The TMI Details - Poop Patrol

Annie

Annie is persnickety and weird about pooping and peeing.

Generally:

• she will pee immediately in front of the house, by the plantings. She only pees if the stars are aligned, the ground is not too wet or too cold, no neighbors are slamming doors, no cars are driving by, etc.
  
• she will poop down in the retention pond area
  
• she rarely both pees and poops on the same 'out.'

Typical schedule:
7:30 am - pee
8:30 am - poop
11 am - pee
2 pm - pee
5 pm - poop
8 pm - pee
9 pm (sometimes) - poop
10:30 pm - pee right before bed

Obviously this varies if the feeding schedule varies, if she has thrown up or has diarrhea, etc. Call if things seem very out-of-whack.

If she gives you trouble (i.e., stubbornly not doing her business, watching birds, looking for children, stalking squirrels), just bring her back in and try again later.

If she MUST go (because you need to go out, and you KNOW she needs to) take her up the sidewalk to Flamborough, or even as far as Old Centreville, and back. She will eventually go somewhere. If you use this approach, you MUST pick up, so take a bag. (Bags are on the inside pantry door.)

Use a flashlight at night so you can tell what she has done. Her pee and poop stances look very similar in the dark :-)

Simon

Simon is much, much easier and more dependable -- just bigger and stronger. If he decides to, he can pull you right down the hill on your ass.

Generally:

• he will pee in front of the house, or anywhere. If you take him out, he will pee, even if he just peed.
  
• he will poop just inside the undergrowth area near any trees. This is very convenient because it never needs to be picked up. If you take him out, he will poop, even if he just pooped.

Typical schedule*:
7:30 am - pee & poop (sometimes)
(8:30 am - poop)
11 am - pee & poop
2 pm - pee
5 pm - pee & poop
8 pm - pee & poop
10:30 pm - pee right before bed

*Simon is much more able to skip 'outs.' He is very dependable, unless he has an upset tummy and has diarrhea.

Simon seems to have a more direct relationship between his bowel state and his appetite. If he's not eating, very often he will resume after emptying. Likewise, if he's not pooping, having a meal will initiate.

Signals
If you have lost track of the schedule, and they really really need to go, they will tell you. Annie will run in circles by the front door*, and may paw at the door. She may also make a low throaty whine. Simon will be less obvious -- he will hang out by the front door, come back to you to check in, repeat. If he's really desperate, he may paw at the front door hinge, or the leashes.

*This is the same behavior if she wants to chase squirrels or play with children.

Where



The "retention pond" area. Watch for land mines. Soggy if it has rained. Preferred by Annie.



The "berm." Watch for land mines.