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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Is it normal for dogs to need a wee in the night?

49 replies

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 07:54

Hi,

DDog is 2.5 years old has pretty much always got up in the night for a wee. I obviously expected it when he was a puppy but I thought by now he would be able to last all night.

I know he can last as he goes through weeks where he will sleep all night but most of the time we are up once in the night. He will go straight down to do a wee and then come back in and back to bed.

I have tried taking up his food and water by a set time but it doesn't make any difference. The other night I didn't hear him and he went down and did a poo in the front room!

I am at my wits' end to be honest. I have 2 DC and thought my days of disturbed nights were over now that they are older. I obviously expected there would be times when I would be up in the night with him but not this frequently. Is this normal? Is there anything else I could try?

OP posts:
CalamariGames · 04/12/2021 07:58

I think this is uncommon with older dogs but mine often does it if she doesn't get her afternoon walk, which she sometimes refuses if something spooks her. Do you take your dog for an afternoon or evening walk?

icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 08:04

No, I wouldn't say it was normal.

Please don't restrict his water in an attempt to solve the problem though - all it does is make the urine left in the bladder more concentrated and they then feel the "urge" much more.

You can, however, try giving him ice cubes instead of water so he can quench his thirst but not gulp entire bowlfuls down at once.

If you ignored him when he asks to go in the night, would he have an accident or would he just go go back to bed?

Mummyoflittledragon · 04/12/2021 08:18

We have a small dog. She can’t hold it all night either. It normally works as Dh goes to bed late and I get up early. But when he’s not here, I am up twice in the night. Never had an issue with previous dogs.

Original poster
WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 08:19

@CalamariGames yes he has 2 walks a day. One around lunchtime and then again in the evening. We tend to take him around 5/6pm now it's so dark.

@icedcoffees he has in the past done a wee downstairs if we haven't heard him (he always seems to go in the front room). Not every time as we sometimes find him downstairs in his bed and he hasn't done anything. But there's always the chance he will which is why I tend to get up and let him out. I don't know if it is a habit now. But he does go in the night when I let him out.

I don't know if it's worth taking him for a quick walk round the block right before bed but I'm not that keen at walking on my own that late at night.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 08:20

@Mummyoflittledragon what breed is your dog? Ours is a Cavapoo so technically a small breed although I think he weighs about 10kg and doesn't seem that small!

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 08:22

How many times do you let him out in the evenings on the run up to bedtime?

CalamariGames · 04/12/2021 08:32

Could you just walk round the garden with him before bed? My dog may not go outside on her own in the evening but she would go out with us if we went outside

NoSquirrels · 04/12/2021 08:37

Presumably you let him out for a wee before bed? It’s not last walk at 5/6pm then last all night?

SexyNeckbeard · 04/12/2021 08:49

Are you in a particularly dangerous area? We take ours out at about 11 for one last wee so there are no accidents overnight

Wolfiefan · 04/12/2021 08:54

Do you take him in the garden for a last wee before bed?
What time do you feed? That can make a difference.

NeverTrustaChristmasPud · 04/12/2021 09:08

If he's weeeing regularly through the day and has a wee before bedtime, then he should be ok going through the night. You've said he does but then occasionally wakes you to go out, which sounds like either something is disturbing him (an alarm going off, a fix etc in the garden) or that he is unwell.

Have you been to the vet and had him tested to see if he had a UTI? It could be as simple as that......or he could just be a contrary little bugger as dogs can be when they choose 😂🐶🐶😂

Please don't restrict his water intake , no matter how frustrating the middle of the night week's are.

NeverTrustaChristmasPud · 04/12/2021 09:09

a fox ....not a fix

dustofneptune · 04/12/2021 09:16

Do you have a garden? Does he pee/poop last thing before bed, if you let him out? Or is the problem that you're already doing that, but he still needs to go in the middle of the night?

What time is he fed each day?

