My two dogs are now in their adult years, but I still remember their puppy days like it was yesterday. I didn’t know what to expect when it came to my puppies’ pooping schedule and often wondered how many times a day do puppies poop. If you’re wondering the same, here’s the short answer first followed by a handful of valuable tips below.
How many times a day should a puppy poop? It is normal for most healthy puppies to poop about 5 times a day. Medium to large dog breed puppies will usually poop 5 times a day until they reach adulthood or when they are 15 months old. Smaller dog breed puppies will poop 5 times a day until they are 9 months old. However, there are many factors that will affect how many times a day a puppy should poop.
A dog’s poop can tell you a lot about their health – whether they are hydrated, the health of their digestive system and pancreas, and if they have parasites or intestinal worms. As dog owners, we need to know how often our puppies should poop in a day to ensure they stay healthy. In this guide, we’ll also discuss how to tell when your puppies need to go.
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How many times do puppies poop a day?
Generally, puppies should poop between one (1) and five (5) times a day, proportionate to their dietary and nutritional needs as well as their age.
The younger the puppy, the more frequent you can expect him or her to poop each day. Therefore, don’t be surprised if your precious pup needs to poop 5 times a day if he is just 3 weeks old.
Puppies that poop 5 times a day is a clear sign that they are healthy with regular bowel movement. If you have a young puppy that is only pooping once a day, it may be a sign that he is constipated or has an irregular bowel movement.
If this is the case, be sure to speak with your vet and ask for advice regarding your puppy’s dietary needs. Your vet may suggest giving your puppy a high-fiber diet that promotes regular bowel movements. This allows your puppy to poop more frequently and has a firm, formed stool.
Keep in mind that the number of times you feed your puppy each day affects the frequency of his bowel movements.
A rule of thumb is to feed your puppy at least three (3) times a day. Their meals should be in small and even portions. This way, you can expect your puppy to poop three (3) to five (5) times a day.
Pet owners can expect their puppies to poop less frequently as they grow older. That’s because your furry pups are now more developed and they can hold their poop for a longer period of time as compared to before.
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How often do puppies poop?
In this next section, we will go over how often your puppies should poop depending on how old they are and how often they are eating. It’s very common for puppies to poop more than adult dogs.
It also takes puppies anywhere between 4 to 8 months to regulate and control their bowel movements. So during this time, you can expect your puppies to poop much more frequently.
Let’s go over how often puppies should poop from when they are newborns to when they’re 6 months old.
How often do newborn puppies poop?
Newborn puppies that are one to two weeks old need to be nursed at least every two hours. So throughout the day, the newborn puppies should also poop every two hours. This means that your healthy newborn puppies should poop about seven (7) to eight (8) times a day.
Your newborn puppies’ feeding and pooping schedule may look something like this:
| Feeding Time | Pooping Time | Number of times a puppy poops |
| 8:00 am | 8:30 am | 1 |
| 10:00 am | 10:30 am | 2 |
| 12:00 pm | 12:30 pm | 3 |
| 2:00 pm | 2:30 pm | 4 |
| 4:00 pm | 4:30 pm | 5 |
| 6:00 pm | 6:30 pm | 6 |
| 8:00 pm | 8:30 pm | 7 |
Your newborn puppies may need to poop an 8th time that day, which is completely normal so you can expect them to poop around 7 to 8 times a day when they are newborn puppies.
Since all newborn puppies are different, we strongly advised that you speak with your puppy’s vet to find the best feeding time for your pup.
How often do 3 week old puppies poop?
How often 3 week old puppies poop depends on how often they eat. Compared to newborn puppies that need to eat every two (2) hours, 3 week old puppies can now eat every four (4) hours. This means your 3 week old puppies should poop four (4) to five (5) times a day.
If you have a 3 week old puppy, here’s what the feeding and pooping schedule may look like. Again, we highly recommend that you consult your pup’s vet to find the start time that works best for your puppy.
| Feeding Time | Pooping Time | Number of times a puppy poops |
| 8:00 am | 8:30 am | 1 |
| 12:00 pm | 12:30 pm | 2 |
| 4:00 pm | 4:30 pm | 3 |
| 8:00 pm | 8:30 pm | 4 |
It’s normal if your 3 week old puppy poops a 5th time that day. So you can expect 3 week old puppies to poop 4 to 5 times a day.
How often should a 6 week old puppy poop?
By the time your puppies turn 6 weeks old, they should be fully weaned and eating solid puppy food.
