My 10 month old Westie puppy has been suffering with Cystitus for around 6 months, but for the last 5 weeks this seemed to be under control with a special diet from the vets. However this is the 3rd week now where the majority of nights she will poo sometime between the hours of 10pm an 6am when she's in the kitchen. I give her tea at 4pm and take her out for her evening walk at around 7pm and she manages to do a very small runny poo, but that's all she seems to manage all day, until night of course. She has a morning walk and ample opportunity from early afternoon onwards to go in the garden, but just doesn't seem to want to go. Any advice?

How free are you to rearrange your schedule? What you need to do is to increase the time between her last meal, and her last trip out. The more walking the better on that trip. If nothing else, try feeding just before bed time and see if she can make it over night.

A crate will help her hold it longer. There dogs may
Not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog
Will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be
Happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its
Den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving
Its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them
Will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic
Ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for
Dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with
Something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
Time for more than one dog.

Walking or other activity brings on a bowel movement. Being confined retards it.

Try walking her a little later at night. WALK HER FOR A LITTLE WHILE. IT WILL STIMULATE HER TO GO

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Originally Posted by labman

The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den.

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I agree with Labman that crate training is the best way to teach the dog to not poop in the house. I have a Lab Husky mix that sleeps every night in her crate as an adult. If she for some reason can't use her crate she crawls under the bed to sleep. She feels very safe and happy in her crate. I don't lock her in but she prefers it to any other place in the house for sleeping.

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I take her out a lot later now for a really good run across the park and all that running seems to make her poo and touch wood the problem seems to have resolved itself. From Happy Carol & Misty.