So our pup is just over 9 weeks old, we’ve had her a week and have been putting her in her crate to bed at 10pm, we have been setting an alarm for 2am to take her to toilet and we have had no night time accidents. I was considering going to 2:30am from 10 weeks old and then increase it by 15 mins every 2 nights if no accidents. Would this work? Could I do it now? Or should I stick with 2am for longer? Thanks in advance
Do you pick up her water a few hours before her 10pm bedtime? If you do and she goes one last time before bed I think your plan sounds great and you could probably go to 3am and increase it by 10 minutes every night provided it all goes well. Don't worry about the odd bedtime accident either it's not a step back she's just a puppy but she'll probably let you know anyway that she needs to go night or day if you look for the key signs. My pup will stare at me if I don't follow her to the door with a look that says either take me out this second or else I'll do it right here and watch you clean it up!
Thanks for your response . She has her last meal at 7pm and no treats from this time either. We take her water away at 9pm. This morning I got up at 2am and she did nothing, put her back then at 2:30 she started crying so I took her out again and she had a Pee and poop. I’m keeping a toilet journal now too so we can see when she is going. But starting with 2:30am tonight and see how she goes
You could try taking her water away an hour before? Then she's really got time to empty her bladder before 10pm, I give my pup a bedtime snack just before 11pm which is lights out (Lilys kitchen bedtime treat) I've no idea if it works but it's a sign for her that it's time to sleep. Either way I think you are doing a brilliant job because it's hard to not try and rush through the night time process
I think you can definitely go to 2.30am. Well done for setting your alarm and not letting her learn to wake you
I have noticed it seems everyone wakes up in the middle of the night to take out their pups. This was a foreign idea to me as in all my years of raising pups, (Buddy, Biskit, Bear, Baxter, Bolt and now Baby Belle) never did I wake up the pups for night time potty trips. If they cried or were whining I got up with them, but never soley to take them out to potty. Now I realize I'm about to get slammed (lol) but that's ok as I'm hoping to share my personal experience to maybe help someone out. Reading so many people speak of being beyond exhausted from no sleep due specifically to night time potty trips, just wanting to share that IN MY EXPERIENCE, this hasn't been necessary for housebreaking. I would think maybe I got lucky but, as I never did this with any of my pups, I dont believe that's true.
