I hope somebody out there can help me as I am getting sooo frustrated !! We have a 6 month old golden retriever puppy whos toilet habits are driving us crazy. When we are at home she is generally very good, letting us know when she needs to go outside (although she did pee on the carpet last night) however during the night it is very unusual that she will last the night. It seems that if something wakes her up in the night then she will pee. We have tried going down to her earlier than we used to and changing when the heating comes on so this doesnt wake her up, we have even changed our alarm clocks for more quiet ones. We take her out last thing at night and first thing in the morning and I know she can hold it for long enough as she has done on a few occasions(she has been heavely praised when she has done this).This also happens when we leave her to go to work, although she is only left for about 4 hours as I come home to see her at lunch. When she is left on her own she is left in the kitchen as that is puppy safe with newspapers on the floor(she isnt praised when she goes on the paper though, only praised when she goes outside). The trainer at our obedience class has advised us that when she has made a mess put her in another room without saying anything while we clear up the mess but this doesnt seem to be making any difference as she just goes and sits in the other room as soon as we let her out of the kitchen. Please any advice would be sooo appreciated!!!!

I don't know how old she was when you got her but if she was used to toileting on paper when younger then maybe the fact that you have paper down on your floor doesn't help, even though she doesn't get praised. Maybe try taking the paper up? I have the opposite problem to you. Alfie can last the night ok but during the day doesn't really know how to ask us to be let out and if we don't see him momentarily looking at the door then he gives up on us and does it anyway!

As with children bladder control is reached at varying ages. My daughter still wet the bed at 6 years old (they didn't make those child size nighttime nappy pants then), while her 3 year old brother was dry more often than she was (they had just brought out tyhe pull on nappies then).

If her housetraining is good during the day then you will just have to bear with her at night and when you aren't there as obviously she cannot hold it yet.

It is rare for a pup under five months to have total bladder control, and yours is only a month older than this.

I think she needs a bit of help, i would buy a dog crate/cage one that she can turn around/sit up /and lay down nice cover in water bowl fill a kong and let her get used to it i think you will find this works better for her.

She was 10 weeks when we got her and I dont think that she was trained to go on the paper but I will try taking it up. We have thought about a dog crate which I think she might be ok through the night but what if she needs to go when she is in the crate wont she just go ? If she starts crying should we go down to her as she knows that we dont go down to her at the moment so wouldnt she just cry for attention if we started going down to her now ? Wouldnt she get bored in a crate when she is awake and on her own as she cant really walk around or do anything ?

Hi yes she might pee in it but then she would have to sit in it and they dont like that so they stop doing it, and her not being able to walk about when you are not there that is the whole point she has to lay down and just chew her toys and wait until you come home this way she will not pee but you must give her time to understand.

I will definately consider the crate. I think it could become a more realistic possiblity if she carries on going the toilet after I have tried taking the paper up. Dont some dogs get used to just going to the toilet in the crate though ?

I would definitely take the paper up, mine was took up the week after ours came home. It was easier for us though because it was summer, but keep taking him out every hour and praise him to the gods when he potties. And watch him like a hawk, if his nose is down, after food, sleep or play then put him out. It takes some dedictaion but it will come, ours goes to bed at 10pm after my daughter and will even have a lie in (weekends) till 11am!! and she's still a pup albeit a lazy one.

Sarah

hi

my 6 month old pup goes to bed around 10 pm and does'nt mess then she sleeps all morning til around 1pm when we are at work and doe's'nt mess yet after lunch she will wee even if shes left for a couple of hours can't understand it!! she has the run of the kitchen/diner i think its far to late now to restrict her to a crate.

I have tried taking up half of the paper and it does seem to work. She only appears to be going the toilet on the paper. I will try reducing this over time until there is no paper. She will do either of two things , hold on until we can let her out or think " I will just go on the floor then!"Thank you all for your help.