11 week old puppy . Any advice on nighttime ?

[Maisy37]

Hi I possibly need a reassurance that this will get easier , I’m so tired and feeling a bit flat . Ted is our second dog , he’s a lovely golden retriever who is a sweet natured, playful and inquisitive boy who loves our older 7 year old golden ( that was my biggest worry as she’s such a star I worried about upsetting her however she’s really taken to him but tells him off when he needs )
I’ve maybe selectively blocked the memory of nights… we crates him at night at first but he hated the crate despite us trying to make it a positive place and sleeping beside him so whether right or wrong I cracked one night and left door open and he curled up in a ball near my other dog ( with a pen partition so my older dog has her space ) and went straight to sleep
So now I have a situation where he is much more relaxed and not crying at night which is great but he is peeing on the floor , I go down at night when I hear him and let him out to pee and poo but I can’t seem to get timings right ,the last 2 nights I have heard him cry out at 1230 ish and again at 4 and 6 so I rush down like a mad person but he’s always standing at the door having peed already, he then goes straight out at 6 and does a poo which is great. He pees in the same place by the door which I’m also taking as a positive so my plan tonight is to set alarm for 20 mins earlier each visit and hope to pre empt it. Is it worth partitioning off the place he pees or will this cause him stress? I know at this age his wee bladder can’t hold it all night .
Any advice welcome

We took on an unwanted 11 week old lab a couple of years ago.

We have older rescue dogs but they all came to us a bit older so I'd forgotten the challenges of the puppy stage!

For the first couple of weeks DH and I took turns to sleep downstairs with him. Puppy would be in a dog bed right next to me (we don't use crates) - or more usually snuggled up against me. The second I heard or felt him move I'd jump up and rush him out into the back garden, wait with him until he'd done his business then give him a treat and make a fuss. We also kept a close eye on him through the day to watch for signs and rush him out then too.

It was pretty exhausting and I appreciate not something everyone could or would do. But it was worth the effort as it got toilet training over very quickly (bar the odd accident!)

He's gorgeous by the way! They both are!

To be honest I wouldn’t worry too much about a night time wee or two or a poo Just clean it up without a fuss. They start to hold it in overnight remarkably quickly. And concentrate on daytime housetraining. Last chance at night and then out early in the morning. If the puppy is not crying and happy to sleep downstairs that’s all really good.

Thanks for that both of you , having a cup of strong coffee and he’s cuddled up to me so I feel better , it’s a tough few weeks but I know it’ll be worth it… plus it’s the holidays so I can nap this afternoon!

Gorgeous! The fact that he rushes to the door means he's starting to get it - bless him, he's still only tiny! Can you put puppy pads by the door for now?

We set an alarm throughout the night, from memory it started every 2.5 hours, gradually shifted it until we dropped down to one alarm. Then eventually jus to before she was 12 weeks old I rolled over and went back to sleep. She was dry that night and ever since. I did spend the first month having to really leg it downstairs in the mornings as she woke up fairly desperate (regardless of alarm time it seemed) - now at 15 months she's usually refusing to get out of bed for her first wee 😂

Completely off thread but can you tell me what type of floor that is? It is exactly what I’m looking for..

I can’t help on the dog front as mine came at 11 weeks and the worst was over. But gosh they are beautiful together!

@NewHouseNewMe

Completely off thread but can you tell me what type of floor that is? It is exactly what I’m looking for..

I can’t help on the dog front as mine came at 11 weeks and the worst was over. But gosh they are beautiful together!

Thanks ! It’s laminate parquet and it’s been great with having hairy dogs ! I can’t remember the exact brand but could have a look and see if I can find out

Thanks yes I’m going to set my alarm for a bit earlier and see how tonight goes , he’s moving in right direction wee lad so I’ll not get too despondent! Thank you all

Not an expert - but we got our puppy at 2 months of age
And she was overnight dry within 3 nights as were all her siblings and friends

We all used crates though - she loves her crate and won’t pee in it

As soon as she wakes in the morning we take her out and we give her lots of chances during the day to pee regularly

Thank you @Maisy37 - it is beautiful especially with the fabulously contrasting ratten chair. 👍

We all used crates though - she loves her crate and won’t pee in it

Dogs don't like to wee where they sleep. If they're confined that makes them hold it in - which, whilst effective, is not necessarily comfortable or pleasant for the dog.

They don’t like to wee where they sleep
Neither do we

We all learn to do things that aren’t always easy

They don’t like to wee where they sleep
Neither do we

And presumably you aren't faced nightly with the choice of soiling your bed or being uncomfortable until someone lets you out of your bedroom?

My dog hated the crate. I gave up and he was so much happier.

They just can’t hold it at that age. You either accept there will be accidents or you set an alarm and get up every few hours. They do eventually learn to hold it for longer and longer. Whatever option you choose, they will naturally develop the ability to be clean and dry at night.
I was against puppy pads but actually I use at night for young pups. I’ve had dogs who do like the crate and those who don’t. Eventually, they learn bladder and bowel control. I promise, don’t panic, he’s only little. And very cute! :)