Depending on your dog breed, your 6 week old puppies should be eating two (2) to four (4) times a day and they should poop every one (1) to three (3) hours. This means your 6 week old puppies should poop around four (4) to five (5) times a day.
How often do 7 week old puppies poop?
Similar to 6 week old puppies, 7 week old puppies should also poop every one (1) to three (3) hours and they should poop around four (4) to five (5) times a day.
Handy Hint: It is normal for puppies to poop several times a day. If you allow them to poop in your backyard, it’s a good idea to get rid of the poop. If not, here’s how long the poop takes to decompose in your backyard or garden.
How often do puppies poop at 8 weeks?
When your puppies are 8 weeks old, it’s normal for them to continue to poop within 30 minutes after eating their meal. For instance, if you feed them at 8 am, you can expect that they need to poop at around 8:30 am. They may need to poop a little before 8:30 am or a little after 8:30 am.
So, how often do 8 week old puppies poop? How often your 8 week old puppies should poop depends on how often they eat and how much they’re eating. If you feed them 3 to 4 times a day, this means that your 8 week old puppies should poop at least four (4) to five (5) times a day.
Your puppies are still growing and their metabolism is much higher than adult dogs which means they need more food and need to eat more often. Thus, it’s crucial that dog owners feed them frequently or at least 3 to 4 times a day.
It’s important to note that more food does not mean feeding your puppy a large amount per meal. It simply means feeding them more frequently but less per meal each day. This will satisfy their small stomachs while keeping up with their high metabolism.
How often do puppies poop at 10 weeks?
10 week old puppies can continue to eat 3 to 4 times a day so that they receive their daily nutritional needs in order to continue to grow and develop normally. They will need to poop every 3 to 5 hours.
This means your 10 week old puppies should poop four (4) to five (5) times a day.
How often does a 12 week old puppy poop?
A 12 week old puppy will need to poop at least three (3) to four (4) times a day. That’s because when puppies turn 12 weeks of age, they can be fed two to three times a day. This means that you can expect your 12 week old puppy to poop 3 to 4 times a day.
When puppies are three months old, they can wait up to four (4) hours. You can expect your 12 week old or 3 month old puppies to poop a 4th time that day. Thus, a 12 week old or 3 month old puppy will poop 3 to 4 times a day.
Usually your puppies will want to poop right after they wake up in the morning. Most puppies will poop first thing in the morning and will not eat their first meal until after they poop.
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How often do puppies poop at 4 months?
When puppies are 4 months old, they should poop three (3) times a day. Puppies that poop anywhere between two (2) to four (4) times a day are a clear sign that they are healthy.
Sometimes on rare occasions, your 4 month old puppies may poop more or less than 3 times a day. This should be fine as long as their poop is of healthy color and texture. If you’re not sure or suspect something is wrong, it’s a good idea to speak with your vet and confirm your findings.
How often do Maltipoo puppies poop?
If you have a Maltipoo puppy, you can expect your tiny pooch to poop between 1 and 5 times per day. As your Maltipoo reaches adulthood, you can expect him to poop at least two or three times a day. You should see at least one or two pieces of solid firm poop every time they do their business. They will pee more regularly than they poop.
How often your Maltipoo dog poops depends on several factors, including the type of diet he has. Other factors include:
- How much your Maltipoo puppy ate.
- How many times a day your Maltipoo eats.
- How recently did he or she eat.
- How much water they drank or if they are dehydrated.
- How much exercise your Maltipoo puppy gets throughout the day.
A healthy Maltipoo dog will normally poop twice every day and usually after their meal. Within 30 minutes of eating, it’s typical for Maltipoo to need to poop.
It’s also normal for Maltipoo puppies to poop whenever they exercise. They may be running around or walking when they start to poop all of a sudden. The amount of poop is usually of a smaller amount or it may look like they rushed their bathroom time. If your Maltipoo pup is a poo jogger, make sure you allow him or her extra time after their exercise session to poop.
If your Maltipoo puppy only poops once a day, then it’s understandable if you’re a bit worried or concerned. That’s because the younger the puppy, the more time they usually need to poop. If you notice your little Maltipoo pup only pooping once a day, we highly recommend that you consult with your vet.
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Resources:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/dogs-poop-in-alignment-with-earths-magnetic-field-study-finds
With over five years of specialized experience as an animal writer, my expertise lies in dog nutrition, health, behavior, grooming, and training. I am dedicated to delivering helpful and informative content that caters to the well-being of our furry friends. My primary goal is to empower pet owners with knowledge and ensure our canine companions thrive in health and happiness. In my free time, I love volunteering at local dog rescue centers.
