Help! Our lurcher wants letting out 4-5 times a night!

[tinkerbug]

Ddog 2 is driving us mad! She is a 7 year old lurcher (we think possibly a whippet/collie cross but she is a rescue so not sure of parentage) and we've had her since she was a puppy.
She has suddenly started getting up 4/5 times a night. Dh usually gets up with her as he normally wakes up easier than me. Sometimes she gets up and goes for a wee, sometimes for a mooch round the garden, and sometimes she gets to the door and decides she doesn't want to go out at all. Poor dh is exhausted and we are getting to the end of our tether.
For info, she sleeps on a cushion at the foot of the bed with ddog1 (though gets up on the bed if she thinks we won't notice!), and has always got up once a night for a wee - vet said she prob has a small bladder.
Any ideas? We have tried ignoring - she just cries / barks which makes sleep impossible and we are worried she will wake up kids!

If she's not going for a wee then I can only think that she's getting agitated over something? I know they don't seem to work for all dogs but those dog-relaxing plug-in jobbies really worked for one of ours when she was grieving. Might be worth a try. I recently read that lavender oil can be very effective too.

It might also be pain of some kind?

One of ours used to have trembling sessions - we couldn't work it out but it turned out to be a mouse that had got into the house and every time she saw it she freaked!
Best I can come up with - awful for you and the dog though (although the dog can catch up on it's sleep!!)

I’d let her sleep on the bed and see if that stops her , she’s obviously not happy sleeping where she is and they do get easily disturbed . Our dog shares a double bed with our adult ds , when ds is here dog gets up really early as he gets disturbed by noise from the window being open or ds accidentally encroaching on his side of the bed . When ds is away ( 3/4 nights a week) dog stays in bed until the alarm goes and someone gets up as the window is closed and he doesn’t get nudged . That said when ours gets up early he just takes himself downstairs to the settee or his dog bed he doesn’t disturb anyone .

I would think it’s medical, as in a urinary tract infection.

Thanks for all suggestions so far, might try one of the plug ins and letting her on the bed. Don't think it's medical as she is flat out upstairs 7 till kids get back from school during the day (I work from home) and doesn't go out at all! Also when ddog1 had a uti she was paying a lot of attention to her lady bits which looked quite sore and there is none of that.

I've never had a dog so bear in mind no experience here at all, but what about a summer kennel arrangement if your garden is secure? Not every night, but if she gets up at 3am and is mooching about just let her stay out till morning? (Unless she'd bark.)

Or something like a litter tray for a dog?

I'll see myself back to the cat section now. Good luck, I hope you find a solution!

she is flat out upstairs 7 till kids get back from school during the day (I work from home) and doesn't go out at all

Would it help to tire her out more in the day, in the same vein as advice to parents of hyper children, call her down regularly, take her for 3 or 4 short walks, so that she's ready to settle for a long sleep at night?

When she is flat out upstairs during the day where is she sleeping

Keep her awake during the day and see if that helps.

Thanks for all suggestions. Sorry I can't remember names and am on my phone but.... can't leave her outside at night, she'd bark constantly and wake the neighbours, she sleeps on one of the beds upstairs in the day, I can't walk her 4 times a day as I'm a Childminder so leaving the house usually involves a double buggy, buggy board, and a bag full of nappies, wipes and snacks! And no chance of keeping her awake all day when I am working!

She’s obviously happier on a bed then .

Eek - I feel for you ..

Could you ask a friend or dogwalker to take her for a long midday walk for a couple of days and see if that helps?

Dog walker in the day or a long walk, or even better a run off lead, in the evening to help tire her out. Do training or mental stimulation in the evening as well. Anything to tire her out so she gets into a routine of sleeping at night.