Puppy weeing in crate most nights - what to do?

[Kingsroadie]

Just that really - he is 10 weeks old tmrw and goes to bed at 10:30/11. He doesn't make any noise until 6:30/7 and when I get him up he does a poo and usually a wee but has weed in his crate 4 nights out of the last 5.

I am just ignoring it and changing bedding and spraying enzyme spray etc. I have no idea when he wees as he doesn't let me know!

I suppose the options are just to leave him to it - will he eventually stop doing it?! I don't want him to make a habit of it (seems like he has already tbh). Or do I set an alarm (for I don't know when as I have no idea when he is peeing) and try to take him out pre-wee?

His crate is a 30" one (ie will be the correct size when he is fully grown) but I have a crate divider which makes it half the size and it would be pretty small any smaller. He also has a big flat doggy thing which his heat pad goes in which is in the bed as he likes to sleep on it so takes up about half of it.

Thanks in advance for any help! (For the millionth time)

[Asinine]

My 12 week old lab is doing this, too. He is barking at 5.30 but we ignore him and by 6.15 when we get up anyway he has usually weed on the vet bed which covers the crate bottom. I am thinking he is probably peeing when he barks, but don't want him to think the day has started then! I think he'll hold on longer as he gets bigger and it will stop then.

Will be interested in any advice.

[Happymm]

Hi Kings! As you know, our 9wk old lab is very good in her crate, the only thing we have going well tbh!

We have really made her crate very small with her divider, and so she takes up most of the space. Also, we don't provide much water late on IYKWIM. She has her last drink and snack at 9, so has time to let it out. It hasn't been that hot, and she's certainly not gasping in the morning as she only has a quick slurp before she wants to go out.

[Kingsroadie]

Happy

Yes ours v small too - no water in crate either. And no water just before bed either... and also no gasping first thing!

Argh.

[Kingsroadie]

Also Asinine - sorry to hear you're in the same position!

[Happymm]

Had another idea-maybe make crate bigger, with space for a toiletting area, with a puppy pad in. At least that way you might avoid poo covered dog, and he'll get the idea that he's not to poo in his bed?

[Kingsroadie]

Thanks Happy - Never had any poo - only wee. He whines to let me know when he is ready for a poo.. I don't mind the wee so much tbh - if it were poo it would be a different story. Not keen on puppy pad etc just for wee. As then how do you wean them off it?!

[Happymm]

Maybe just like a toddler and night time pull ups? When you've had a wks worth of dry nights then remove? :)

Summer just pee'd in the kitchen right next to the open patio doors

Bizarre that she'd go outside for poo then doesn't care about pee?

[Kingsroadie]

Hmm yes maybe!

Argh same with ours - always out for poo but wee isn't the same at all - perhaps need more control as it's a little thing whereas a poo is a bigger thing?!

[midori1999]

First of all, it's really important not to restrict water. In puppies going without water for long periods of time (overnight) can cause dehydration faster than you realise, especially if it's unusually hot overnight or they haven't drunk much during the day that particular day etc. It's also not nice to think they can't get a drink if they feel thirsty, I know I'm not a dog, but I can't imagine anything worse. On top of that, they aren't being toilet trained properly if you're withholding or restricting water and as you're finding, it makes no difference anyway.

It is up to you how you want to deal with it. You can either choose to get up and let the puppy out during the night, but if she's not barking you still might not catch her, or you can choose to leave her to toilet in her crate and yes, she will grow out of it. I personally don't like to leave them to toilet in their crate, but we have had a few vocal puppies we have 'taught' to bark to go out to toilet by getting up to let them out and that's no fun, I can tell you!

I probably wouldn't put a puppy pad in a crate, although lots of people do, but then I never use puppy pads anyway.

[Happymm]

Thanks Midori. Can I ask what you feed your puppies? When we got her, she didn't est much, but our 10wk old lab was on pro plan so we carried on with it. She has now reslised that she is a labrador, so eats like a pig! But I read on here that pro plan's not very rated. Also she has terrible dog breath! :o

[Happymm]

Realised even! Flipping iPad changing my words!

[midori1999]

My last litter had James Wellbeloved, but that was almost 4 years ago now. My adult dogs are now on Fish4dogs and I would use that if I had a litter/puppy now. I would always prefer to choose raw over any kibble, but one of my dogs can't tolerate whole bones at all, which makes it more difficult, not least due to our location, as places like Landywoods etc don't deliver here. I wouldn't rear a litter on raw, as it's not always practical/doable for new owners and it's best if they can stick to whatever the puppy has been weaned onto at first.

Pets At Home do a food called 'Fishmongers' now which is very similar to Fish4dogs. Not sure if they do a puppy version, but I use the adult one if I forget to order my Fish4dogs in time and my dogs love it, it's very similar, just more expensive.

[Happymm]

Thank you! May need to do a gentle changeover-though have tons of the stuff as had to order it as nowhere near us did it!
Will search for some and go for it, as can't stand the bad breath, especially when licks my hand and my hand stinks

[Kingsroadie]

Thanks Midori - Oh dear - so I should have a water bowl in the crate at night too? I do always make sure he has lots of drinks in the evening and before bed.

Thing is, I have no idea at all when he is weeing during the night. He doesn't seem distressed at all in the morning. But I would just have to randomly pick a time to take him out and hope he hadn't peed yet? If I do that won't he just never learn to hold it? And should he not be able to at this age? (Was it you Midori who said you had a 7.5 week puppy who never weed in crate?)

[Happymm]

The only time I put a water bowl in the crate she upended it in minutes. She has never pee'd in her crate-maybe a girl thing? :o

[midori1999]

I'm not sure if it was me, but certainly I have had puppies be clean/dry at night from 7-8 weeks, most of them in fact. The only one I have ever had toilet in a crate came from the pound/a puppy farm and had had to live in his own filth, so I think that contributed to why he didn't mind toileting in his crate, it wasn't just that he couldn't hold on. He eventually just learnt to hold on and to like his bed being clean. However, all puppies are different, some can hold it from a young age, some can't until much older.

Because he doesn't let you know when he needs to go, then yes, you'd have to randomly pick a time to take him out and then obviously if you were too late, try earlier. He'll still learn to hold on, just like taking them out often during the day doesn't teach them not to hold on, just where to go, so that they do learn to hold on.

[Kingsroadie]

Midori - thank you for the advice - sorry totally forgot to reply earlier!