Our dog is walked for a min of 3 hours daily and last wee is about 5pm.  We have a dog flap and want him to use it for a wee last thing at night or during the night if need be.  He does go out in the yard but seems a bit nervous of it.  A light is rigged up so the minute his head goes out of the flap the yard is lit up. We used to take him out for his last wee 'round the block' late at night but, without going into details, this is no longer possible. We take him in the yard instead and ask him to have a wee.  He won't.  We all go to bed and we don't know for sure if he lets himself out during the night or not but we don't think he does. He seems subdued in the mornings and I am so worried that we are being cruel and that he is desperate for a wee. From 5pm to 9am is a long time for a dog to last. I was able to train him in our last house to use the dogflap and the yard for a wee but its just not happening in this yard. I have put his own 'mess' in the yard and had some other dogs come to visit but nothing is working.  I know he has done the toilet once when we were out about 8 months ago but thats it! I don't think he's doing it in the house and, as I said, I don't think he's doing it in the yard - can he be lasting such a long time and will it make him ill?  Kidney problems? Help someone - this is a real worry.

Is there any way of disabling the light if you feel that may be what's making him nervy?

We put the light up to make it less scary for him!  He's a bit nervous of the dark! Thanks though. 

Does he normaly go on grass   when he is out ?   just an idea but he might not like doing it on cold concreate. maybe a grass like plastic mat would help

Thanks.  Bought some turf and put that in yard.  No joy.  Put a piece of it outside so other dogs would wee on it and then moved that in the yard.  No joy.  When he does his wee on our walks I praise and treat him so he knows what the word 'wee' means.  I play with him in the yard and sit on a chair outside reading etc etc. I'm positve he isn't doing a wee anywhere because his first one is very concentrated now.

One of my dogs will not go in the garden if it has been raining - not just won't go if it's actually raining, but won't go until the grass has partly dried - yet he will run up to the gate to bark at the dog opposite!  He's also not the first dog I've had who does that.

I had flu recently and couldn't physically take them out - and it was raining.  Pip managed to last for over 15 hours until he had to go - in the rain.  My other dog is perfectly happy with weeing in garden

I'd love to know what goes on in dogs' heads. Why do some not like going in gardens when it's raining when they will when it is dry?

Angel wont wee in the rain either, or on her lead! Which is kind of worrying considering I'm thikning of getting my own flat so she'll have to! She's fine in any garden or piece of grass or concrete as long as the leads not on! Strange girl. :)

Ha ha my problem is the complete opposite of yours.  Millie finally learnt to go in the garden a few weeks ago, now she won't go anywhere else.  She starts off having a lovely walk then races and pulls like mad to get back home to get out into the garden for a wee! :-s