Doggy bedtimes

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Patchworkpony

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House training is pretty full on right now but I was wondering what is the earliest you can put an adult dog to bed and not have a mess the next morning. I am looking forward to some early nights in the distant future! How long do your dogs go all night and stay clean?
 
I generally go to bed about 11.30 then up at 6.30, so 7 hours. They'd go longer, especially the old boy, but rarely have to. With puppies growing into adults, I'd aim for a max of 7 hours if they've been clean overnight for a while.
 
All of mine last 9 hours at night and have been know to go longer when I have failed to spring out of bed by 7 am. They are all over two years old though. They will wake me up when they need to go during the night occasionally as they get upset enough to bark, cry or growl to call their slave downstairs.
 
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I go to bed around 11.30/12 and my dog of 3years is asleep well before that and if I get up before 8 in the morning you should see the look he gives me hahaha. Your dog will get used to your sleeping pattern (depending on the breed) so sooner or later everything will fall into place nicely.
 
My 16 week pup lasts from 11pm until 6am
My older dogs can last as long as you like. The 5 yr old often doesn't bother with a last thing pee when I take the pup out which often means she lasts 12 hours. Once adult they do get used to your routine.
 
Chiffy said:
My 16 week pup lasts from 11pm until 6am
My older dogs can last as long as you like. The 5 yr old often doesn't bother with a last thing pee when I take the pup out which often means she lasts 12 hours. Once adult they do get used to your routine.
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Very encouraging - thank you. We both adore our puppy (working cocker) she is SO sweet natured and has not once cried at night or when she is shut up for a while BUT sleep deprivation as you get older is quite an ordeal. I didn't notice it last time we had a pup - but the years do take a toll. However I think once we are through this we will have a lovely, kind little dog to enjoy and follow lots of activities with.
 
She sounds lovely.
I am old but have always been a morning person, so don't mind early rising. Not quite so keen on going outside late. Looking forward to being able to let mine out and know she will just take herself off with the older girls and do her last thing pee!
 
Chiffy said:
She sounds lovely.
I am old but have always been a morning person, so don't mind early rising. Not quite so keen on going outside late. Looking forward to being able to let mine out and know she will just take herself off with the older girls and do her last thing pee!
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Our big plan was to pop Lark outside the back door while we made morning tea etc. and to sort out her own pee when we pushed her outside at night. This was working brilliantly as there was no standing around in the rain waiting for her to perform BUT then it all went wrong. She had a huge safe area to romp in and knock hell out of her toys until she discovered stones and gravel were much more fun. Once she swallowed a couple (they were in her poo) I realised she has to be supervised all the time. However last jab tomorrow so I can get her out and about a lot more - so I am hoping she will grow out of the stone phase. I sometimes think ponies are easier!
 
Ours have to be escorted around the lawn at bedtime, as they just stand in the porch and wait for the bedtime biscuit otherwise. As they don't poo in the garden we take them straight out for a walk first thing (adults, I know, so it is easier).
Pen had a stone eating stage but doesn't now, thank goodness, although she will bring a big one to me now and then. Trouble with retreving breeds, they need something in their mouths. :-)
 
Clodagh said:
Pen had a stone eating stage but doesn't now, thank goodness, although she will bring a big one to me now and then. Trouble with retreving breeds, they need something in their mouths. :-)
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What age did she stop? I never had this problem with any of my other dogs - it is rather worrying especially when I try to remove a stone from her mouth. If I'm not careful she will gulp it down.
 
Will she swap it for a treat? Teach her to retrieve and 'give' (I say 'Dead') and they get huge praise. Mine will be workers so everything - no matter how vile - has to be gently taken from them. Yesterday it was a pair of rotten muntjac lungs. Nom, nom.
 
Oh ppp and Clodagh, just the same here, Sonnet loves stones, she does give them to me in exchange for a treat. It is a start of retrieving I suppose. I am trying to phase out the treat now or I am worried she will think they are a good thing to retrieve!
Yes, I also have to happily take all sorts of things from mine. It's easier in the winter wearing gloves. One of mine brought me a half dead crow this morning, I had to watch out for the beak as I took it and said Good Girl!!
 
