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[Pbm28]

Hi,
Me, my oh and my dd have 2 puppies.
1 is aged 7 months old (Cooper) and 1 is aged 11 months old (Runa) they are both English Stringer spaniels.
Runa was toilet trained from is roughly day 4/5 months old. On the other hand, Cooper. He has a retained testicle, which is being removed later this month. He won't pee in the house during the day whilst we are at work or when we are at home in the evening. He will still do a excited wee when I get home. He has 4/5 walks a day. 2 very long walks 45minutes -1 hour all the toys you could ask for. But at 3am every morning he is chewing the skirting boards or barking to go out. We put them to bed about 9:30-10pm every evening, tried taking water away at night, later walks, going to sleep later etc and nothing is working. Any one have any advice. We are at our wits end, especially getting up at 3am every morning, sorting puppies daughter and school runs work etc. Just need bit more sleep. My partner takes them out at 3am for a wee and a very long walk but he is working a hour away so is getting very tired with travelling also. Sorry I'm ranting on a bit just trying to give as much info as possible as I'm new and have seen a few people comment they don't get enough info thank you

[BiteyShark]

If you are trying to tire them out so they sleep better then I would suggest actually less exercise and more mental stimulation.

The problem with lots of physical exercise is that for some dogs it just makes then fitter rather than tired. Mental exercise through training, teaching tricks, or just things that require them to use their brain is far more tiring.

Do you have a command that they associate with peeing? If you don't then I would start to associate one and then at the end of the night go outside and stand with him and use that command so he understands that actually you want him to pee.

I do sympathise though as my cocker spaniel goes through periods where he will be active in the night which I think is down to him having stomach ache (long story).

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

Do not walk him at 3am! He is waking up for the fun

Retained testicle will have no baring on this issue.

I would make a confined space for him to sleep in - personally I would crate train but you can just use a small area to stop him being able to chew skirting boards etc.

If he wakes at 3 out for a quick wee and then back inside no interaction. You go back to bed for a catch up on your sleep .

How long are they left in the day alone? He is getting way too much physical exercise for a puppy

[Dragongirl10]

Google crate training op, l agree he is just awake and wants to play!

[fessmess]

If they sleep apart from you they may just not like being apart from you.

[fivedogstofeed]

To be honest going out for a long walk at 3.00am is worth waking up for if you're a young springer! If he really needs to go out at this time it should be a couple of supervised minutes and straight back to bed.

[BiteyShark]

Oooo I didn't notice the bit about a long walk at 3am, just the long walks in the day.

When mine is up at night we ignore and pretend we are asleep and eventually he either goes back to bed or if he is up because of his stomach or needs a pee because his steroids make him pee more he will eventually scratch the door. We just then get up let him outside for the toilet and then straight back up bed with no fussing.

[BiteyShark]

So yes you need to stop with the playing and walking at 3am.

If my dog thought he could get me to play ball in the night he would be up every hour

[adaline]

Why on earth are you walking them so often? Two hour-long walks a day should be plenty at that age, maximum!

No way would I be getting up at 3am to walk a dog - if mine wakes for a wee it's out, pee, bed - no communication or other interaction. They need to learn that night time is for sleeping, not walks and play!

[Cuttingthegrass]

That must be a typo about long walk at 3am? Probably due to OPs tiredness

Do they go out for a quick wee immediately before bed?

[Floralnomad]

Can I just add to what everyone else has said and say please do not withhold water overnight .

[Ticcinalong]

That is too much walking for a 7month old dog.
I’d reduce (gradually!) the and instead provide more mental stimulation.
Food is given as a challenge - in kong toys of raw or wet fed or in puzzle feeders, rolled up towels, scatter fed if kibble.
Get him scent training and searching for things use his spaniel nose.
Stop interacting with him at 3am as PP have suggested. At 7 months he should easily be able to go from say 11pm to 6.30am.
Invest less time in walks and more time in enrichement is my advice for any young spaniel owners - or almost any dog really. Excess walks just make dogs super fit and wired. Instead look at the food games, scent work, obedience training, retrieves and tire his brain.