2:00 am It's Potty Time - NOT!

[Sue&Reu2]

I consider Reuben to be 99% housetrained. Accident free for quite a while now. SO, how in the world do I have the right to complain that for the last week, he has been jumping down from the bed at 2:00 AM and rapidly heading for the back door. I get up and slowly make it down the stairs and he is waiting at the door. I let him out, it takes a few minutes, he comes in and back upstairs we go. Down under the covers he goes and he is back to snoozing. BUT, I hate that break in my sleep. I know I should thank my stars that he is not peeing in the bed. I was just wondering why all of a sudden the change in habit? I always make sure that he pottys before getting in the bed for the night. Any ideas? Other than the fact that if you gotta go, you gotta go! <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm25.gif" border=0>

[dutchman]

Has his daytime habits changed. That is he going more often during the day. If so I would say it's time for a checkup at the vet. If not and this easier to say than do but consider placing him in a crate for a night or two and see if this new habit disappears. I know he won't be happy and you won't be happy but it may solve the getting up in the middle of the night. When you get him back into your bed if he starts repeating the pattern but had kept his kennel dry then put him back in the kennel when he comes back in at 2:00 and start the next night again in the kennel. I think for many dogs it's a bad habit rather than an actual need to go in the middle of the night.

Good luck,

Tom

[Sue&Reu2]

Hi Tom, the kids are back in school now so he is in the garage longer now than in the summer. I do not close the crate door on him during his time alone. He has free rein of the garage. Very seldom does he ever potty in the garage. I will give Reuben another chance tonight to be a good boy! If he wakes up @ 2:00 a.m. he goes to his crate! Thanks for the advice. I will let you know how it goes. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm5.gif" border=0>

[Hayley Annabelle's Mommy]

How old is Reuben? What color? How big? How long have you had him? I can sympathize on interrupted sleep. Hayley Annabelle is 8 weeks. She is almost sleeping all night. CRATE BABY. She wakes up about 2 times but mainly wimpers and plays. The only way we got her not to howl and cry all night was to put her crate on my nightstand. She can hear us breath better. (She still cant see us though)

Anything for a good nights sleep.

Good luck

Kristina

[Penny's Aunt]

Does he play hard between dinner & bedtime, then go to the water bowl & drink a lot of water to cool himself down?

Does he get "dessert" in the form of milk bones or other dry treats, then go drink water?

Does he get dry kibble for dinner? Try adding some water, but not more than 1/5 of the amount of kibble.

Chewies also can cause thirst, so consider giving them earlier in the day.

In other words, dry him out before bed!

But if it's a choice between a puddle inside & staggering to the door to take him outside, well... Or install a doggie door so he can go out by himself, if he has a very restricted area to go to. There's no telling what mischief a young dachsie can get into by the light of the silvery moon.

[Sue&Reu2]

Hi Hayley & Penny's Aunt, Reuben is a small mini, almost 1 year old & tanish red!! He LOVES to sleep in the bed with me. I love it too. BUT.... I need to find a solution to this break in his sleep habits. He is still getting up in the middle of the night to potty. I will try to limit what he eats & drinks after 5:00 p.m. to see if it helps. The last couple of nights we have been sleeping with the windows opened lately and he hears other dogs in the area bark and thinks he needs to go and tend to them.