I adopted a puppy a few weeks ago. I obviously did loads of research for months beforehand to make sure I was ready to welcome him in the best possible conditions! I've read pretty much everywhere that you have to get up during the night to take them out so they learn to be house-trained more quickly.
I wanted to ask today if this process is actually useful or even necessary? My pup (11 weeks old) seems to have a very tiny bladder: he wees every 45 minutes to an hour during the day, and the longest he's held it at night is 2 hours...
I’ve been getting up every 2 hours to take him out since day one, just like I was advised. I also read that puppies should soon be able to hold it for a bit longer at night and that these night-time wake-ups would only be needed for a few days or weeks.
My puppy is still doing just as many wees and can only hold it for 2 hours max at night; even then, most of the time when I come downstairs, he’s already had an accident in the living room (poos as well...). He’s starting to understand really well that he needs to go outside, because as soon as I take him out (day or night), he goes straight away in the garden. So, we're on the right track!
I’m starting to get really tired from such broken sleep. Getting up every 2 hours is becoming harder and harder to manage for my own wellbeing and exhaustion levels, and I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like when I start my classes again next week!
That’s why I was wondering if I really need to keep getting up to train him, or if it isn't actually essential in the end. I obviously know what I signed up for when I adopted my little one, so if this is truly necessary for house-training, I’ll keep doing it, no problem!
Thanks in advance for your replies 🙂
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Hi,
For us, we used to get up around 3am once, but we quickly gave up on that – we preferred to sleep and just clean up the next morning.
She eventually started letting us know during the night when she needed to go out. She was house-trained quite quickly; first the poos stopped, then the wees. After that, she only had accidents when we were out. Finally, she was fully house-trained.
Mind you, at the beginning, she had to go out at 6am sharp. 6:01am was already too late! ;)
I don't know if you're familiar with all the usual advice, but during the day, you should always take the puppy out for a toilet break:
-After a nap
-After eating
Thanks for your replies!
Right: even taking him out every 2 hours, he’s still having accidents in between... (he’s got a tiny bladder, I promise I'm not joking 😁). I must admit I find it a bit hard to stick strictly to the 2-hour rule, and depending on the time of night, I can be a bit slow getting up, so it ends up being more like 2.5 or 3 hours sometimes.
Every time I take him out, he doesn't necessarily go because I imagine he's sometimes just had an accident in the lounge right before I woke up... so it’s doubly frustrating, as I’m basically getting up for nothing. That said, I know he’s understood the concept of going outside because now when I say "go wee", he does it, even if it’s only a few drops just to please me.
He never wakes me up in the night to "ask", and he doesn't do it during the day either; it’s always me having to anticipate his signs (well, more like the timing really) because he never actually shows any signals (no whining, doesn't go to the front door, doesn't circle...).
I’ve also been at home all day since I got him, so I thought he’d be house-trained fairly quickly (at least overnight...) but no, still not there yet. Patience is a virtue, I suppose!
As for the pooing, it’s even worse; he’s not regular at all. He isn't passing firm stools even though he's on some tummy meds, so when I wake up I always find one or two messes in the lounge... and yet, it's the same thing—he seems to understand he needs to go outside because during the day he’s quite clear about wanting to go out for a poo and goes with no trouble at all. But as soon as my back is turned, it’s a different story...
I’ve never actually got up in the night for a puppy. Either they were born at home, so the mum and the "auntie" dog handled the little ones' accidents, or I bought puppies older than 3 months. Some were already house-trained and others weren't, but honestly, I just used to shut the doors and mop up the floor when I woke up.
I got my dog at 10 weeks old, and I probably got up in the night 4 or 5 times in total. Basically, it was only when he actually asked to go; I didn't bother with an alarm.
A little whimper, then okay, outside for a wee and that was that! :)
But he only ever woke me once during the night, not every two hours... My dog was house-trained very quickly, partly because I was at home all the time, which definitely helps.
With my previous dog, I never got up to take him out at night. He was also left alone while I was at work. He took a bit longer to be house-trained, but it was still within the normal timeframe.
I’m not sure it’s actually necessary to set an alarm to take a puppy out every two hours. I think it can even be counterproductive, as the dog won't learn to hold it in if they’re going out that frequently.
On the other hand, if the pup asks, then yes, straight up, "outside for a wee" and lots of praise!
Hi there! Well, having done things this way with my own fur babies, they were house-trained very quickly, even though they were two completely different dogs. We did have the odd accident at night, but I definitely think it’s a plus, even if you only take him out every 3 or 4 hours like @Kikaah suggests.
When you take him out that often, does he go every time? Poos should be more regular depending on how you feed him, which should make it easier for you to predict the next one, so to speak.
Hang in there! It takes a long time, it’s true, but it’s definitely worth it.
If you can’t manage to keep up the pace, which is completely understandable, try spacing out his trips outside to every 4 hours, and then every 6. You’ll have to expect a few accidents, but never mind—a quick mop and you’re sorted. And taking him out that often, does he actually have a wee every single time?
