Dog going to toilet inside

mrcol1000

Our dog does not seem to be able to go the night without going to toilet. She only wees a little bit but I am not sure what to do. Its nothing medical as the vet has checked over and said its behavioural.

We have to go to bed early as get up early. So her final walk of the day is 8.30-9pm. I then get up at 3am to let her out to compensate for this and go back to bed. But some time between these times maybe once a week goes to toilet. She is fine if she is caged but if she isn't then she'll go to toilet inside.

She has a walk before I go to work at 6.30am and then she'll have a walk at about lunchtime, 5pm and then 8.30pm ish before bed.

Any suggestions? My OH has suggested taking the water away before the final walk so she can't drink anything before bed but I am not so sure that would be okay. The other suggestion we have had is not walking her before bed but just letting her out so she doesn't need to have a drink before bed. Last night it happened and before bed she drunk half her bowl when we came back from a walk.

We don't tell her off and just clean the mess but we live in a rental flat and she lives in the kitchen were its all a horrible stained (from previous tenants) light coloured carpet. Also I am worried about it soaking through the carpet to the underlay and causing even more problems.

janninew

Hi

Just out of interest, how old is your dog?

If it was my dog, i would not allow her to drink so much before bed. Maybe walk her a little earlier, give her a drink, then just before bed time let her in the garden for a wee.

Its good that you've had her checked by the vets, because that would be my first suggestion. My dogs who are all over 1 year can usually last 8 hours without needing to wee, but i don't let them drink much before bedtime! When they were younger, they would probably only be able to last 5 hours without having a wee.

Its also interesting that she doesn't do it when caged, most dogs are naturally very clean and don't like to mess the area where they sleep. It sounds like it could be a bad habit that she has gotten in to! I would try stopping her drinking so much, if this doesn't work, maybe keep her in her cage. As long as she is not locked away for long periods of time and is getting lots of exercise, the chances are she will do is sleep in the cage.

Good luck!

viktory

Why not just keep her caged overnight? Problem solved.

Plus, you shouldn't have to be getting up to her at 3am to let her out. My dog's last wee is generally around 10pm and she is caged overnight from anything between 10-11pm until 5.30am (later at the weekends although she goes to bed later at the weekends). She is 6 months old.

mrcol1000

janninew wrote: »

Hi

Just out of interest, how old is your dog?

If it was my dog, i would not allow her to drink so much before bed. Maybe walk her a little earlier, give her a drink, then just before bed time let her in the garden for a wee.

Its good that you've had her checked by the vets, because that would be my first suggestion. My dogs who are all over 1 year can usually last 8 hours without needing to wee, but i don't let them drink much before bedtime! When they were younger, they would probably only be able to last 5 hours without having a wee.

Its also interesting that she doesn't do it when caged, most dogs are naturally very clean and don't like to mess the area where they sleep. It sounds like it could be a bad habit that she has gotten in to! I would try stopping her drinking so much, if this doesn't work, maybe keep her in her cage. As long as she is not locked away for long periods of time and is getting lots of exercise, the chances are she will do is sleep in the cage.

Good luck!

She is 3 years old. She is fine during the day its just at night. We have only recently stopped caging her as she had been caged since we got her a year ago and to be honest it laziness. We have 3 floors and to go all the way down in the morning to let her out is hard work. Its easier just to stand by the front door and call her.
Also it is a shame as she can be left on her own while we go out during the day or while my OH does split shifts but at night when we are upstairs she goes.
We are going to try a longer walk at tea time and just let her out before bed. But still should we leave her water bowl down at night? I did a google search for this and found Yahoo answers from people accusing those who withheld water at night of abuse!

janninew

mrcol1000 wrote: »

She is 3 years old. She is fine during the day its just at night. We have only recently stopped caging her as she had been caged since we got her a year ago and to be honest it laziness. We have 3 floors and to go all the way down in the morning to let her out is hard work. Its easier just to stand by the front door and call her.
Also it is a shame as she can be left on her own while we go out during the day or while my OH does split shifts but at night when we are upstairs she goes.
We are going to try a longer walk at tea time and just let her out before bed. But still should we leave her water bowl down at night? I did a google search for this and found Yahoo answers from people accusing those who withheld water at night of abuse!

I don't leave water down at night, unless its very hot! My dogs go to bed at around 11.00pm and get up at 7.00am, they get in their beds and sleep, they don't move until the alarm goes off!! I don't think its cruel to not put water down, unless the dog has a medical condition of course! I've got one boy who drinks loads of water, not for any reason, just likes drinking! If i left water down all night i'd be up constantly letting him out for wees!

I would try going for a longer walk at teatime and then put her out for 10 mins or so before bed.

Good luck!

supermezzo

Please don't leave her without any water but equally, don't fill her bowl with nice fresh cold water just before bed (our last one would drink all day if we did that).
I'd leave her crated for the next couple of weeks til she gets out of the habit, then try again.
Just one thought though - I'm a bit unsure about the logistics of this, but is it possible that she's not actually weeing during the night but is getting over-excited in the morning when you call her first thing?

supermezzo

Oh and you need to clean the carpet with a solution of biologic washing powder to get rid of the smell 'cos she'll keep going there if she can smell it.

mrcol1000

viktory wrote: »

Why not just keep her caged overnight? Problem solved.

Plus, you shouldn't have to be getting up to her at 3am to let her out. My dog's last wee is generally around 10pm and she is caged overnight from anything between 10-11pm until 5.30am (later at the weekends although she goes to bed later at the weekends). She is 6 months old.

Well her last wee is 8.30pm as she goes as soon as we start the walk. So getting up at 3am is the same as what you do! She could probably hold on till 6am and to be fair she is normally asleep but its better getting up at 3am than getting woken up to have to let her out.

mrcol1000

supermezzo wrote: »

Please don't leave her without any water but equally, don't fill her bowl with nice fresh cold water just before bed (our last one would drink all day if we did that).
I'd leave her crated for the next couple of weeks til she gets out of the habit, then try again.
Just one thought though - I'm a bit unsure about the logistics of this, but is it possible that she's not actually weeing during the night but is getting over-excited in the morning when you call her first thing?

To be honest we have been trying last couple months on and off not crating her at night. I don't always call her I do sometimes go down to see her to tell its toilet time. The wet patch is always cold so its happening before she goes out. Also its in a postion where she would have to go to it especially rather than it being on the route from her bed to the stairs.

Raksha

First of all clean that area thourghly with a bio washing powder solution, let it dry, then spray it with white or surgical spirit (test a small area first of course to make sure it doesn't damage/stain).

It sounds as if it may be anxiety linked. Could she sleep in a crate in your bedroom?

Catzndogz_2

Agree its anxiety linked. Either crate her in your room, or let her sleep on floor in a dog bed or on your bed!
Bet she doesn't do it then!