What times should i feed my 4 month old boxer?

Question

Okay, I'm having a problem.. My puppy Mario is 4 months old, he is outside during the day (don't worry has plenty of attention and company) I feed him in the mornings before I leave for work around 7:00. Then i feed him again about 7:30 at night, the problem is... he is pooping and peeing in his cage around 3 am. He goes in his cage at 930 in the downstairs part of the house. we have two other dogs that are potty trained and are fine but this one just doesn't seem to get it. I'm tired of waking up to his yelping at 3-4 in the morning and having to let him outside and clean up his huge disgusting mess. I also feel like he's getting the idea that it's okay to go in there because he just has to make noise to wake me up and he goes back outside, but I feel like I can't punish him because I'm not there when he doesn't so I'm not sure he's the real idea of why he is in trouble... HELP! am i feeding him too early? too late????

Answer 1

He really should be still eating 3 times a day.  We have a pup that is about your dog's age.  We feed him at about 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m.  We let him outside at about 11 p.m. for the last time.  He is a Basset (very hard to potty train compared to a Boxer) and never goes potty in his crate.  Also, we have a crate that is actually way too big for him.  I would divide the meals into 3's, making the last meal the smallest.  Also, withhold water, say after 8 or 9 p.m.  It works for us and this is the same schedule that we have followed for over 30 years with many different breeds of dogs.  Good luck.

Answer 2

Well, i feed my dog once in the mornings, and once at around 17.30. Maybe taking your dog out for a short walk before it goes to bed will encourage it to go to the toilet before.

Answer 3

You are feeding him way too late. He's a young puppy and can't hold if for very long. And at that age, he should be getting fed three times a day until 6 months old. I would try feeding him around 5pm. Then don't give him any food or water for about 3 hours before you plan on going to bed. But at that age, you should be prepared to be taking your puppy out in the middle of the night if he's crying. It's all part of owning a puppy. If you ignore his cries, you can expect to wake up to a mess in the morning and if you continue to let him go in his crate, you may just end up with a dog that thinks it's ok to p**p and pee in his crate.

Answer 4

You need to feed your pup earlier in the evening, so he has a chance to empty out before bedtime.  Try feeding him at 5:30 and walking him before bedtime. That should stimulate his digestive tract so that he can empty out before bedtime.  good luck.