Setting alarm for puppy at nighttime

[Sarahmoore0510]

Hi! We’ve been quite fortunate in that our pup has only woken once a night for the toilet - first week we slept on sofa and let him out when he stirred.
The last week we’ve been setting an alarm depending on what time he settled and and had last wee. We’ve been pushing the alarm time back each night - last night wee and bed at 10 and alarm and wee at 4am - he woke me up barking at 5.30 and needed a poop.

Mu question is shall I just not bother with alarm? After this mornin assuming he will let me know if he needs to go? He’s 11 weeks on Saturday x

Edit -he’s in a crate! I feel bad leaving him all night without an alarm as they say they can’t hold all night at a young age - I don’t want him to be struggling to hold it all night!

After this mornin assuming he will let me know if he needs to go? He’s 11 weeks on Saturday

Your puppy is holding it overnight a lot longer than mine could. You could try and see if he wakes you without an alarm if you are prepared to mop any accidents up if he doesn't. Do you think you will wake and get to him in time?

@BiteyShark Yeah that’s what I’m worried about! I woke up this morning when he needed a poop as he was barking rather than whining - how can a puppy be so loud!!

I take his water away at 7 and last meal at 6.30 in the hope he won’t need to poop at night or wee too much!

My first pup we had to let her out once during the night until she was 6 months old! Our second pup could hold his wee during the night from 14 weeks 😊 we go to bed about 10.30 and up at 6/6.30 so not a mega long night. I think it just depends on the dog!

I did set an alarm because my dog would not wake me for a pee (I know because I slept through an alarm once ) and just moved it back 30 mins every two weeks.

You could try a baby monitor which might alert you more to whining but again I think it depends on how quickly you will wake, realise what is happening and get there in time before he decides he really has to go.

Don't take away his water. That's old fashioned advice and can be dangerous as pups can dehydrate quite quickly - 10 hours is a long time to expect one to go without water.

Don’t take his water away

To be honest he barely drinks any water! He is on wet food, the Vet said as long as he’s weeing then not to worry as he will get most of what he needs from his food - but I will leave it out as now I’m worried 😬

Never had to take any of mine out in the night - last we around 11 and then out again at 6am

Don't set an alarm and dont take away his water.

There has been a recent study showing dogs that have alarms take about 3 months on average longer to be able to make it through the night - this was a study done on medium size dogs .

Agree with bed at 11 and aim to be up at 6.00 many pups can deal with this from 8 weeks.

Please don't take away his water. My pup is 10 months now and shows no interest in water overnight but as a puppy he did need a drink or two. We still always leave a bowl down for him though it mostly remains untouched.

I never set an alarm with mine, but we had him in the bed so he woke us up scratching at the door. If yours is already barking to say he needs to go out I wouldn't bother with an alarm. Maybe have a baby monitor or something like that so you can hear him if he stirs?

Daft suggestion alert! Baby monitor? I never had one for either child but I did for the puppy. It meant I could sleep in bed but get down before any accidents and without the rest of the house waking up. Puppies are quite effective alarms!!

My pup slept at night in a puppy pen to begin with & now in a crate, both in the lounge. I never set an alarm & she's always had water available. I slept on the sofa for a week & then got a baby monitor so I could hear her as she only whines if needs to go outside & we shut the lounge door so our cat doesn't disturb her. She has never messed in her pen or crate. I just went with the flow knowing I wasn't going to be getting up in the night forever.

Dogs love routine. If you are setting an alarm to come down to him roughly the same time during the night he will expect this, and you might find he is barking in anticipation of you coming rather than because he needs the toilet. I would stop with the the alarm. He will let you know when he needs to go out, but you are feeding him early enough in the evening that he should be fine as long as you are letting him out before bed.

We;re about to get a puppy (cocker spaniel, 31 december). He will have had his first vaccination, but not his second, and I can't put his feet on the ground until after the second vacc. How do I 'let him out' for toileting, at any time of the day or night? Don't I have to let him go on a pad inside the house? And would a baby monitor work overnight - I'm planning on a crate and a puppy play pen?