule, you're sticking to it, and Chevie for the most part is responding, right? Is she kenneled or in an ex-pen when you're at work?