How Many Times a Day Should a Dog Poop?

Our handy dog poop guide will give you tips on stopping your dog from kicking up dirt after toileting and understanding your dog’s poop schedule. 

It’s important to know your furbaby's poop frequency and compare it with how many times dogs poop to see whether your dog fits into the relatively wide range of what is healthy. 

Your dog’s pooping behaviour and the quality of their poops will indicate whether they are healthy or not. If you’re unsure or have concerns, it’s a great idea to have a chat with your veterinarian and if possible, bring a fresh sample to help them with their investigations. 

Factors That Affect Dog Bowel Movement

There are quite a few factors that will determine how often a dog should poop. Unhealthy dog poop can be identified by a variety of things. A dog poop colour guide is just one of the tools you can use. 

Quantity of food

Generally speaking, the more your dog eats, the more they are going to poop. Take this into account when considering their stool frequency and size. 

Medication

Some medications may be prescribed to your dog with side effects that can make them poop more or less frequently. 

Infections and illnesses

Health issues can cause issues with the gastrointestinal system, either from an infection or an underlying illness. Blockages in the tract can lead to constipation, whereas a bacterial or viral infection can cause diarrhoea. 

Fibre intake

Healthy amounts of dietary fibre in your dog’s diet will ensure that they are regular and prevent gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhoea and constipation.

Stress levels

Your furbaby’s digestive system reacts to any stressors and this can lead to a change in their poop. The stressor can be an emotional one, such as a scenario or routine change or a physical one, such as a change of diet.

Age of your dog

Younger dogs have a faster metabolism and therefore will poop more frequently than older dogs. 

Puppies will poop five or more times a day on average, whilst an adult dog will poop about twice. It is not uncommon for senior dogs to poop only once a day. 

How Many Times Should Your Furbaby Poop Each Day?

If you’re asking “how often do dogs poop and is my furbaby normal?” then there are a few factors you need to consider to get the right answer. That’s because several factors determine how many times a day a dog should poop.

Most dogs poop between 1 to 5 times a day, depending on their age, diet, activity levels and size. Puppies have a faster metabolism and therefore will poop more frequently, whereas older dogs will have fewer bowel movements as their digestive system slows down. 

A healthy dog will be given a nutritious diet, full of everything they need that will allow them to thrive. One of these is a digestible fibre which will allow your furbaby to remain regular and have a poop with a firm yet squishy consistency. This is very normal! 

Many dogs, just like humans, are creatures of habit and will fall into a routine where they will end up pooping a similar amount of times per day, and at around the same time. 

Once your furbaby has fallen into such a pattern, you can quickly notice when their gastrointestinal system isn’t functioning normally and you can look at reasons as to why this might be. 

A dog that is choosing to eat a lot of foreign foods or materials can be trained to stop. Be sure to look into the reasons why dogs eat poop to help you understand why your furbaby might be indulging in this less-than-ideal habit. 

Tips to Tell If Your Dog's Poop Is Healthy

A good dog poop guide will explain why your dog’s poop is solid/wet/runny. There are a few things that you can look at to decide whether your dog’s poop is healthy. Here they are below. 

Consistency

Super hard or super soft is not ideal. Your dog’s poop should be a sausage shape that is firm enough to not fall apart when picked up but it still should be squishy. 

Hard pellets indicate dehydration whilst any stool that has no form is considered to be diarrhoea, which can vary in severity. 

Coating

A mucus or oily coating on your furbaby’s stool indicates that there might be a problem internally. If picking up their poop is quite difficult and messy, it might be worth bringing a sample to your veterinarian to see what might be going on.

Colour

The ideal colour of your dog’s poop should be chocolate brown. Other colours, such as orange/yellow, red, black, grey or green indicate a variety of issues. It could be something your furbaby has eaten, such as too much grass, or it could be internal bleeding, parasites, or gallbladder issues, for example. 

Content

Any white, rice-like grains present in your dog’s poop could be worms. You might come across small bits of material or grass or fur, all of which indicate that your dog is having trouble digesting content. 

Dealing with Your Dog's Irregular Bowel Movements

If your dog is having trouble with their irregular bowel movements, you can try some tips to make dogs poop quickly to see whether this helps. 

Constipation

Blockages can be often caused by your dog swallowing rawhide sticks or bones, so be sure to keep an eye on your dog when giving them these treats. Offer toys that are appropriately sized so they cannot be swallowed whole. 

Diarrhoea

Ensure you have plenty of fresh, clean water readily available to combat dehydration if your dog has diarrhoea. Offer bland foods such as cooked rice, cooked chicken and lean meat that is gentle on the stomach. 

Take Home Message

It’s normal for your dog to poop and it is your duty as a dog owner to not only clean it up but to take a quick look to see whether your dog has healthy poop or not. Colour, consistency and size are some of the main features you should look out for, as well as frequency.

There are heaps of tips to clean and dispose of dog poop effectively using convenient dog poop products that pet owners should have. 

A dog should poop anywhere between one to five times a day, depending on their activity levels, age, size and diet. Puppies will poop more often than senior dogs as their metabolism is much faster.