10-month Golden barking to go outside at night

[Jointhejoyrun75]

She has been brilliant overnight up until now. Only when she was either very small and needed a wee or had a tummy upset has she barked or whined to go to the garden to do her toilet. Usually she has no trouble holding it in all night.

The past week she has been vocalising to go out, and when she is let out doesn't appear to be going to the toilet at all, but wants to play with her toys and stick - at 2-3am in the morning! How can I nip this in the bud? Obviously we want to let her out if she barks for a wee so can't ignore her.

Take her out on a lead.

Maybe there's something going on in the general dog world. My dog - 5 years old - has never been one for wanting to go out for a wee in the night but just recently she's also started barking to be let out anywhere between 2.30 and 4.00ish.

My DD, when I told her, said I should just ignore her, but you can't can you? She had a horrible stomach thing several months ago and was pooing every hour or so, if I'd ignored her barks to go out poor little thing would have ended up going in the house, as it was she didn't have one accident in the house; I was very proud of her.

She also doesn't seem to be in any hurry to wee and will often only go after I've told her to hurry up, but often she'll have a wander round and inspect leaves and stuff.

She loves this time of the year with the cold, and strong winds - double coated - and will often take herself into the garden in the evening and have a wander round or just sit or lie on the garden path. I assume she's cooling off as she's not happy with a warm house - heating's not on at night though.

Sorry Join, I know that's no help, but I don't know what the answer is either. Putting her on a lead is a good idea, but I don't clip her lead to her collar, and I think she might find it really strange and uncomfortable, so that wouldn't work for me.

Hope you find a solution as it's horrible having broken nights. Just thought I'd let you know you're not alone :)

Yes, thank you, the lead had just occurred to me today. I'll lay my warm dressing gown out in preparation tonight for wandering the icy garden with her! She sounds exactly the same as yours, pigs, no hurry at all! But then dogs aren't remotely precious about sleep like we are I suppose

Take her for a walk last thing before you go to bed. Just 15/20 mins round the block. Encourage her to wee/poo on the walk and then tell her to pipe down if she starts pestering in the night!

Also take away all of her toys/sticks in the eve so she isn't obsessing about toys in the garden

My dog always go to wee on command just before bed Blackbird doesn't seem to make any difference and she used to be fine all night so I don't think that's an issue in her case.

I think she just likes the winter nights and likes to go out, have a wander round and a good sniff of the night air. Just wish she'd stop it.

To be honest I'd still take her for a late night walk, like you said she likes the night air, lots of interesting smells etc. I bet you would see a difference in her behaviour if she gets her 'fix' by way of a quick 15 min stroll before bed. I know it's a ball ache going out late, but better than getting up in the middle of the night.

I'm sure you 're right Blackbird she probably would like it but I don't tend to got to bed until about 12/12.30 and where I live is semi rural, very lonely after dark with very few street lights.

Not sure I'm brave enough to venture out for a walk on my own down a dark road with open fields on one side at that time of night Taking her for a run in the car won't have quite the same effect :)

She was better last night and didn't wake so early so I'm hoping it was just a glitch.

Is there something moving in the garden? Our dog barks at cats that come into the garden and the other night a bucket was blowing around so was barking.
By the time we get up to let him out the cat has usually gone so he wants to play or sniff around.

Nothing much moving in my garden as far as I can see but lots of night noises I suppose, which she will stand and listen to. Guess it must be 'the call of the wild'.

She often just wanders around checking out the corners and sniffing things and seems to particularly enjoy just standing there when it's very windy with the wind blowing through her long coat; I think she's pretending she's with her ancestors somewhere in the frozen north :)

I've read on another site that putting a blanket over the dog or radiator on nearby had helped as the dog was waking up due to cold - it has definitely stopped our lurcher jumping in the bed for a cuddle in the middle of the night!

A retriever you;don't wake up because of cold.

She might be hot though and needs to cool off. How high is the heating where she sleeps?

We also had a good night last night where she didn't bark to go out. Thanks for the ideas, I will check it is not too hot where she sleeps.

Did you try taking her into the garden on the lead Join?

Fair enough, late night walking maybe not such a good idea! You could try this though - stuff a Kong with peanut butter, put in the freezer. Next night, chuck her out in the garden at about 9pm, the Kong will keep her busy for ages, she will be nice and cool, nice bit of fresh air and a tasty treat too!

Are retrievers telepathic? Mine was up and wanting to go out last night too....

My smaller than normal Cavalier started crying to go out at 10 o'clock every night. Then she'd just go out and bark. She soon learnt that if she barked at 10pm she'd get put to bed in her (large) crate. With a blanket covering it. Silence!

Sounds like a good plan Blackbird. Although I suspect she'd get frustrated with it and want to come in to see if there are any treats available that are easier to come by.

I think there must be something going on in the dog world that we know nothing about if dogs are suddenly waking at night:)

My dog's not a retriever so it's not just retrievers.

My three and a half year old lab x springer has started needing to go between 2-3am. Or rather, asking to go. She'll bark like one of the family is being murdered but when I let her out she'll sit by the back door crying until told to go for a wee, then she'll do what we call a 'ghost wee' and just squat and pretend.

We have moved to an area with barely any street lights and I wonder if the darker nights are getting to her. With it going dark around 4, potentially she's confused enough to think it could somehow be morning.

I'm going to try later walks and see if that helps.

Pigs I did nothing differently. We always let her out before we go to bed, so between 10 and 11pm. I don't think she wees then though as she just sits by the back door waiting to come back in. Hopefully she is over the night waking.

Could you have a fox in the garden and she can hear it?

Actually, that's a good point Cuppa. Perhaps the darker evening are confusing them all.

My dog's not very good with the dark generally and often barks at sudden movements if we're out when it's very dark.

Glad to hear you're getting a better night's rest Join. Funnily enough my dog slept all night last night without waking once. I of course, woke around 4ish and took ages to get back to sleep.