Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The doghouse

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

Flip

1 2

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:

Original poster

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 13:14

Thanks so much everyone. I will book an appointment with the vet and rule out any physical causes first!

OP posts:

HipposHaveNipples · 04/12/2021 13:21

Ours can go 11 hours overnight and still doesn't ask to go out in the morning, so I would say it's not normal for an adult dog.

pigsDOfly · 04/12/2021 14:28

My 10 year old dog will very occasionally asks to go out for a wee at around 4 in the morning, in the same way I sometimes wake up needing a wee at a similar time; usually, she will do her last wee around 11 and her first wee and poo of the day after breakfast around 8ish.

Agree with pps you need to make sure he routinely does a wee before bed.

My dog will wee on command so knows that before bed we go into the garden and she does a wee. It's part and parcel of her routine.

Tbh, if he's mainly going through the night I wouldn't be too concerned but seeing the vet to rule out any physical problems is always a good idea with any sort of worry.

Original poster

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 15:24

Can I ask how you taught them to wee on command? When he was a pup we used to have a phrase we said when he was doing a wee but he's never done it on command!

OP posts:

Terminallysleepdeprived · 04/12/2021 15:30

First of all 2 walks is not enough. You need to walk the dog first thing, lunch time, around 5/6 &then again before you go to bed as a bare minimum. If you can't manage that then I am sorry but you have no right having a dog.

Expecting it to last from 6pm til the lunch time of the following day is bloody stupid. Can you hold it that long??

pigsDOfly · 04/12/2021 15:33

Tbh teaching her to wee on command just sort of evolved.

I said the phrase: 'go pee pee' in my case, and gave her a treat when she weed.

It's usually something I do before bed, although it's years since the treating stopped, but I've also used it prior to leaving her for a few hours.

It's probably not technically 'weeing on command' I suppose because if she'd just weed she couldn't produce another one just because I ask her

pigsDOfly · 04/12/2021 15:35

My dog doesn't have four walks a day, she wees in the garden.

A dog doesn't need to be walked to wee it just needs access to a toileting area.

pigsDOfly · 04/12/2021 15:37

My last post was in response to Terminallysleepdeprived

Terminallysleepdeprived · 04/12/2021 15:37

@pigsDOfly

My dog doesn't have four walks a day, she wees in the garden.

A dog doesn't need to be walked to wee it just needs access to a toileting area.

Of course a dog needs walks. Don't be so ridiculous.

Clearly letting it out isn't working for the op, and expecting the poor thing to only be walked at 6pm and then not again til lunch the following day is down right neglectful

waterlego · 04/12/2021 15:42

Totally disagree with @Terminallysleepdeprived. My dog has two walks a day totally around 1.5 - 2 hours. In between walks, he has frequent access to the garden for toileting/looking for squirrels etc. He is happy, healthy, a good weight and has no behaviour problems. Sleeps and eats well too.

waterlego · 04/12/2021 15:42

*totalling

Thatldo · 04/12/2021 16:25

[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]
It would be best to leave him overnight in a room where the floor is easiest to clean(in case he has a pee).if you notice,he had a pee,you make very disapproving noises,just say once bad boy and ignore him after that.dont give him any attention,dont speak to him.Never let him out during night again.He will soon realise( together with your disaproving of him),there really is no "benefit" anymore in peeing indoors.
A healthy dog actually does not like to pee inside.You have to be determined though not to let him out during night.He sounds a clever boy and he will "get it" quickly, I am sure.good luck

pastypirate · 04/12/2021 16:34

My dog wees and poos on demand. He's thick as mince but he got that instantly. I mostly taught him to make him toilet on the bark by the bin and not wherever he fancies in the garden.

Prescottdanni123 · 04/12/2021 16:51

The last time he goes out at night is 5/6pm? That is too probably too early.

If you want him to last all night without needing to go, you should put him in the garden just before you go to bed, or if you don't have a garden, take him for a quick walk to the street corner or something.

