Nighttime = Sleeptime, Not Pottytime

[Guest breakxdownn]

So, until just a few nights ago, Finley was an angel at night - he would sleep through the night without a problem (he sleeps on his bed in our room. He actually loved bedtime. However, the past couple of nights he's decided he wants to take a 1AM walk/potty break. We took him out a couple of times during the night, mainly because we were worried he would just go in the room. Well, last night we kept a bellyband on him, which he hasn't gone in yet. We took him out around 11PM right before we went to sleep, and then around 1AM or so we wake up to him peeing in our room. He paced a little bit before that like he has the past couple of nights when we took him out. It was only 2 hours from the last time he went, so it wasn't because he had to go and couldn't hold it (he holds it fine all day when we are gone and he is in his crate).

 

To make things more interesting, we stepped out of the room for a second here and there as we were cleaning up, and I came back to him on OUR bed for the first time (he's not allowed on the bed), wet bellyband and all - so there we were changing everything on our bed at 1AM

 

In the end, we decided to put him in his crate for the rest of the night, which we hate doing because we like him to be with us. But we need him to learn that he goes potty right before bed and around 6AM or so and not in the middle of the night when he feels like it. Is crating him for a few days or so at night a good idea? Or would letting him possibly pee himself with the bellyband on a couple of times in our room work better? Or, of course, any other ideas?

[Batmom]

Take a urine sample to your vet to rule out UTI.

[Guest lasharp1209]

Agree to rule out medical issues first. After that, yes I would crate during the night until he gets used to the schedule, especially since he is so new. You're still housetraining, and you want him to have as little opportunity to go in the house as possible. Crating him on a schedule sets him up for success, and you can gradually wean him off it if you want to once he gets it.

 

We had a little regression with Blade after having him for a couple of months when he would get up for some midnight potty breaks - went back to crating at night for a while and he was fine.

 

I would also put the crate in your bedroom, if it isn't already (seemed like from your post that it may be in another room). If he has any problems being in the crate at night, it would make him feel more secure.

[SPDoggie]

Since this is a new thing, ruling out a UTI is first and foremost... since he had been doing well through the night, it seems likely to me that he truly needs to go (since he did go in your room) so I bet it is UTI.

[rallyp]

The only times my dog needed to go out in the middle of the night was when she had a urinary tract infection (UTI). Definitely get that checked that out first.

[Guest breakxdownn]

I see where you all are coming from with the UTI, but if he had that, would he be able to hold it? We crate him during the day when we are at work and he holds it perfectly - in fact a lot of days, he doesn't even pee right away when I take him out when I get home. Until the past couple of nights, he has held it great at night as well. We got home from work a little bit ago and he hadn't peed in his crate today either. However, if it's still a strong possibility, we can have him tested. That sure would be a simple solution!

 

It is becoming obvious to us that he is feeling a lot more comfortable as part of our family and my first inclination was that his new idea of nighttime bathroom breaks is a sort of testing the waters with us to see what response he gets. This is the reason why last night we belly-banded him and didn't take him out when he got up right away.

 

If we do crate him at night for a while, will he make the connection that he doesn't get to go out in the middle of the night, or will it still just be a "hey, I don't pee when I'm in my crate" kinda thing? We can get him tested for a UTI, but if it's not the case, what other things can I do to discourage him from asking to go potty/going potty in the middle of the night?

[GeorgeofNE]

A housebroken dog doesn't start peeing in the house for attention or just for the heck of it.

 

Trust me; you WANT this to be a UTI, probably mild at this point. Easily cured with two weeks of antibiotics. Behavioral? Not so much!

[Guest breakxdownn]

He is not housebroken yet. He's been having accidents, both when we are gone and a couple of times when we are there. The only place he doesn't have accidents is in his crate. He had an accident the first day we left him in his crate, didn't like being in there with the pee, and hasn't since. But when he is around the house with us, he hasn't yet learned that he can't pee - it's not terrible as when we are there, we take him out when he gets up for the most part.

 

I'm not saying that he doesn't have a UTI because from what everyone has said, it's quite possible! It would be amazing if all I had to do was grease some pills with PB for a few weeks, but I just would assume he wouldn't be able to hold it everyday for 8 hours while crated.

 

Either way, the UTI test is a great idea and we are going to get him one ASAP.

