Night time toilet.

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goldenchestnut

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8 month collie is trained during the day, will sit by the back door and wait to go out to p and poo. Night time he just can't hold it and we come down to a flooded kitchen and a pile of poo. Surely this is not right at 8 months. Have 3 other dogs and have not had this problem with them. We have towels down as they are better than paper but i am at my wits end with him. He doesn't get told off for it but we praise him for the odd occasion that he manages to go through the night. What can i do?
 
When are you feeding him? If you feed first thing in the morning and then a small meal in the afternoon this might help him. I have always fed mine her main meal in the morning.
 
Presumably you are putting him out last thing, whether he's asking to go out or not?
At eight months I think he's doing amazingly well to 'ask' at any time.
Always put mine out first thing in morning, last thing at night, fed/walked regularly and he's eight! He doesn't often 'ask', but a regular routine avoids accidents. Don't think mine really knows what 'housetraining' is ;-)
 
As per the earlier poster we solved this by feeding in the morning, just a tiny taster at night. Worked instantly!
 
I would imagine that at eight months, as long as he's let out last thing and first thing, he probably can physically hold it. I would agree with the suggestion of crate training. When I first had my newbie (also about 8 months at the time) just like yours, she was clean during the day but not at night. First I crated her at night and got up to let her out around 3 am. Then I stopped letting her out in the night but got up about 6.30am. After a couple of weeks of this she now no longer needs to be crated at night as long as I let her out as soon as she wakes me up in the morning. I know it sounds obvious but I think instilling the routine and reinforcing the right place to go is the way forward. Good luck.
 
I am positive that it is not the other dogs and he's getting the blame. We have a good bedtime routine of going out and lots of exercise for them all. They get their main meal in the morning and a taster about 5 pm. Its not just the poo but the wee aswell. His night is from 11pm to 6am. not a long night i would have thought. Not sure about crating, not if there is another way.
 
Crating really is a Godsend, I do see some people think they are cruel but he may well just be insecure and worried, hence the problem. Sleeping in a snug comfy crate where he feels safe might make all the difference. Our pups go into their crates to sleep during the day, even with the door open, it is not a punishment.
 
Clodagh said:
Crating really is a Godsend, I do see some people think they are cruel but he may well just be insecure and worried, hence the problem. Sleeping in a snug comfy crate where he feels safe might make all the difference. Our pups go into their crates to sleep during the day, even with the door open, it is not a punishment.
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Totally agree with this. My pup only has positive associations with her crate and takes herself off to it during the day, especially if she has a new toy ;). It really helps reinforce the routine and you'll probably find it's only a temporary measure.
 
My five month old is completely toilet trained but we have a dog flap so they have 24 hour access to the garden. Unless we are going out then it's locked and they are in the horse but it's for no longer than two hours.
Would a dog flap help?
 
My two GSDs were each taught to ask to go out. First, taught to bark on command for a treat. Then, taught to bark before the back door was opened for them. They will soon bark when they need out. It's not difficult and collies are just as intelligent as GSDs. Another thing, while I agree about not punishing when you find they've done a mess, I do give a pup a row if I catch them in the act. The psychology of this is that we all seek safety and privacy when we go to the toilet -- so deprive them of that…and immediately turf them out! The first GSD learnt in 48 hours, the second (a dog) took a LOT longer. Both now spend part of their day in their outside kennels which are always spotless.
 
I was always anti crate until we had a pup and introduced correctly it really is as others have said a godsend, any of my fosters which are not house trained get the crate treatment and they are soon clean. It is a faff at first to introduce gradually but done properly it really solves the problem, Im afraid there are no short cuts.
 
A dogs digestion takes about 12 hours so if you are giving food at 5pm the chances are he wants a poo around 5am. Try feeding your evening meal later. I would think if he wakes wanting a poo then he will want a wee too.
 
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