It can seem like the doggie version of multitasking. Why not kill two birds with one stone, and pee and poop at the same time. However, these bodily functions also play a pivotal role in dog culture and communication. Most dogs don’t pee and poop at the same time. If they do, it can indicate an issue that needs to be addressed.
Why does my dog pee and poop at the same time?
Your dog could pee and poop at the same time for several reasons. They could feel they don’t have enough time to do both separately, or be experiencing bladder control problems.
Time Crunch
If your dog feels rushed to do its business and get back inside, it may learn to pee and poop at the same time. This can be stressful for the dog.
Do you like being rushed when you go to the bathroom? Most humans have their own bathroom rituals, particularly when it comes to pooping. Feeling rushed to complete the task as quickly as possible isn’t pleasant.
If your dog is only allowed a small amount of time to do its business, it will learn to complete both as soon as possible, even simultaneously. However, this isn’t ideal for your dog.
A time crunch can also be a factor if the weather is unpleasant. If it’s very cold outside, your dog may want to relieve itself quickly so it can return to the warmth of the house.
Positive Reinforcement
Dogs live to please their owners, and they are very receptive to positive reinforcement. It can be a strange and amusing sight to see your dog performing both functions at once. If you noticed your dog peeing and pooping at the same time and found it funny, they may continue the behavior to make you happy.
If you praise your dog for peeing and pooping simultaneously, they will likely keep doing it to hear your praise.
Incontinence
This is a common issue with senior dogs. As a dog ages, they don’t have as much bladder control. They may pee when they poop simply because they can’t hold back their pee.
Urgency
If your dog has been holding it for a while, they may pee and poop because they can’t hold it long enough to find separate spots for each function.
This happens to humans occasionally as well. The saying “when you gotta go, you gotta go” holds true.
Excitement
When a dog gets very excited or scared, they pee. They may be excited about being outside or being taken for a walk. Something may startle them while they are pooping. If you are house training, they may be excited because they know praise or a treat will follow.
Sled Dogs
Sled dogs are known to pee and poop at the same time when running. Sled dogs don’t have the chance to take bathroom breaks while they are working. So they do their business on the run.
Is it normal to poop and pee at the same time?
It’s not normal dog behavior for them to pee and poop at the same time. Many owners report that they’ve spotted their dog doing this once or twice, but it’s rarely a frequent occurrence.
However, you can train your dog to pee and poop at the same time if you wish to do so for convenience.
Different Muscles and Positions
Just like humans, dogs use different muscles to pee and poop. They are two completely separate functions in their brain as well. Most dogs have a position for peeing and one for pooping. Even female dogs, that squat for both actions, will squat differently based on which one they are releasing.
What should I do about my dog peeing and pooping at the same time?
This depends on the reason your dog is doing its business at the same time. If you want them to take care of their business all at once, train and praise them to do so. If you are concerned about your dog peeing and pooping at the same time, how you tackle it will depend on the cause.
Time Crunch
If your dog is peeing and pooping at the same time due to time constraints, this isn’t healthy for them. They need time to choose their spot and relax while pottying.
Breaking the habit will take time. Start by allowing them an extra 5 or 10 minutes outside, regardless of how quickly they pee and poop. Over time, they may learn that they don’t have to rush.
Incontinence
Incontinence commonly occurs due to age. However, other conditions, including urinary infection, bladder stones, and excessive water consumption can also cause it. You’ll need to take your dog to the vet to have incontinence and the cause diagnosed.
There are medications that can help with age-related incontinence. If there’s an underlying disease, treating the disease should improve or resolve incontinence.
Urgency
Urgency occurs when your dog really needs to pee and poop. This may occur first thing in the morning, because they haven’t been out during the night.
You may need to feed them earlier in the evening and take up their water bowl before bed. Take them to potty at least 30 minutes after food and water are put away if they are an adult dog.
If it occurs during the day, they probably need more frequent bathroom breaks. If they are a puppy or senior dog, they can’t hold their bodily functions as long as an adult dog can.
Puppies can hold it one hour for every month of age, up to 8 hours at 8 months old. Adult dogs can be expected to hold it for 8 hours. How long a senior dog can wait varies from dog to dog.
When Not to Worry
If you’ve unintentionally trained your dog to pee and poop at the same time through positive reinforcement, it’s nothing to be concerned about.
If it occurs because your dog is very excited, this is ok as well. It’s normal for dogs to have occasions where they get so excited they pee and poop at the same time.
If you’ve intentionally trained your dog to pee and poop at the same time, this is ok as well. It has benefits, particularly if it’s difficult to get your dog outside to potty.
Should You Train Your Dog to Pee and Poop At the Same Time?
Perhaps you live in a high rise apartment and it takes time to get down to the ground level. Perhaps the weather is very hot or cold and you don’t want to spend a lot of time outside. Perhaps someone else lets your dog out while you are away, and they want the process to be easy. Should you teach your dog to pee and poop at the same time?
It’s really not necessary to train your dog to pee and poop at the same time. If you want your dog to pee and poop quickly, you can train them to pee and poop on command.
You’ll use a command for poop and a different one for poop. This allows your dog to do them separately, as most dogs prefer to do, without having to wait a long period of time for your dog to potty. You can command your dog to pee and poop while they are out, without pushing them to complete both tasks at once.
Do dogs like to pee and poop in the same place?
Most dogs are pickier about where they poop than where they pee. Some dogs seem to have the life goal of peeing on everything they find. However, that same dog may only poop in a carefully chosen place, and even have a poop ritual.
Communication
Dogs use pee and poop to communicate with other dogs, and the two send vastly different messages. Pee is often used to mark territory. It’s your dog’s way of saying, “This is mine”.
Pee can also be used to signal submission or dominance. Dominant dogs will often pee on top of a submissive dogs pee. Dogs will also pee when encountering a dominant dog, to show submission.
Both male and female dogs use pee for territory marking, regardless of whether they have been spayed or neutered. However, intact males can be more enthusiastic, marking more often than their neutered counterparts.
Poop serves a different purpose. Dogs have two anal glands. When they poop, these glands coat the poop. It’s essentially a social profile that delivers lots of important information. It can tell other dogs about your dog’s health, sexual status, age, and even their diet. It helps them identify friends from foe.
Is Poop More Valuable?
It’s possible that dogs are more selective about where they poop because poop is a limited resource. Dogs store small amounts of pee at all times so they can mark when needed. When it comes to poop, most adult dogs poop 1-3 times a day. This gives far fewer opportunities to send poop mail than pee mail.
The North-South Axis
Studies have shown that dogs align themselves with the north-south axis when they poop. This doesn’t occur when they pee.