Pooping in crate, need ideas

We need a little help with Charlie. At night he is crated. I take him out to potty between 11 and midnight, but he never poops. Then when robert gets up for work at 3 am, he goes to let Charlie out and there is poop in his crate.

Our plan was for me to potty him before bed, Robert potty him at 3 am, and I potty him at 6 am when I get up for work, then Robert potties him and takes him out for the day at 9 am when he gets home.

What can we do to help him poop before he goes in his crate? When should we offer his last meal? I have been giving him some food at night when I put him up so that he doesn't fuss at bedtime..obviously it isn't working so what time should he eat dinner in order to be ready for the bathroom at 10-11 pm?

He's 4 months old and about 25 lbs.

I think Grimm only had stool in his crate once, when I first brought him home. At that time, I fed him an hour or so before bedtime, and then at bedtime offered a frozen Kong, or something similar. It didn't really offer enough food to reach his wee little colon in an 'i need to go!' way, but he was getting a tasty treat. Which was good, as he was a crate screecher the first week and a half he was here

After a month or so he did graduate to bedtime meals, as that's when the other dogs get their last meal. He sleeps well at night, though, and doesn't have accidents.

How long do you stay out there with him?
I alway's stayed out there till everything came out.

I usually give him about 20 minutes. Tonight I'll try a half hour, maybe take him for a little walk and see if that gets his bowels moving.

Romy, to answer your question about what time for last meal to be ready to poop between 10-11? I think that is going to be hard to answer for a pup, you have to observe when it's happening so you know his time table, LOL

My two (not puppies mind you) eat in the morning between 7-8 and again in the evening between 5-6. They are both ready to poop within 30 minutes after eating WITHOUT a walk to help out. If their feeding schedule gets messed up (life happens sometimes, LOL) so does their poop schedule.

My best advice? Be as consistent as you possibly can with feeding times, whatever they might be in your house. I would stop the food at bedtime because he is obviously pooping between 12-3 am............instead maybe offer a tough toy or just a tiny bit of peanut butter in a kong at bedtime to keep the fussing down.

Be sure and clean the crate VERY WELL because you don't want him to be comfortable sleeping in that smell (even if YOU can't smell it) and think it's acceptable living conditions, LOL

Thanks everyone. Last meal at 7 seems to work for the poo. Now if only he would stop power whining while in the crate. It's too bad you can't fast forward through this part of training.
le sigh.

this is the one part of having a new puppy im NOT looking forward to lol