Dog wee-ing every morning

[ILoveJoeBrown]

He's 10 so middle aged. We have tried various things - shutting him in his crate overnight; getting up earlier & earlier; putting him to bed as late as possible so we can let him out.

Vet wants a urine sample but if he's wee'd already, we just can't catch it. She then wants the sample within 2 hours (great as we both work ft & the grown up kids don't drive). They wouldn't dream of trying to catch a wee anyway.

He's ok during the day & we all come & go at various times so usually someone here to let him out. He just can't seem to last overnight any more.

Do we just buy a waterproof mattress and lots of towels??

I'd make the effort to get the sample and get it to the vet.

You need to know why it's happening, not just mop it up.

Dogs often can't hold their bladder as long when they get older. Can you set up a baby monitor/webcam so you know when it's happening so you can get up and sort him out?

Get a sample, it may be a simple uti or it could be kidney problems

I wonder if you can book him into the vets for 24hrs and they can get the sample?
I realise this is an expensive and potentially stressful for the dog, way of getting a sample....but I can't imagine how you get a sample from a dog.
My dog is young, but if I approached her with a pot when she was peeing see would stop and try and play with me.