Please help with my dog

[maisiemoo1]

I have a choc lab who is 3 next month and he is good as gold apart from one thing.

He still pee's and poo's at night. I try and let him outside as late as I can but sometimes this is not possible if I am really tired.

I've even had instances where he has been let out into the garden done his business the 5 mins later I can hear him pee in the house where I still have to put paper/pads down for him.

I am moving into a new rented property soon and I really don't want him to do it there so any suggestions as to get him to stop is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[rowanwitch]

Tired or not...if you have a pet their needs should come first...letting out...is that just in the garden...when is his last walk....our dog always had her last proper walk around 10 pm and we didn't come back until she'd done what she had to ...male doggs need quite a few pees before bedtime I used to walk a friends dog and approximately every other lampost and every tree was a wee and sniff stop

[maisiemoo1]

I do get tired, I work shifts so if I am up at 2:30am so sometimes I go to bed at say 10pm I try and go as late as possible for him but when I can barely keep my eyes open I know I need to go to bed

[rowanwitch]

Then clean up the mess....he can't take himself for a walk...I know its difficult but if you are the animals sole carer you really do need to fit his needs in first

[RATTER15]

Sorry Maisie but Rowan is spot on, your dog must come first in this respect, if you cant give it the attention and exercise it needs maybe you should look at re-homing.

Many dogs are not house trained at 3 months, don’t expect too much from him just yet.

Rowan, I agree male dogs will stop and sniff and pee at everything, this should really be stopped in male dogs, its just sent marking and not necessary. Imagine if when a pack of wolves were out hunting and every male pack member done this, they would never get anywhere.

Mine don’t stop and mark, I’m the pack leader and not them, if there is any boundaries to mark, I will be doing the marking not my dogs, So if you see me peeing up a lamppost................... :-)

[Purple_Popple]

3 next month ?? I hope you dont mean he is 3 years old ???? If he is 3 y/o he most definitely should be house trained by now, patience and praise when he does go....if he is a 'stop n sniff' dog, this can be tamed down by having him castrated if he is entire...dogs are reading their local newspaper by sniffing and marking territory, to find out what dogs have been there before him....some male dogs can get a bit OTT in the sniff-a-thon hence having his crown jewels off should help this..if he is 3months, try crating him over night ONLY...dogs rarely soil their sleeping quarters but you must let him out to relieve himself first thing in the morning - 6.00am - not 11.00am...he should learn to hold it until you can let him out into the garden. Good luck.

[RATTER15]

Oooops, I read that as 3 months, it is 3 years isnt it. Oh well.

[maisiemoo1]

Thanks Purple he is 3 years old and he shouldnt be doing it at this age. He knows where to do his business but when I come down in the morning and he has not done anything I praise him saying good boy no wee wee's and he knows what I mean it's just frustrating.

And Ratter there is no way I'd think about re-homing everything I do is for my dog and cats he gets enough attention and exercise going out to our local park every day and for a walk at night which does not explain going out doing his business then 5 mins later pissing in the house

[divegirl]

Hi, Right. first off stop putting down the pads! By doing this you are okaying this behaviour!

Next pick a day and prepare to be tired as you retrain him.
Clean and I mean really clean the areas where he is soiling in the house.
Do your usual routine in the day, but give extra treats and praise when he toilets outside. Then do the night time toileting and go out with him and make sure he goes....treat and praise.....Now off you go to bed.....This is where it changes, Give him ten minutes or five if you say he can go that quickly again and then go back to him and take him out! Wait, no matter how long it takes, and let him do his business again, treat and praise!
Go to bed and set your alarm for 3 hours. Go to him and if he has messed ignore it but let him out and wait! Done his stuff....treat and praise .......and so on.
In essence you are going to have to go back to basics and then some as you have to train out a learned behaviour. You will have to do this for a few nights but as you don't want to re-home it has to be done!
It can be done...I have a rescue Great Dane who had been in a kennel for the six months before he came to me and thought it was fine to mess in the house. It took two weeks of doing the above but it worked!

Lisa x

[woofgang]

If you are going to be knacked anyway, why not have the dog on a lead beside your bed? Every time he wakes, you take him out, stay till he goes, praise and treat and back to bed. Putting down pads or paper is confusing...like giving a human a toilet but not wanting them to use it.
While we are talking, how long does your dog spend on his own? not just overnight but when you are at work?

[maisiemoo1]

Thanks so much Divegirl I might give that a try.

And woofgang - he does not stay at home during the day he is with my mum and her dog so he's not really alone at all until night

[woofgang]

two comments then maisie....is he ever left alone? has he learned to be alone, maybe the indoor messing could be in part separation anxiety. The second is that Mum will have to do the same in the day...be with dog when he goes and praise.

[divegirl]

Interesting point Woofgang!
Dogs need to be left alone at some point [imo] and it could be that he is doing it as a separation issue!
You have two options....take the advice I have previously given......or ....... Let him sleep in your room!

Lisa x

[woofgang]

yes divegirl, we are retired now, not great socialites and it could end up that our dogs are only left alone about once a month...we make a point of leaving them occasionally so they keep in practice as it were. When they were pups, I actively trained them to be left from age about 6 months..only 5 to 10 minutes, even less at first...have done it with all our dogs and b=never had any problems leaving them apart from naughtiness.

[jules77]

Some prefer crate training as dogs wont generally do anything in their own bed. I tried it once, but not only did he wee in the crate, he also cried for hours which not only disturbed us, but got the other dogs on edge, so it didnt work for me. I find letting them sleep in the bedroom in their own bed best, and although they usually wake me up in the early hours to go outside, none of them have any made any mess.

[maisiemoo1]

That's true woofgang the only time he is really alone is bed time and when I go shopping or something. Thanks all I'll take your advice and try and work with him to see how it goes

[tamborine]

Most pets prefer to park their bums on warm dry spots, specially a fluffy white carpet for their jobbing. Yours has got a fur coat on and a drought proof shed with vinyl floor should suffice to save your home pollution.

Dogs pee is also scenting their territory. An upright log fixture may satisfy his needs.