I think Lark is so clever she would keep grabbing stones to get a treat. She is learning 'leave' but special treasures are different kettle of fish. I will just have to keep her away from any stones until she grows up a bit.
 
Our 19 week old goes from 10pm to 6.30am with no problems - he will go longer but generally I don't risk it! If we want a lie in I go down and take him out for a wee, then put him back in his crate with a chew or stick him on the end of our bed and we all carry on snoozing.
 
Widgeon said:
Our 19 week old goes from 10pm to 6.30am with no problems - he will go longer but generally I don't risk it! If we want a lie in I go down and take him out for a wee, then put him back in his crate with a chew or stick him on the end of our bed and we all carry on snoozing.
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Wow that's good.
 
Patchworkpony said:
Wow that's good.
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Yep - when he was even smaller he would head straight for the back door when I let him out, but now he has better bladder capacity I let him out of his crate, open the back door, then run to head him off because instead of going out of the door he's trotting determinedly towards the lounge to continue his snoozies on the sofa....

Edited to say, between "let him out of his crate" and "we all carry on snoozing" we have to go through the ten minutes of his galloping up and down the bed slurping at our faces and wagging like mad with his little ears back in joy that we are STILL THERE even though NIGHT has happened. This phase currently includes his trying to chew our hands off before settling down...I did find a tooth on the carpet yesterday though so we're mostly forgiving him this a the moment. So it's not quite as blissful as I (inadvertently) made it sound!
 
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I don't use treats, BTW, I just thought it might make it easier. It is best not to use treats if you want a 'hold' in the future or they can spit it at you to get the treat quicker.
 
I used to think that Clodagh, about treats and 'hold' but I had one flatcoat that would not keep the dumbbell until the command to 'take' from the judge. This is in obedience not gundog work. She always retrieved, sat in the correct position and then dropped it on my feet!
My trainer told me to sit on a chair with her sitting up close to my knees. Give her the dumbbell to hold, then swap for a treat, gradually increasing the time held and eventually picking up from my lap and then the floor.
I was sceptical as she was pretty keen on treats, but it did work and she went on to do the whole exercise brilliantly with no treats as you are no allowed them in competition.
Therefore it doesn't bother me to swop unsuitable things with a pup for treats. They can be weaned off them.
I treated my pup for doing a wee on command at first but now she is happy with just praise.
 
Fair enough, I was speaking from hearsay there, that'll learn me!
Pen is not happy with gunfire, so we go out every day and OH fires a starting pistol and I give her a biscuit every time he fires it. Third day on we can sit next to him and just worry about biscuits, so I do think they have a place. :-) Older dogs are no use as supporting cast as they won't take a biscuit or treat if they think there might be a retrieve in the offing. Obsessives!
 
Haha, Clodagh, they are all so funny and individual. When I was giving Sonnet a treat after a pee, my older dogs just followed me about and asked if they got a treat too. They hadn't even done a pee!
In the end treats were dispensed with, more because of the older TRAINED dogs than the pup.
Well done with Pen and the gun, hope it all works out.
 
Sorry, sorry OP about going off topic, I am sure I am reknowned for it! We really hope the gunfire can be overcome as if not we will rehome her, although I have two people who want her if we do I would rather keep her, when she isn't being a PITA she is lovely! (As all pups).
She is young and we have loads of time, I am sure she will be fine she just isn't a natural like the older two.
 
Clodagh said:
Sorry, sorry OP about going off topic, I am sure I am reknowned for it! We really hope the gunfire can be overcome as if not we will rehome her, although I have two people who want her if we do I would rather keep her, when she isn't being a PITA she is lovely! (As all pups).
She is young and we have loads of time, I am sure she will be fine she just isn't a natural like the older two.
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Don't worry this is all interesting - anyway I think the original question has been pretty well answered so thanks everyone.
 
Mine can go up to 12 hours. I woke him very early the other day before a long journey and put him in the kennel to stretch his legs before I put him in the car and when I went to get him he'd fallen asleep again and jumped up with a start :p
 
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