[rallyp]

Is he a retired racer? I ask because retired racers are housebroken. They know not to go in their 'home'. The only thing they sometimes need to learn is that your house is also their home. That's one of the reasons heavy crating at the beginning is good. They know their crate is home and won't go potty in there. Their life in the kennel is also very regimented, so they know exactly when they get turned out and learn to do their business then. Make sure he's on a very consistent schedule so he learns when he goes out. Also make sure he does go potty when he goes out. Encourage this by rewarding every time he does. One of the reasons you get so many responses that this is a UTI is that it's just not typical for a healthy retired greyhound to be peeing or pooping in the house unless something physical is going on.

[Guest avadogner]

:blushI feel for you there. I hope it's not a medical issue. Our grey Ava has always slept all day and likes to go out 3 times a night. Every night about 1 am she starts zooming in the living room. Our issue stems from the fact that the first 4 years we had her, I worked the 3-11 and 3p to 3a shift in the NICU. She has just always stayed on that schedule. I've had to quit working 3 yrs ago due to kidney failure and have stayed home with her since. I'm still somewhat nocturnal and so is my girl. The DH works 5a to 5 p and says she is usually just going to sleep when he gets up in the a.m. It works for us but not when she stays at her grandparents house .

-ava and augie's mum

[jenn8]

I don't want to be the grim reaper but "holding it" for long periods of time can actually cause a UTI if bacteria builds up and is not flushed out regularly. This is one reason fresh water should always be given.

 

I don't know if that is the case here but just thought I would mention it. If you do find out he has a UTI, it may require a little more than giving him pills to keep the problem at bay.

 

Jenn

[Guest TeddysMom]

I just went through a similar thing with Spencer. I got a sample in, had it checked and nothing showed up but I knew that something wasn't right so 3 days later I got another sample early in the morning, had it tested again. He did have a mild UTI. Good luck and I hope Finley improves.

[Guest lasharp1209]

How long have you had him? It can't hurt to test for a UTI, and it is easily treated so I would do that for sure, but if he is fairly new to your house, then he may just need housetraining.

 

I would disagree that "retired racers are housebroken." Crate trained, maybe, but housebroken not always. Some make the connection quickly and some take time and reinforcement.

 

Right now, you want to maximize success and minimize failure. Don't give him the opportunity to relieve himself inside. Crate him whenever you are not there and at night, and get him on a schedule. Take him out as often as possible at first, give lots of praise/treats when he potties outside, and gradually you can increase his freedom as he seems to get it. If you need to in the beginning, leash him to you with a long lead like you would a puppy so you can keep an eye on him at all times.

 

You don't want him to get used to peeing in the house not only because it will be more difficult to break him of the habit, but the scent will stay around and it may end up being a perpetual problem. Even more so if you ever have another dog come over. So be consistent and work at it now, and he will catch on and then you can relax later.

Edited September 25, 2010 by lasharp1209

[Guest sheila]

Do you ever need to pee in the middle of the night? If so, do you just ignore until it's your time to use the bathroom? Do you put diapers on yourself so that you don't need to get up in the night? When a dog (or a human) needs to go they NEED TO GO. A belly band should never be used in place of a potty break. If the dog learns that he will not be allowed out when he needs to, he learns to pee where he is.

When I had my senior boy Kiowa it was a regular and understood thing that I was going to get up at least once during the night to take him out. I was just thankful that he always let me know when it was time if I wasn't already awake and waiting for his signal.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I would test for the UTI, just to rule out a medical issue. UTIs are less common in males than females but it's a possibility you should rule out.

 

If he came from a racing background, he was crate trained and not housebroken. People tend to confuse the two, though they are quite different. If, however, he's crate trained and not having accidents, you can use schedule and routine to housetrain him. He needs to go out before and after meals. When he goes out watch and make sure he goes. Walk him around if need be. Pair the action with a word, and praise like crazy when he goes outside.

 

When you're home, he should be on leash and attached to a person until he can reliably be off leash and in the same room with no accidents. If you can't be with him, put him in his crate or babygate him into a room without carpeting. It's a good idea to make a potty run before leaving him even for a short time. Make a potty schedule for when you're home. Start with potty trips every hour and work up to larger blocks of time. When you come in from a potty trip, direct him to his water bowl for a drink (some hounds will drink infrequently and then end up drinking a ton at once, leading to more accidents).

