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Originally Posted by Beatchen

I have two 13 week old doberman pinchers, who until two days ago did really well in their crate. For the past two nights they have pooped in the crate even though I fed them last at 3 in the afternoon and took them for a walk. We last let them out at 10:30 to eliminate. They are not more than 3 hours in their crate at a time and don't have any problems during the day. Any suggestions?

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Are the stools softer than usual? Puppies frequently have some sort of upset, often from something they found and ate or a bug. Even an older dog may have an accident with upset bowels. Clean the crate good and hope it goes away soon. If soft stools go more than a day or 2, check with a vet. Do not let the weekend catch you with sick puppies.

3 hours? Are you getting up in the middle of the night? At 13 weeks, they should be able to go over night soon if not yet.

I've had an 9 week old puppy for 5 days now, and he's developed a pooping in the crate issue for the last 4 days... at a minimum, it happens once a day. And now, we can't seem to get him to poop outside anymore. Our dog walker and our breeder has given us some advice. We're trying it now, so I'll let you know how it goes, but perhaps this "expert" advice will work for you:
- Clean the crate thoroughly with an odor neutralizer (my breeder recommends Nature's Miracle Odor & Stain Remover - made with natural enzymes). If the puppy can smell even a little of its urination or poop, that's trouble. I was using Hartz odor neutralizer (a baking sode solution), but it OBVIOUSLY doesn't work.
- If he's not pooping outside at all, my breeder recommended placing a sample of his poop where you'd like him to go. He should associate this smell with where he SHOULD go. Also, my dog walker suggested we take him to where other dogs have pooped so he can smell it and make that association(careful not to let pup touch or eat grass/dog poop, if doesn't have all shots yet).
Hopefully this advice will do the trick!
Let me know if it works for any of you. I'll do the same.

It is extremely dangerous to take any 9 week old to an area used by unknown dogs. Shots may not protect it from parvo. The following must happen before a puppy is protected by its shots: Any immunity passed on by its mother wears off. It gets the next shot. It then has about 2 weeks to build immunity. Thus there is a window where the best cared for puppy is vulnerable. See http://www.pressenter.com/~dvmvis/canparvo.htm

Your advice does not mention the importance of keeping the puppy moving to stimulate a bowel movement.