We have created a problem-help!

[Evie91]

Hi all,
New to the forum hoping for some advice please.
Our dog sleeps in our bedroom ( in his own bed in the corner). I know having a dog in the bedroom is controversial but we have a small house (2 up,2 down) and until recently this has worked well for us.

However, recently dog has frequently started waking us in the early hours to go to the toilet! He has always occasionally done this, which I've never minded as would rather let him out than have an accident. Recently he has taken to doing this about three or four times a week! He comes to the side of the bed, dances from one foot to the other, whines, yawns, flaps his ears and stares- he will continue this until he's let out. He does go straight to the loo and comes back in but it's getting annoying. Sometimes he stops for a sniff and drink but I always hurry him along.
His usual routine is that he is taken for last toilet break between 10.30, sometimes as late as 12 on weekends. He has a command to go to the toilet, which works.
However, since weather gets bad or if he is already settled he is reluctant to go out. To the point he refuses to move, we've tried encouraging him, being firm but he just looks sorry for him self, rolls on his back and refuses. OH has taken to picking him up and carrying him out ( the dog is a collie!!!). He will go for a quick wee but often runs straight back in. Usually when he wakes us to go out there is a break in the weather ( he doesn't like the rain), but this is getting ridiculous, can't go through winter like this!
Sorry for long post, any advice will be appreciated! I realise we have created the problem, so please go easy. He is our first dog( we've had him nearly three yrs), he's from a rescue and was just over one when we got him ( he'd been in five homes, two rescues and a foster).
If all goes well here I may well ask for help on another query!

 

[clydesdale]

put a dog flap in so he can go when he wants our dog sleeps in the bed with us and she never disturbs us sleeping she can just get up and go out when she wants

 

[Honey08]

Yes we put a dog flap in the backdoor for our last old dog, who had to go to the loo a lot in the night. It worked great, but make sure your garden is secure. Another suggestion would be to put a coat on the dog when you take it out, so its not getting wet and feeling cold - may help it go out more.

 

[AmyMay]

How old is the dog? And rather than letting him for a late night wee, can you take him for short walk instead?

 

[Evie91]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Dog flap is not an option. Our garden runs into five acres ( mainly woodland) and backs on to woods. It's not enclosed. Dog will also only go out if one of us goes with him - he will wait for us near the door.

Dog is three and a half ( or there abouts). Maybe a short walk maybe in order! It's not that he won't go, he will just be quick if its raining. Then wakes us up later, when the weather is better!

Coat is a good suggestion

Thank you all for your replies

 

[AmyMay]

Any chance of a urinary infection?

 

[Evie91]

No wouldn't have thought so- when the weathers bad he chooses not to go outside for hours!
When I'm at home in the daytime, he never asks to go out.( he has three walks a day).
After his walk in the evening he rarely asks to go out before he's taken for his last toilet break.

He doesn't drink excessively, neither does he appear to wee excessively.
Thanks for the suggestion

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Big praise and a treat when he does go out, try for later than usual last wee and stay with him til he's done it? Mine did this once or twice and now get ignored and manage to hold it .

Can you do that?
Tell him to go back on his bed if he doesn't really need it?

 

[Evie91]

He does get praise when he goes. We always wait with him. He always does a quick wee but I think he chooses not to hang about when it's raining!
Think I may have to bite the bullet a couple of nights and send him back to his bed.
I know we've created this, as when he asks to go I always think I'd rather spend a few minutes outside than be clearing up poop in the early hours! He has never messed in the house. The trouble is when we get up he does always go for a wee and poop!Think I shall try this suggestion, send him back to bed and see what happens!
Wish me luck!!!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Check out a UTI at the vets, some dogs can be very stoic (my dog had a UTI which turned very aggressive because it had been going on for months and we hadn't noticed), also try limiting his access to water in the evenings.

 

[Nettle123]

It may be the need to poop that is causing the need to go out, could you change his feeding times perhaps?

 

[Venevidivici]

Maybe it's the poop he really can't hold in? Could he have his dinner earlier,or much later?

 

[Venevidivici]

Cross posted!

 

[Evie91]

Good thought about earlier dinner. However, bit stuck on this score. He has his last walk at half past five for an hour. We then wait an hour ( as advised we should do this before feeding - an hour before or after exercise), so he generally gets fed about half past seven.
Suppose we could feed him first then walk. The only trouble is he prefers to go out and will often leave food if prospect of doing something more exciting then come back to it later!
He is due his annual jabs soon, so will get him checked out for uti then.