Mine is fed around 9am and 5pm and has his last pee break around 9.30-10pm. If his last pee break was at 6pm, he'd definitely wake up in the middle of the night and need to go. It's too long for him to wait 12+ hours to go again.

Snowywintersundays123 · 04/12/2021 09:45

We’d always let our dog out in the garden for a wee last thing before we went to bed, my mums dog is the same. Last person to go to sleep let’s the dog out in the garden. This would be your solution

Original poster
WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 10:06

Sorry for not being clearer - yes we take him out in the garden for a wee before bed. The last person up takes him out which is normally around 10pm. Most of the time he will go but sometimes he refuses and just stands by the back door waiting to be let in. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between him having a wee at 10 and lasting all night though. Sometimes he will wee and still need to get up and other times he won't wee and will last all night.

We put his dry food out in the morning at 7am but most of the time he doesn't eat very much. He has wet food in the evening between 5.30-6.30pm.

I don't think it's a particularly dangerous area although there have been reports of dogs being stolen when out walking. I suppose it's just me who is a bit reluctant to be out on my own so late.

OP posts:
MrsOosh77 · 04/12/2021 10:10

Can you install a dog flap? Our dog often takes himself out for a midnight wee. The cheeky little bugger takes himself off to bed at about 8pm and will refuse to go out if we try and entice him when we go to bed- he likes to set his own agenda!

icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 10:20

Most of the time he will go but sometimes he refuses and just stands by the back door waiting to be let in. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between him having a wee at 10 and lasting all night though. Sometimes he will wee and still need to get up and other times he won't wee and will last all night.

So whoever lets him out needs to go out with him (on a lead) and wait until he goes to the toilet, or take him on a short walk around the block before bed. Have you taught him to go on command? That's a really useful way to solidify toilet training imo.

I would also start letting him out several times through the evening as well, to make sure he has plenty of opportunities to empty his bladder.

Mummyoflittledragon · 04/12/2021 10:36

Mine’s the same re not wanting to go for a wee. You have to physically go outside. Bichon frise, small breed.

reasysteady · 04/12/2021 10:50

You have to physically walk them around the block - mine has a bladder of steel (lucky thing!) and hates toileting in the garden - it's annoying to walk him round the block at night, but it's become a nightly ritual now and I actually enjoy it!

Original poster
WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 11:49

Maybe I will try a late walk round the block and see if that makes a difference. Sometimes he is asleep upstairs and I have to wake him to bring him out so I'm not sure what he will be like if I take him out but I can try!

Don't want to install a dog flap as we have had building work done and just had lovely bifolds fitted in the back room so would have to put it in one of them.

OP posts:
Thatldo · 04/12/2021 12:02

If he has a last pee at 10pm,he should not need to go out during night.it might be worth having his urine tested for possible infection.if all is clear, you know, you need to do some behaviour training with him.it sounds a bit of a pattern:when he is a bit "bored" during night,he wants a pee outside and when he doesnt get it,he pees,so next time you will let him out.you will be surprised how clever some dogs are and use their intelligence to wrap you round their little pawGrin

Original poster
WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 12:53

@Thatldo yes I was wondering if it was that! But I'm not sure how to train him out of it if that's what it is?

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 12:57

[quote WhatHaveIDone21]@Thatldo yes I was wondering if it was that! But I'm not sure how to train him out of it if that's what it is?[/quote]
If you've ruled out all physical causes and you're making sure he goes out regularly through the evening and before bed, then the only way to break the habit is ignore him and accept you may have to deal with accidents in the morning.

However, the problem with this is you may start to teach him that it's acceptable to toilet in the hose and it may start to cause issues in the daytime too.

Tara336 · 04/12/2021 13:05

Have you had his blood sugar checked? My very clean dog started needing wee at night and if he couldn’t wake me would wee in the kitchen, turns out he’s diabetic and he just couldn’t hold it. Now he’s on insulin he’s fine he sleeps through the night no problem

victoriaspongecake · 04/12/2021 13:14

Vets check for urine infection Cushings disease and diabetes.