Dog going to toilet inside during the night

jack presley

Here's my problem:

We have a dog who was a couple of years old when we got him. Before we got him, he was brought up on a farm so slept outside in kennels so he was never house trained.

Now we have him and he stays in the kitchen at night with our two other dogs but almost every morning we come down and he has weed on the floor. He's brought outside plenty of times including just before he's put to bed so I don't know why he can't hold it. We're only in bed for about 6-7 hours so it's not that long really.

We've tried putting him into a little pen but he still goes to the toilet (even wetting his own bed). During the day when there are people around he never does it though and on the very rare occasion that we let him up to the bedroom for the night, he can go through the night without going so I think it's some sort of mental thing. When he wees it's not gallons, it's only little pools so i don't think it's a medical issue.

The 2 other dogs (including his twin sister who we got from birth) are in the kitchen with him so it's not like he lonely. I think it must be some sort of territory thing but he gets on well with the other dogs (and the cat!) so I don't know what he's up to.

Anyone any ideas? How can be teach an old dog new tricks?

kylith

If he's lived out until recently it probably just doesn't enter his head not to pee inside. One of mine is the same: 98% without accident but if the door is closed when she needs to go she just goes wherever.

Maybe getting up midway through the night and letting him out would help.

ppink

How small a pen did you put him in?

we adopted a 2 year old not toilet trained and put him in a crate at night for the first 2 weeks. Just big enough for him to lie down in and turn around but not big enough that he could pee in it without lying in it.
we did the same with him as we did with our pup training her and heaped on the praise when she went outside but said nothing if it happened inside. it just took a few days for the new guy to click that outside was the place to go......the place that got him brownie points:)
after 2 weeks the crate was put back in the attic, not needed now:D

jack presley

ppink wrote: »

How small a pen did you put him in?

we adopted a 2 year old not toilet trained and put him in a crate at night for the first 2 weeks. Just big enough for him to lie down in and turn around but not big enough that he could pee in it without lying in it.
we did the same with him as we did with our pup training her and heaped on the praise when she went outside but said nothing if it happened inside. it just took a few days for the new guy to click that outside was the place to go......the place that got him brownie points:)
after 2 weeks the crate was put back in the attic, not needed now:D

The pen was a typical kids play-pen and Jack's only a small dog so he could move around a bit but not too much. But when he was in it he was going to the toilet on his bed even though there was a bit a room to the side!

We tried the praise thing when he goes outside, especially just before bed-time but as we're not in the kitchen with him throughout the night so even if was able to let us know when he wants to go out, we wouldn't know.

During the day, he just follows the lead of the other dogs and goes out when one of them looks to get outside. he never initiates it but he can go hours without a wee if we're with him. He only seems to go when we're not there. Is he protesting about us 'abandoning' him?

andreac

I would go right back to basics with toilet training, by bringing the dog out to the toilet every hour or so, praising and treating so he knows that outside is where hes to go.

Then at night put him in a crate thats only small enough for him to be able to turn around in, so not lots of extra room.

Start by gradually building up the time hes in the crate at night, so if you put him in at 11, maybe get up at 2am and let him out and straight back into it. Then get up again around 5/6am and let him out.

Hopefully he will gradually realise that he goes outside and will not wee in his bed and hold onto it and go outside.

Make sure you have a really tasty treat for when he goes outside.

He has just learned to go inside and in his bed so you have to try and break the habit but it will take time and patience, but start by building up the time in the crate slowly.

The Sweeper

Restrict the size of the area he sleeps in, take up his water two hours before he goes to bed, take him outside three times in those two hours and let him out first thing in the morning when you get up (and give him back his water first thing in the morning of course). Don't leave food out overnight either if you free-feed your dogs.

The best success I had with toilet training was last meal four hours before bed, and last drinks two hours before bed. Then I feed and water my guy first thing when I get up - it's about 12-14 hours between meals overnight, and 10 hours with no water. It may sound like an age, but I have yet to see him gulping thirstily first thing in the morning - he spends most of that time asleep. I check my dog for hydration by gently pinching his skin - he had a lot of problems when he came to me first and I need to be sure he's always hydrated and so on, but I feed a raw diet (used to feed kibble) and his water intake is less but his hydration appears better.

miss_daisy

OP, Im having the same problem! I have a little whippet that I got at 2 years. She was living in a shed prior to me getting her. She dirties in the kitchen some nights, even though she can go for hours when shes with us in the sitting room. I do let her out regularly and always last thing before she is put to bed - but the thing with my lady is, she gets so cosy on the couch inside, I have to physically lift her outside and put her on the grass. She doesnt want to go out at all and a lot of the time wont wee when I bring her out! I have another dog too and shes trained, she wee's in front of the whippet and this still doesnt inspire her! That said, sometimes she does her business and still dirties the kitchen at night anyway!

Have you had any success yet?

crotalus667

OP take him for a quick walk up the road if there are other dogs that frequent the road he should start marking every where they peed , if he is anything like my do theis will empty his tank quickly;)