poodle proud Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hi all, Our household goes to bed fairly early (9pm) and our pup is taken out before bed. She tends to wake at around 4am. I take her out to the toilet and she usually goes straight away. I then bring her back inside where she may sleep for another couple of hours. My thought was that because she has slept between those hours it is not unreasonable for her to wake at 4am to go to the toilet. Is that right or should I be making her wait longer as she is older now? Thanks for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsdog2 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hi all,Our household goes to bed fairly early (9pm) and our pup is taken out before bed. She tends to wake at around 4am. I take her out to the toilet and she usually goes straight away. I then bring her back inside where she may sleep for another couple of hours. My thought was that because she has slept between those hours it is not unreasonable for her to wake at 4am to go to the toilet. Is that right or should I be making her wait longer as she is older now? Thanks for the advice. My pup (GSD female) is just on five months and apart from the first couple of nights when we brought her home (8wks) she has always slept through. I crate her at 6.30 (I have to due to cane toads) and let her toilet around 9.00 then back to her crate until 6.00 am- or 8.00 am on weekends. Your pup should be able to last through the night at her age . Do you use a crate? I really feel that the use of the crate is what made the night-time toileting so successful with my pup. By the way there is always water available in her crate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pesh Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Each dog is different, like kids...............some don't need to toilet during the night, but others do. A dogs bladder isn't fully developed until it's 6 months. So if a toilet break is needed that's fine, but if it continues when older take away water so it's not filling its self up with it and then needing to toilet during the night. They learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I think it's important to consider not only whether your dog can hold on, but also whether it should have to hold on. My dogs are crated at about 11pm and let out no later than 7am, that's 8 hours and the maximum length of time I would confine a dog to a crate and then only overnight. I don't know if it's harmful to a dog's health to be forced to consistently hold on to a full bladder, but I'm sure it isn't good for them and it must be very uncomfortable. Personally I consider leaving a dog in a crate from 6.30pm to 8am the following morning with just one toilet break excessive, if your dog is having to hold on from 9pm until 8am that's 11 hours, far too long to keep a dog locked in a crate IMO. If you want to stay in bed longer at weekends surely it would be a better idea to get up early and let the dog out and then go back to bed rather than leaving the dog confined for such a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bindii Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hugo *still* wakes us up at 5am... it became a really bad habit when we'd feed him at that time occasionally when my OH had to start work early. So now he's still waking us up to go to the toilet with the hope that he'll get fed too. Of course when he wakes up, he wakes Fletcher up and Fletcher, being only 14 weeks, *desperately* realises he needs to go to the toilet. Really bad cycle! But if i got straight back to bed after, it's so blurry, it's like it never really happened at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 If I am away from home and there isnt' a dog door, my oldest dog wakes me in the middle of every night for a trip outside. I don't think he'd make it through without one and I don't intend to find out. The young and the old .. they need more from us. I agree that 11 hours is too long for any dog to spend without access to the toilet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsdog2 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) I think it's important to consider not only whether your dog can hold on, but also whether it should have to hold on. My dogs are crated at about 11pm and let out no later than 7am, that's 8 hours and the maximum length of time I would confine a dog to a crate and then only overnight. I don't know if it's harmful to a dog's health to be forced to consistently hold on to a full bladder, but I'm sure it isn't good for them and it must be very uncomfortable. Personally I consider leaving a dog in a crate from 6.30pm to 8am the following morning with just one toilet break excessive, if your dog is having to hold on from 9pm until 8am that's 11 hours, far too long to keep a dog locked in a crate IMO. If you want to stay in bed longer at weekends surely it would be a better idea to get up early and let the dog out and then go back to bed rather than leaving the dog confined for such a long time. So, as I go to bed at 9.00 to 9.30 you're suggesting I set the alarm for 5.oo am? I can't imagine there are too many dog owners who do that by choice. Take a look at some of the other threads, there are plenty of DOLers looking for advice on how to change their dogs toilet habits - not only poodle proud. If I had the choice I would not crate her at 6.00 however that's when the toads come out, and she has a huge interest in them, so I find this is the safest option . Edited May 5, 2009 by gsdog2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all that glitters Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 gsdog - Wow toads! Isn't it weird how a few states down,we don't even think about toads or have that issue Do the toads get in the house too, or is it cos your pup is outside? *googles toads* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 So, as I go to bed at 9.00 to 9.30 you're suggesting I set the alarm for 5.oo am? I can't imagine there are too many dog owners who do that by choice. Take a look at some of the other threads, there are plenty of DOLers looking for advice on how to change their dogs toilet habits - not only poodle proud. If I had the choice I would not crate her at 6.00 however that's when the toads come out, and she has a huge interest in them, so I find this is the safest option . All I am saying is that confining a dog to a crate from 6pm until 6am (8am on weekends) is a very long time. You say she gets one toilet break at 9pm so this means that at weekends she is spending 11 hours locked in a crate. Why do you have to crate her at 6pm anyway, do you have toads inside the house as well as outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsdog2 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 gsdog - Wow toads! Isn't it weird how a few states down,we don't even think about toads or have that issue Do the toads get in the house too, or is it cos your pup is outside? *googles toads* Never seen a toad in the