Puppy - Round Lake,IL

Do you have her in a crate at night? I am thinking that you should have her in a crate. She won't go potty in her crate, and if you keep her as far away from the bedroom as possible, you won't hear her fussing about the crate. It won't take long before she won't fuss about being in the crate. And she will end up having a different potty schedule - like first thing in the morning.

One thing to look at might be how late in the evening he goes out. Our two dogs are snoozing when I go to bed but I still wake them & make them go out. Invariably, the beagle that was sound asleep 30 seconds ago pees like he hasn't been out in days.

I've found if I make them go out some time after 10, I get to sleep all night. If I let them snooze & don't make them go out, I'm up somewhere between 3AM & 5AM to open the door for a whining pupster.

Good luck!

What size of puppy? Is she in a crate? Depending on her size, a puppy that age should be able to make it through the night. It sounds like it's becom more of a habit than a necessity. One option is to let her cry out. It might take a night or two (or even more lost sleep), but she should eventually figure it out. Is she comfortable where she's sleeping? Is she well house trained generally? I have a mini poodle who slept well in his crate from the moment we brought him home as a puppy. Suddenly at one year of age he decided he didn't want to sleep in his crate anymore and cried incessantly. One night as an experiment we let him sleep on the floor on a doggy bed. It worked well and that's how he's slept ever since. He's trustworthy with his housetraining. When he wakes me up at night I know it's urgent--either he has an upset stomach or he's REALLY got to go. That only happens occassionally although it did happen this week (for the first time in months). Good luck.

I like the book "Good Owners, Great Dogs" for behavior and training issues. Your vet is another resource.

Border collie: she should be big enough and old enough to hold it through the night. As you probably know, they are very high energy and need a lot of exercise. One other thing to consider might be if she is getting enough exercise during the day. My dogs always sleep better with exercise.

A puppy of 9 months should be able to sleep through the night just fine.

What breed is she? Is she spayed? Where does she sleep?

ETA: As Dawn stated, your puppy should be sleeping in her crate at night. While you might think that puppy would get better sleep in bed with you, she really won't...and neither will you. She needs her own den, a crate that is just big enough for her to lie down on her side, with her legs extended straight out. Put it in a room near the door she uses to go outside. Put her in it at the same time every night like you would a child, and take her out at about the same time every morning.

As you would with a toddler, try not to let her fill up on water before you crate her.

I have a couple of ideas: 1. Install a doggy door. We put one in that is a panel that you insert in your sliding glass door; it was easy to install and now my 2 dogs can let themselves in and out. Or 2. Put your puppy in a crate to sleep at night. This may help her to realize that a trip outdoors is not a possibility. I hope this helps!

1. Feed her dinner around 5 or 6 pm and make sure she drinks water after. WALK HER. Don't just let her out. Walk her at night, twice if you can (once after dinner, once right before bed). if you can only do it once, then fine.

2. Put her water away after she has had her after dinner drink, unless she seems really thirsty, or it is hot out, which it is not now, I would avoid having her drink more water at night.

That should do it. At 9 months, she should be able to sleep through the night without going.

You may also want to have her checked at the vet for a bladder or other issue if she is drinking too much/going too frequently.

Puppies are wonderful! Treasure all these moments, they turn into dogs so fast (not that dogs are bad, but pups are SO cute!)

I've been breeding for 13 years, so I will pass on some general info that I've told my puppy owners, as well as some specific information based on your post.

First of all, rule of thumb is that a pooch can "hold it" for at least as many hours as their age in months (although after 6 months they can go 8 hours or longer for work & sleep as needed). During the day, a dog is more likely to be sleeping lightly & therefore need to go more often as opposed to at night, when they will enter a deeper sleep because the lights are off & the daytime activities are ceased that would alert them (mailman coming to the door, cars passing, kids outside playing, etc.)

Based on age & size (Border Collies are a medium breed) she should'nt have any physical problems holding it at night. Assuming you haven't had any problems with accidents during the day, I will rule out a UTI as well.

Most pups of this age can have unrestricted access to water without problems, but let's just cut back the water @ 2 hours before bedtime, just in case, until things are established.

So, to get pooch to sleep @ 10pm & not wake up until morning, we need to take care of a few things. #1 - she needs to go outside before bedtime. So make sure the water is pulled @ 8pm, last potty call is at 10pm, & then bed.
#2 - she needs to be tired!! Every dog is an individual, and every breed has general traits. Border Collies are a herding breed & need a job. Some of them don't get tired enough by just going for a walk/jog during the day. Do games with her, make her think while she moves (playing fetch, mixed with some basic obedience or teaching tricks). As Cesar Milan says - A tired dog is a happy dog is a good dog.