 

[CL66]

Do you physically go out with him? It sounds ridiculous but if it's raining our pathetic pointer refuses to go out and actually do his business unless accompanied, so my oh stands in the rain with a brolly! Maybe he's actually super intelligent and want us to get wet if he has to!!

 

[Evie91]

Yes we have to go out with him or he just stands right outside the door staring at us until we do - he has us well trained !

 

[CAYLA]

Sounds like he has got YOU in a routine, a client was just telling me this about her (collie) the other day, she said did "he get you up at 3,30am and 5.30am like he does me"........I said "did he heck" he went out at 9-9.30am when I got up and he never once tried to wake me and if he did I never heard or responded and he never messed
I would as suggested take a urine sample (1st of the day passing) and pop into vets with the sample and def rule out UTI and then I would undo the routine Im affraid and he would get a " bed" if he appeared at my bed at those times, a one off every now and then is ok but getting near enough every night is not good. Darken the room as much as possible and let him out as late as possible and move his feed to breakfast only in order to empty his system for bedtime.
You could also try a soft fabric crate for the corner of the room and cover it over (it may help him settle more and sleep through)

 

[Taffyhorse]

Ours, who is also a collie, will sometimes to this. I can normally tell if he really wants to go out or he's just messing - or making a dawn raid on the bed. But, I do sometimes send him back to his bed if I'm not sure. If he really wants to go out, he'll come back and ask again.

Not ruling out a UTI or anything like that and it might be worth getting him checked out but this is what we do for ours.

 

[Evie91]

Thank you very much for all of the responses- some fantastic advice and will definitely be trying out various bits and pieces and see how we get on.

I'm well aware he has got us well trained - just need some help on redressing the balance!

Some of the ideas are so simple but I'd not even considered them (e.g ignoring him,sending him back to bed and only responded when he comes back a second time), amazing what a fresh pair of eyes/more experience can offer.

Hopefully I will have a better nights sleep tonight!!!!

Do you need an appointment to drop in a sample at the vets or do you just take it in and ask for it to be tested- can always ring vets tomorrow if not sure.

Thank you very much, much appreciated!
I've been so grateful to all of you who have responded to this thread, I think I'm going to start another ( on a different subject!)!!

 

[CAYLA]

You should be able to pop it in (our practice accepts over the counter urine samples) lol, if they are worried after the test they will ask you to make an appointment. You may be charged a small fee (depends on vet), they may do a dip there and then and give you a result.

 

[Evie91]

Great, thank you

 

[Burmilla]

Well, OP, it could be worse! My beloved old GSD, who became a bit confused in her dotage, used to wake up two or three times a night and insist that she needed to go out for a wee NOW. So, as am on a barge on tidal river, get out of warm bunk, put on extra clothes plus boots, hat, coat, help 45kg dog up companion way, onto pontoon and then hike up the pontoon (swaying and leaping and clanking if tide in and wind blowing) to the boatyard and drift around with dog, whilst she decided if she really wanted a wee or wanted to follow fox scent trails or . . ? Then back to barge, and bed, and wait for next outing. She was checked for UTI, had last walk at 11pm ish etc. Never mind, she was worth every sleepy, muttering plodding journey!
Now have a rescue longdog, who is quite happy to stay in bed as long as required, and longer if she's got the fat fluffy cat as a neck warmer in the bed too!

 

[Evie91]

Burmilla; it does seem like we have it easy compared to you!!! Thanks for the story, always helps to put things in perspective and from what you have said it could be much worse!! Ha ha.
Same here, we wouldn't change him for the world, despite his odd little quirks! Nobody is perfect!!

 

[RichmondPark]

Would you like going outside in the rain to go relieve yourself? It is perfectly normal behaviour to not want to go out when it is raining, neither of my dogs will go out. I open the door, they stick their head out and if it is raining then come back in, rarely are they desperate enough to go out.

If he isnt peeing more than normal it is unlikely that he has a UTI, but I am not a vet and as always best get it checked out just to be on the safe side.

If nothing is wrong then I suggest all you do is tell him to go back to bed and ignore him until a more reasonable time of the morning.

 

[Evie91]

I do empathise with him, shame he doesn't show me the same courtesy when waking me up at 2 am to go out!!