Snoken · 04/12/2021 17:34

@Thatldo

If the dog has done a wee at some point in the night there is no point in OP to come in and give him disapproving looks and tell him he’s a bad boy hours later. He won’t have a clue what she’s on about.

icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 17:45

Nonsense. No dog needs four walks a day. Quality, not quantity.

icedcoffees · 04/12/2021 17:51

@WhatHaveIDone21

Can I ask how you taught them to wee on command? When he was a pup we used to have a phrase we said when he was doing a wee but he's never done it on command!

Use a certain word/command when he's toileting, and then lots of praise and treats when he goes.

Then, you can start using the word before he toilets (with lots of praise etc. when he goes). Eventually you can phase out the praise and treats and just use the command :)

Original poster

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 17:54

@Terminallysleepdeprived I think you are being a bit harsh.

DDog is walked twice a day with usually one of those being an off lead walk. He has never liked a morning walk as he tends to sleep all morning. He sleeps in our room with us and is a much loved family member. He's never left for more than a few hours on his own and is spoilt by us and my parents who treat him as their grandson! He is obviously let out into the garden first thing and throughout the day/evening when we are at home. To say we are neglectful is a bit over the top. We used to take him to puppy classes with a specialist behaviourist and she said he only needs a couple of walks a day and that the mind games and things we do are just as important as walks.

Thank you for all those who have offered practical advice. I think we will book a visit to the vet first to check that there is nothing physically wrong. Then we will look at what we can do if it just a habit he has got into.

OP posts:

pigsDOfly · 04/12/2021 17:56

Of course a dog needs walks. Don't be so ridiculous

You have a very rude manner Terminallysleepdeprived.

I didn't say anything about dog's not needing walks, of course dog's need walks.

I suggest you work on your reading skills if what you took from my post was that I was saying dogs don't need walks. And you might want to work on your rude manner as well.

I said they don't need to be walked four times a day, which they don't, unless they are particularly large or high energy, and they don't need to be walked in order to wee if they have access to a toileting area: i.e. a garden.

My dog will be 11 years old in a few months, there is no way she needs 4 walks a day. She's more than happy and healthy with 2.

She does however, have a garden to which she has free access whenever she has the need to wee or poo when we're not on a walks.

I don't think the OP is saying she's leaving her dog for hours and hours without access to a garden in which to wee.

Original poster

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 17:56

@Terminallysleepdeprived and if you read my posts carefully I don't expect him to last from 6pm until lunch the next day. He is let out throughout the evening and always before bed at 10pm. He is then let out first thing in the morning.

OP posts:

Original poster

WhatHaveIDone21 · 04/12/2021 18:00

@icedcoffees thanks for that. I will give it a try.

OP posts:

A2304 · 04/12/2021 18:00

My two pugs are like this, they need to go out through the night and one of them is 6! Luckily my dp goes to work at 4am so he is able to let them out at that time. Some nights they don't want to go out or one does and the other doesn't. Every day is different i don't think it's medical problems, if we drink more in the day we need to go to the toilet more and it's just the same for dogs

Thatldo · 04/12/2021 18:12

[quote Snoken]@Thatldo

I think the best idea is to take the dog around the block at bedtime and make sure he does his business. Also, some dogs are anxious sleeping on their own downstairs so it could also be that he isn’t sleeping well and that would cause him to need to go during the night.[/quote]
The dog is not a puppy anymore.the dog will know,he has done wrong,because as I said,a healthy dog does not soil "its own territory".most dogs have pooh/sick accidents in the house during their lifetime,because they are poorly.Have you ever seen a dog happily greeting you in the morning with a big pile of pooh in the living room in the morning.so,if OP makes disapproving noises,her boy will know exactly what it is about.of course,there are also not so bright 4leggers about,but it doesnt sound OP's boy is of that sort.

crimsonlake · 04/12/2021 18:16

I am sure it has already been said but when you send him out for a wee last thing at night you need to watch him and make sure he goes. Stand outside with him until he does.

Flip

1 2