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Going to the toilet at night

18 replies

Shortandsweet20 · 15/08/2019 06:12

I have a 14 week old golden retriever who is doing really well. She's settled in beautifully, doesn't cry during the night and is just a lovely little pup.

However, her toileting at night is somewhat of a nightmare. She doesn't go for a poo straight after her meals, it can be between 30mins-1hr30 mins. My previous dogs have always gone almost straight after! So when it comes to the evening, she will go after her tea and then normally one more about 8.30ish. I then have trouble trying to get her to go again before bed at 10.30. The first few weeks she did really well and would only do a wee through the night. Now I come downstairs at 5.45 and she's doing 2-3 poos through the night and nothing until well after her breakfast. Is there anything I can do to encourage her to go before bed? I'm not expecting no accidents but she has her last meal at 5.30 and she just doesn't seem to go as much in the day 🙈 she also eats her poo sometimes annoyingly! Can anyone suggest anyways I can encourage her to go before bed?

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BiteyShark · 15/08/2019 06:24

Movement makes my dog want to poo so maybe a short lead walk before bed?

Also when eating three meals a day it makes mine want to poo in the early hours but when it's only a snack at lunch time he can go longer. I am assuming at your dogs age you are still on three a day.

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Shortandsweet20 · 15/08/2019 06:28

I did start the short walk at night but she hates walking.. maybe I'll bring it back about 9.30ish?

Yeah she is on 3 meals a day still. I'm not sure when to drop her to 2. I go back to work in 2 weeks but the dog walker could give her lunch if needed. Maybe I could just lessen the amount she has at lunch time

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Jouska · 15/08/2019 08:44

Its usually about 6 months that you drop down to 2 meals a day but of course there are always exception. At 4 months I would be feeding 4 small meals a day.

It goes against the grain but you may find feeding later and giving longer between each meal may help.

Breakfast at 7pm, lunch at 1 and evening meal at 7.30. However this may not help at all Smile but I would want to be getting more poos in the daytime than night.

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adaline · 15/08/2019 09:29

She's too young to hold her bladder and bowels through the night.

If you don't want to be cleaning poo up in the morning you need to wake up when she does in the night and take her out I'm afraid.

Mine often needed the toilet through the night up until five months old - but he was used to waking us up to go out so we never had accidents in the house.

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Jouska · 15/08/2019 09:44

Many puppies will go through from about 11.00- 6 at this age especially without a poo

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adaline · 15/08/2019 09:47

Many puppies will go through from about 11.00- 6 at this age especially without a poo

Really? Mine certainly never slept through by 14 weeks. Whether a pee or poo I wasn't going to let him do it indoors so it was up and out every time. Another reason we got a puppy in the summer!

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Shortandsweet20 · 15/08/2019 09:54

Adaline it's not that I don't want to be cleaning up poo, it's just she goes more times in those 6/7 hours through the night than she does in the day!

She's currently fed 7.30 breakfast, 12.30-1pm lunch and 5.30 dinner.

She doesn't wake us up in the night, she is downstairs and we are upstairs and she doesn't cry so I wouldn't know when she's getting up. I just find it strange she was going through the night without going and now she isn't. I'll try taking her for a walk tonight and see if that helps!

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adaline · 15/08/2019 10:03

Sometimes dogs just go at random times, especially when they're young and still growing.

Mine has a predictable routine now as an adult but as a puppy he sometimes went at night, sometimes on morning walk, sometimes at 11am - it was really random!

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Jouska · 15/08/2019 12:12

I agree it is the balance of when they are going. Adaline OP has said the puppy CAN go for in the day without pooing it is trying to change the body clock to get this to coincide with the night time

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Mrbay · 15/08/2019 12:18

mine is coming up 11-weeks and I've noticed that if I had an really energetic play with her at about 10.30pm, she'll run our to the garden to do her business, whilst I annoy the neighbours with calls of wee wees.

She's been dry throughout the night since we had her at 8-weeks (touch wood!) but have had a handful of accidents during the day.

What are you using to clean up her mess? Does she go in the same area each time?

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adaline · 15/08/2019 12:23

Adaline OP has said the puppy CAN go for in the day without pooing it is trying to change the body clock to get this to coincide with the night time

Yes, I know that. I'm saying that with very young puppies that isn't always possible. Older dogs do tend to have a routine (mine goes on his morning walk and again before bed), but puppies aren't always that easy to predict, which is why you end up taking them out all the time - just in case.

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Shortandsweet20 · 15/08/2019 15:22

Mrbay she tends to either go on the puppy pad that is down or on the floor but it is a similar place! If it's the floor I clean it using anti bac and disinfectant.. anything you'd recommend to stop her going in the same place?

Will try doing a walk before bed tonight and seeing how we get on!

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homley · 18/08/2019 20:19

Possibly a confidence issue? I would do plenty of short walks with her on an evening but keep an eye on her when she comes back in - when we first got out 1yro she wouldn't go outside on a walk but would go as soon as coming back in and she relaxed - lots of short walks and plenty of praise.
Good luck

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Shortandsweet20 · 18/08/2019 21:09

Homely I will keep trying walking. She really dislikes walking on the lead most of the time she just sits and cries. I don't want to pull her too much but also don't want encourage this behaviour? Any tips? I took her off the lead and then she happily walked on the lead back to the car but leaving the house she isn't a fan!

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homley · 18/08/2019 21:42

If you dont already I would try her on the lead in the house. Walk her in the house on a lead just a few steps, praise, etc. Have something really tasty and all being well she will stick to your side as you walk around and soon get the hang of it. If she is wanting to sit use your recall rather than rather than pulling then walk a few steps and praise. Build it up to then walk her out the door and back in, praise, out and in, praise etc out the door a few steps further and back in etc hopefully it will soon become no big deal :)

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PrayingandHoping · 18/08/2019 21:44

Is she crated?

I'd advise crAte and get rid of the puppy pad.

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Shortandsweet20 · 18/08/2019 21:52

Praying no she isn't crated at the moment. She's got free range of the kitchen and living room. She is used to being able to move round and I'm not keen on the idea of her going to the toilet in her crate?

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PrayingandHoping · 18/08/2019 21:59

Usually they won't toilet in the crate.... that's why they are so useful (that and stopping them from chewing something they wouldn't)

If you use a crate that's the right size (ie not too big) they will consider it their bed space and dogs won't toilet on their beds.

By giving her lots of space you are giving her an option to toilet away from where she wants to lay.

You may find she then starts crying in the night and wanting you to let her out to the toilet. But at least then she learns to toilet inside not inside

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