house yet Shellectra. However we have extremely shiny tiles that are not safe for three large dogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 gsdog - Wow toads! Isn't it weird how a few states down,we don't even think about toads or have that issue Do the toads get in the house too, or is it cos your pup is outside? *googles toads* Never seen a toad in the house yet Shellectra. However we have extremely shiny tiles that are not safe for three large dogs! Well I'm not going to pursue the point because they're your dogs not mine and how you choose to manage them is your concern. However for the benefit of newbies reading this thread I'd like to make it known that I consider keeping a dog crated for extended periods of time wrong and definitely not in the best interests of the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) My Staffy can not hold on, she is prone to getting UTIs so i dont like having her to hold on. She goes out before i goto bed (whatever time that is, if she is in bed at 9 and i dont go in till 11, i wake her up and take her out) and she wakes up at 6am (yes, every morning) with me, i take her out before i do anything else. My Bull Terrier, tonight he has put himself to bed about 1 hour ago (bit after 5pm) and he now wont move till i kick him out at about 6:30 tomorrow morning!! They both goto bed in their crates, but the doors are open and it is their choice if they want to sleep in there, or on the lounge or elsewhere (anywhere but my bed) If i didnt get up at 6 each morning, then i would prob try to make her wait a bit longer, but seeing i wake up the same time, i dont see the point. If its my day off i will usually have a nanna nap to make up for not sleeping in ETA If i didnt have to work tomorrow, Atlas (bull terrier) would stay in bed till about 10am... so 5pm till 10am in bed alseep.... what a life!!! Edited May 5, 2009 by Teebs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all that glitters Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Yep we are all different in how we manage our dogs, but if it works, it works. Keep them inside, keep them outside, feed them this, walk them for this long, crate for this amount of time, leave alone for this long.. I guess thats what makes the forum so diverse with so many opinions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) Yep we are all different in how we manage our dogs, but if it works, it works. And sometimes as a new dog owner you don't know it doesn't work until its too late. That's why people give warnings against: * unbalanced or cheap diets * over exercising puppies * keeping puppies on slippery floors * not socialising or training * excessive rough play or encouraging mouthing * taking puppies to the offlead park Sometimes the voice of experience seems critical but look for the warnings of what not to do. they have often been learned the hard way. Edited May 5, 2009 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinPin Owner Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 My Min Pin puppy is 4.5 months old and we put her outside to go to the toilet before we go to bed, usually about 10:00 to 11:00, but she usually wakes up at between 4 and 6 in the morning and will whine to go outside. Every time she whines I get up and let her out and she needs to go straight away, so I don't mind getting up when she is doing the right thing and telling us she needs to go outside. Sometimes she will stay asleep though and not whine and it doesn't seem to bother her until we get up (about 7:00 or later on weekends). Sometimes after she has gone to the toilet in the morning she is allowed in our bed for a cuddle, which I was worried would make her wake up earlier and earlier so she could get in our bed, but that hasn't happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodle proud Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hi all, Thanks again for your input. I appreciate all the advice and experiences of all here. Ideally I would like to be able to sleep in but I wouldnt want my pup to hold on longer than she could. I had a feeling it was fair for her to need to go at 5am after having been asleep since 9 but just wanted to check. I'm a shift worker and cant afford to go to bed later so I'll just keep taking her out when I hear her stir and see her standing on top of her crate in her pen. I just wish she'd learn to then sleep past six and not go all mountain goat on me and climb out of her pen and onto my face! I really should put a lid on that pen one of these days Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsdog2 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Yep we are all different in how we manage our dogs, but if it works, it works. Keep them inside, keep them outside, feed them this, walk them for this long, crate for this amount of time, leave alone for this long.. I guess thats what makes the forum so diverse with so many opinions I agree. And as I said before I do let mine out at 6.00am every week day morning, so it's not 8.00am every day. And as the weather gets colder and the toads disappear for the winter she will have free access to the back yard again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 My Min Pin puppy is 4.5 months old and we put her outside to go to the toilet before we go to bed, usually about 10:00 to 11:00, but she usually wakes up at between 4 and 6 in the morning and will whine to go outside. Every time she whines I get up and let her out and she needs to go straight away, so I don't mind getting up when she is doing the right thing and telling us she needs to go outside. Sometimes she will stay asleep though and not whine and it doesn't seem to bother her until we get up (about 7:00 or later on weekends). Sometimes after she has gone to the toilet in the morning she is allowed in our bed for a cuddle, which I was worried would make her wake up earlier and earlier so she could get in our bed, but that hasn't happened. That's my sort of experience with my BC boy. He's 7 months now - can usually sleep through from about 10.30 till 7.00 - sometimes a bit later, sometimes a bit earlier - but occasionally - like last night - he jsut needs to go in the middle of the night. (The dogs get taken out on lead at night - too many critters around otherwise.) Last night it was for a wee about 3.00 am, then about 20 minutes later, for a poo. That had a fiar bit to do with the fact that he'd helped himself to a couple of apples from the tree yesterday evening. For the OP - a rule of thumb that I've seen is that it's reasonable to expect a healthy pup to hold on for 1 hour more than its age - so for a 5 month old - 6 hours overnight is not unreasonable in normal circumstances (which obviously don't include eating more than 1 apple . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodle proud Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Thanks Tassie, thats handy to know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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