My 6 year old retriever has started to wake me around 2.30am most nights to go out to do a poo. She did this as a puppy until she was about a year old and since then has been fine. I've never previously had a retriever which did this and am not sure how to deal with it. She has a small meal around 11am and then her main meal at 5.30pm. Her feeding routine hasn't changed. Has anyone any advice please?

We always fed two meals a day (living with a breed prone to GDV) but of the same size.   The first around 7 am and the second BEFORE 5 pm to give it a chance to be properly digested.   My now remaining b itch usually has two pees and a pooh when she's taken out by arouind 10.30 pm, before bed, but she doesn't always have a BM.    If she doesn't it's trouble because she won't settle so she has to be taken out, again

I'd suggest either feeding main meal in the morning, or feeding it later so she didn't need to go until morning.

Could also be that she is disturbed, wakes, and going is just taking the opportunity.

Is there wildlife, or other outside stimulus. A radio playing quietly might help.

I have a flat coat who seems to go through phases of this .ive never worked out why as it comes and goes as there are no changes in feeding or other routine . Possibly outside noise disturbs her but otherwise I've no idea
She has been doing it again for.the past couple of weeks almost every night but unfortunately for me doesn't wake me up .I just come down to a lake of wee by the front door !
Fortunately I dont have carpet in the hall.way so just clear up and move on

Try making the 11am meal the main meal and the other meal the smaller one....

> Try making the 11am meal the main meal and the other meal the smaller one....

But how does feeding at 11 am fit in with her exercise?    I'd still, even if you do make the first meal the bigger one, feed closer to 7 am so there can be a few hours while you get your own breakfast and day going, when she rests before her exercise.   Bearing in mind the no exercise for a couple of hours after a meal, and no meal for one hour after exercise routine (re bloat risk).

Our kiara used to do this ( shes a lab) we moved her evening meal from 6pm to 4pm and at 6pm she had her last walk of the day. Seems to have worked. We also feed her first meal as her main meal like other have said at 9am she has her first walk of the day at 7am then 2hrs later has her breakfast.

Thank you for the tips which I will try.

It's so easy for them to get into this habit, but takes a while to get out of it.  Start setting an alarm for just before she's likely to go, and let her out.  Do this for about a week, then start gradually setting the alarm slightly later each night, until she's holding it right through again.

A short walk or play outside before bedtime can help get everything moving as well, and make sure she can't access whatever surface she's messing on overnight if possible.

It might be worth getting your dog checked over by the vet. When, some years ago, my older dog started peeing in the kitchen in the early hours the vet found he had developed spondylosis which was triggering the “must pee” nerve. Hydrotherapy and pain medication helped. A couple of months ago, he started to wake to go out several times between midnight and six am (breakfast time). It turned out that the spondylosis had developed, and was causing the problem. He now has additional medication and has had a couple odd sessions of physiotherapy.