Testing at night time!

[janeg]

Please can any of you COLers help me with Connie my 16 week old Cocker. I have been having trouble with her soiling her cage and not going to the toilet when we go out for a walk.  After advice from many including Top marks she has clicked on to the idea of going outside and weeing as she now knows that I will giver her a treat.  I can tell when she needs a poo but I think that she is still mystified by the process and even though I have sat outside and walked around the garden with her for half an hour at a time she still doesn't go and then wakes the whole house up at 4 in the morning (not to mention the neighbours) because she has soiled her cage.  My OH is getting to the end of his tether as we have had disturbed nights for 7 weeks now and I have to admit I am really tired and about to go back to work next week hoping that she would be sorted by now.  OH in fury has said that she has got another month to at least improve or she will have to go.  I wouldn't let that happen and it is only because he is so tired but I can see where he is coming from and the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't seem to be shining. Advice please!

Jane

[bibathediva]

hi jane ,
i think perseverance is the name of the game ,
she is only a baby and is pyhsically (sp) not able to hold out all night ,honestly she is not doing it on purpose although it might feel like it,
the only advice i can offer is have you tried to give her a command to go on ,we used "be quick" and then praised and treated her when she did go ,it does take a while but it did work for us ,
I'm sure someone with more experience than me will be able to give you some advise

[Nicola]

If she's waking you at 4am because she's soiled in her crate then try setting your alarm for 3.30am and getting up to let her out before she has an accident. Don't make a fuss about it, just let her out, wait until she performs, praise her quietly and put her back to bed again. It's perfectly normal for a young puppy to not be able to hold their bladder and/or bowels all night. She's a baby and some pups take to toilet training much more quickly than others, I would advise your OH to be patient as in the 'worst case' scenario some can take up to 8 months or more to really 'get it' but they do eventually. It's not her fault and she's not doing it on purpose, it's really a matter of patience and perseverance.

[cazza]

I just typed out a reply but Nicola got there before me  basically the same answer 

[Cob-Web]

I agree - at 16 weeks, it is unrealistic to expect her to last all night, every night - especially as she is crated 

All dogs are different, some will be clean at night within a few weeks, others (like Bonnee  ), will ask to go out at night until they are a year or more 

[pupps]

She obviously dosn,t like the mess in her crate as she wakes you up, which is a good thing I agree waking up before her and putting her out till she does her thing is the best thing. She is still a baby and sometimes these things take time, all pupps are different it will get better, a few months of hard work will give you and your OH years of pleasure. My lab at 4 years a rescue old took several months to house train and hasn,t made any mistakes since once they learn they never forget he is now 7 years old alledgedly (he thinks he,s a pup) good luck I,m sure it will work out.
                                          Cas
                                                     

[Michele]

Just so you know you're not alone, I'm very often up at 4 in the morning taking Florence out too.
She doesn't soil the pen but at 17 1/2 weeks, like your baby her little bladder (& sometimes bowel) can't last the night and so she needs to go out. They'll get there eventually, but it does take time.

[janeg]

Thanks guys, you all make perfect sense and I have got the OH to read the replies.  Not quite sure what he thought of the up to 8 months or longer one but Connie is currently having a little love with him and the puppy eyes are working for now.  I don't have a problem with getting up for her and sometimes she wakes me to be let out but then doesn't do anything.  i know patience is the game and I will persevere.  Any advice on getting her to do her business when out walking?  I've tried taking the treats with me but she is just so fascinated with the "outside world"!

[Tasha]

one thing you could try is standing still instead of giving her a walk when you take her out to the toilet.  If I walk around with Ayla she doesn't pee she goes hunting and will pee on the run only needing to go again when we get in.  If I take her to where I want her to pee and then stand still she runs round in circles a couple of times has a good sniff and then does her business.

We use a key word for going to the toilet (in our case 'Be Quick') that you basically say each time they pee and then reward till they associate going to the toilet with the word, makes it alot easier if you can pop them out, say the key word a few times,  they soon get the idea you want them to pee (good for shows too) and then you can come back in without too much fuss.

[janeg]

I do use a key word when we go out (wee-wee) original eh? and on the occasions when she does go out for a poo she is rewarded and praised just the same but just hasn't registered yet.  To be fair she looks at her backside as if an alien is going to come out of it!  I will try the standing still thing when we go out for a walk, the only thing is that at night I have to keep her on a lead but I will give it a go.  Thank you

[Michele]

Are you using a second key word for when she poo's?

I ask mine to do 'wee wee's' for a wee obviously  and 'be quick' for a poo.

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Hi Jane,

To give you another alternative:

I made a decision not to lock Dave in his crate - as when I did this, he very quickly associated crying for the loo and indeed going to the loo with getting attention at night and became a nightmare. I do confine him to the kitchen and put paper down by the back door. If he needs to go in the night he uses the paper and has not made any noise at night since he was about 9.5 weeks old now (he's 14 weeks now). Then about 2 weeks ago there was no mess in the kitchen and bar one night since, he's been clean and dry through the night. I think I've been very lucky, but I do wonder sometimes if they get into the habit of going in the night when they know it gets them company (we had a similar experience with our last dog). For me the minimal clearing up in the morning was easily worth it for getting some decent sleep - particularly when you're working. I also think it helped both my dogs accept night time for what we all want it to be... quiet and for sleep!! I'm also trying to feed him more in the morning at lunch time and slightly less in the evening but he obviously has access to water at all times. Oh and going on the newspaper at night hasn't caused him any problems or confusion during the day.. he takes himself outside to go and has been on the whole very good. Although as I have a 4 yr old he is generally confined to only two rooms downstairs so that I can supervise play at all times so as he doesn't have the run of the house and that might be why he's been good with toilet training during the day.. not sure.

Good luck hope it gets better soon!
Hannah x

[bibathediva]

.  Any advice on getting her to do her business when out walking?  I've tried taking the treats with me but she is just so fascinated with the "outside world"!

i havnt any advice for this but biba also did this when she was first allowed out in the big world and i think she was so used to going in the garden that she didnt realise she could also do it in the big world ,she used to save it until we got home 
but she did eventually realise she was allowed to poo outside the garden,
but i think you have answered your own question,who wants to stop and poo when theres so much more interesting things to do,like eat any old c**p off the floor,wag your tail maddly at every one you see,chase anything that moves ,you get the picture 
and yes i am up a 4.06 in the morning cause my bl***y daughter hasnt rang or text me to let me know where she is,and now i cant sleep for worrying  ,its so much easier having dogs

[*sammy*]

just to add that sam is 25 weeks and only now has he clicked on outside is for toilet . we were taking him out every half hour, only leaving him for short times but he just was not getting it. it's been about two weeks now with only 1/2 accidents in the day, and about a month with no poos inside ,  but we usually wake up to a wee in the morning.
just keep taking her out regualry and she will get it

[Steelygirl]

Just a thought  but could she be wanting to poo at 4 in the morning to do with timing of her meals? I'm sure someone with more experience can advise on this, but I know one day when I changed the time of Freds meals he toileted in his crate one night which he's never done before?

Good luck and keep persevering x