Now, you mention that you feed her in the morning. Only in the morning? I would suggest at least 2 meals a day. approximately 11-12 hours apart (7am & 6pm). If she is only fed once, she is probably getting hungry before breakfast time & might be a reason she is waking you up. Also, dogs are prone to more digestive issues when fed one large meal, as opposed to two or 3 feedings.

Where does your pooch sleep? Whether she sleeps in bed with you, on a rug on your bedroom floor or in a crate in the living room - none of those are necessarily "bad" or "good". However, if she is crying & waking you & sleeps in the living room, it might help to bring her into your bedroom for a week to see if she is just getting lonely, & will then sleep through the night. If she is already in your bed & waking up, think of what might be triggering her to wake. Just like people, unless dogs drink so much that their bladder can't hold it, they won't wake up just to potty in the middle of the night.

Since you indicate that she does not sleep in a crate, I'm guessing she gets up & comes to your side of the bed & noses/whines to wake you up. I'm also assuming you always get up to let her out. What happens if you don't? Does she have an accident? Can you crate her @ night & see what happens? (if she is not crate trained, this can cause other issues to deal with as she adjusts).

If you don't think she will have an accident, try telling her to go back to sleep for a couple nights & see what happens. It could just be that she has been on a schedule of going out in the middle of the night, because she always has!

Now, if she would have an accident if you didn't let her out, & if you are home during the day & the reasons she doesn't have accidents is because you are just able to let her out more frequently than someone who worked all day, you need to consider that there is a UTI forming. A simple urine sample to the vet can let you know. I would personally run one over regardless, to know for sure if you are dealing with a training/behavioral issue or a health issue. I did have one pup that was hyper-sensitive to the bacteria, & even though his sample never indicated an actual infection, the tiny bit it was elevated we treated for JIC, & problem resolved in 2 days of starting antibiotics (always finish the entire course!!).

So, to recap -
1. have a urine sample analyzed for possible UTI (if she was spayed somewhat recently, this is a possibility).
2. Make sure she is good & tired before bed, & freshly pottied.
3. pull the water 2 hours before bedtime
4. make sure she is eating at least 2x a day.
5. test -not- letting her out for a couple days (there may be an accident from this once, but hopefully not every time!)
6. if #1 is negative, & #2-5 produce no improvement after 1-2 weeks, I suggest you schedule a follow-up visit with your vet to make sure that there is not a physical reason she cannot hold it through the night (either congential or perhaps as a result of the spay surgery, which can cause incontinence-type issues in some bitches)

Best of luck!

It takes a while for some pups to sleep all night.

When we got a pup for the first time, before I had daughter, it was crazy because it was like we had a baby in the house!! They are that way early on.

We have a very large lot and have wildlife so I do not go out with my dogs in the middle of the night. When hubby is here, he will but... I won't because of the bobcats, coyotes, etc and my poodle would be their next meal.

I did inquire with the vet and when hubby is out of town and I know I want the dogs (3) sleeping all night, I limit water intake after 6. My vet said that it wouldn't hurt them and it is much like trying to get a child to sleep through the night.

So far, this works for me. I am typically up between 2-3 anyway because there is no such thing as sleeping for a solid 4-6 hours.

Good luck

Our pup at the time did the same thing and I gave in and took him out and then finally I just ignored his cries and he eventually got it that I wasn't going to come down and let him out. It took some time. We did have him in a crate at night. Just remember, "This To Shall Pass". As long as you are letting her out right before bed, she should be fine till morning. Get some ear plugs. Our pooch is now 3, black english lab. Kids named him, Indy. After Indiana Jones :)
Good luck! They grow super fast, enjoy the puppy hood during the better moments.

What does she do when you let her out at ten? Are you watching to make sure she is going potty? Does she go potty when you let her out in the middle of the night? I have a border collie mix and I know she just LOVES being outside, at all times. Almost every time I walk by the back door she follows and wants out. I know she doesn't have to go every time. As long as I know she has gone potty for the night, I simply tell her no, you aren't going back out since you just went. At 9 months your puppy should be holding it if she went out at ten. I have a feeling she wants to go out cause its fun, and has made it a habit. Try telling her no, or just not getting up when she cries. After a few times this should subside. If not, then it's time to check for a bladder infection or other issues.