Overnight Bladder Control Question

[Phill]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I hope all is well. This is my first time using this forum. My wife and I recently brought home a 13 week old male, Charlie. He has been with us for about two weeks. He is the sweetest dog and suprising quiet. Almost never barks, whines, or growls. We crate Charlie during the night starting at about 10. At this point, he does not whine at all. He is quiet throughout the night. I typically wake up 5am and take him out. He does wake me up sometimes early because he has to go #2. We stop food and water at 8pm and he goes out several times before we go to sleep. He does start to want to sleep at about 8:45-9 and it is almost impossible to keep him active after that.

 

However, little Charlie, still pees in his crate. My problem is that he does not whine when he needs to go pee. My questions:

 

Is his bladder just too small right now to make it though the night?

If he does pee in his crate, is it doing any damage to housebreaking and will it stop?

 

Should I be waking up in the middle of the night to let him out?

If so, how do I get him to calm back down enough to go to sleep?

If I should be waking up, will I get him on a schedule of him always wanting to go at 2 or 3?

 

His crate is big, but divided. I have a Pet Mate plastic crate that has sweatshits and towels piled in the back to make it smaller while also giving out sent. He can stand, turn, and lay but not much more.

 

Thank you all for your help and any advice you can offer.

 

Phillip

[Lizzie&Addie]

Congratulations on the new addition to your family, he will bring you so much joy.

Charlie is still a baby and it will be hard for him to go through the night without an accident.

We used to wake our boys before we went to bed and carry them out for a wee, even in their tired little zombie state, pop them on the grass ask them to do a wee and just wait and of course give them lots of praise when they went. They soon worked out what we wanted them to do and where the right place to go was. At the moment Charlie doesn't really know and he just can't make it through the night, which is understandable given his age.

Cairns are smart and Charlie will learn what you want him to do, he already wakes you up for No. 2, smart little boy. We never got up deliberately in the middle of the night to take them outside but if we got up for our own reasons we would certainly take them out then. And I can't remember having any trouble getting them back to sleep, we just popped them back in the crate and back to sleep they went.

He will be fine just give the little fella time and take him out at every opportunity, he will soon get it.

Oh, and photos of Charlie please!

Edited March 9, 2013 by Lizzie&Addie

[Phill]

Thank you so much for the reply. Unless we hear him at night, we tend to let him be. Hope his little bladder gets bigger soon. Our wash has been going every night.

[BigFanSue]

He's so cute! I had three cairns one male and two females. They all trained differently. Right now I think you are doing the right thing. Charlie is still a baby and needs his bladder to grow. I never crated any of them overnight but they were put in a spare bathrooom overnight with paper or weewee pads. Good thing about that was no washing of the cloths in the crate and the dog getting smelly. Also, worked out well as when my last dog had cancer and could not make it outside, she remembered to only go in that bathroom once again.

[bradl]

Just a thought -- if the towels and blankets are being used to make the crate smaller, he may actually view them as a nice absorbant potty area. Some dogs will happily pee on a towel and then push it to the back of the crate. As far as they are concerned, that might be why the towel is there (We have a girl like that.)

[Hillscreek]

You are doing fine. He's a baby still. Seems like forever to wait but he will grow up!

[Phill]

Thank you all for the support. We can't wait for his bladder to get bigger.

Bradl: we thought about that. However, he seems to be peeing on the lambskin thingy that we have in there. Luckily, it doesn't go through.

BigFanSue: his crate is actually in one of our spare bedrooms. Seems like he likes the quiet. Aww, sorry to hear abou the cancer. Growing up, I had Shellies. Kirby passed too early at 9, liver problems. My mother still has two Shellie's, sisters from the litter.

We know it will get better. Just want him to be as comfortable as possible.

[JCDickens]

Dickens has always been pretty good in telling me when he needs to go.  One habit I developed involved taking him out right after his early evening "nap" and then again just before bed.  My rationale:  If its uncomfortable for me to bed down with a full bladder, he might feel the same. 

 

Also we use Sojo dehydrated veggies sometimes.  I found that I needed to drain off the fluid after rehydrating the meal.  It seemed Dickens had to go on the hour if I left the the water in place.  He can only hold so much.

 

Good luck!

[Phill]

Update: Charlie has been dry overnight for about a week and a half straight. Thank goodness. Patience works!

[Hillscreek]

Way to go Charlie

[Dempsy's Mom]

He should be so proud of himself!  Just as proud as you are.