 

A relatively young, healthy dog can hold his bladder through the night. Sure, when they're older, they can start to have control issues, but if he's young and doesn't have a UTI or any kidney/renal problem, he can learn to hold it through the night. The trick is to make a consistent, predictable schedule and stick to it.

[arandomchic]

If the UTI thing is ruled out...does Finley get to go on walks or does he get enough exercise?

 

Just thinking because on her even walk, our girl will pee once or twice, and the mark up a storm. By the time we've finished a quick 15 minute walk around the block she is DRY. Perhaps, when Finley goes out at night, he's not really emptying his bladder...which is why he needs to go out just a couple of hours later. So if it's just a turn out, maybe a quick walk would help.

[Guest breakxdownn]

Thanks for all the responses - the house training advice has been really helpful and definitely makes sense. We have only had him for two weeks now. While he definitely seems to be crate trained, I was always under the impression that they do not "come" house trained - they have to start to think of your house as their crate. It is hard for us to tell if he is acting abnormally at all since we have had him for such a short time, which is why we didn't think about it as a possible medical issue. But now that UTI is on the table, we are taking precautions against that as well.

 

To clear it up, the reason of my concern over this issue was not because I did not feel like taking him out when he has to go, but more so because until the past couple of nights, he did not have to go out and he held it through the night without a problem. We take him out late at night before we go to sleep and early in the morning, and it was working. If, for some reason, he does have a medical issue that requires him to go potty at night as well, we will be more than happy to take him out. Since it's been his second week here with us, he has started coming out of his shell some more. He does more sniffing around, he comes to us more for pets, he is more comfortable eating, etc. I was concerned that his sudden nighttime activities were not because he HAS to go but for another reason - he just wants to go outside (maybe pee while hes out there) or test to see what kind of response he gets, that kind of thing. Not a genuine "I HAVE to pee now." And if I genuinely thought he had to pee, I would never just strap a belly band on him let it go. Unless he has a health problem that we are unaware of (yes we are getting him tested for UTI), he should be able to (and has for the first week and a half) held it without a problem through the night.

 

Since it just started, if it is a behavioral issue, we wanted to break any habits before they began by teaching him our schedule and fitting him to it. We moved his crate to our room last night and he slept comfortably there - no whining and no peeing. He likes being in his crate as long as we are there. We probably should have done this in the first place, but hey, we are new at this.

 

Since you all have me convinced that it's a UTI, that is our number one priority now - once we can rule that in or out, we can work from there. I am thinking that with all this house training advice though, if it is not UTI, we have a solid start

[Ragsysmum]

Has it gone colder recently where you live? Maybe he wakes up cold and moves about so triggering off the need to pee. We have had a couple of cold nights here recently and this has made one of mine who feels the cold a lot, more restless than usual and asking to go out. Maybe an extra blanket or PJ's would keep him warmer so he sleeps through again. Always worth checking for a UTI of course anyway.

[Guest breakxdownn]

Update: Finley DOES have a UTI. We had him tested today and the vet said it was a mild one - he's on antibiotics. Now he gets THREE tasty PB treats a day! (In addition to his glucosamine for his previously broken leg and fish oil pills) He is a happy boy!

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! It definitely wasn't our first guess since we just got him and don't really know his "normal" behavior or how house trained he is.

 

Now we can see what a good boy he will be not peeing in our house, since he was at a little bit of a disadvantage to start out!

[jenn8]

Sorry to hear about the UTI but at least you have some answers.

 

I would wait until his condition is cleared up before putting him to any tests.

 

I also think you can set your dog up for success by giving him the opportunity to relieve himself often enough that "holding it" won't be a big issuee. Rather, you can be very proud when he shows you that he needs to go out and pee instead of doing it in the house. He needs a regular schedule that will work for him and that he can depend on. This is an essential part of housetraining that the owner needs to do when they first bring their dog home. Greyhounds don't come this way but because of their upbringing, they already understand the concept and just need to be taught new rules.

 

Jenn

[Guest lizmego]

We had this exact same issue with Dell. He was getting up in the middle of the night to outside to pee and we were finding some accidents in the house while we were at work during the day. Got a urine sample this morning and he has a UTI. Really hoping that he sleeps through the night after the infection is taken care of. So thankful its not behavioral!