# Dog waking mum up at silly o'clock for the toilet. Suggestions please?



## sandi_84 (27 February 2013)

So Poppy gets her dinner at 5.30pm but she's a pick at it over a long period of time eater. Mum has recently been getting annoyed because she's getting woken up at 4am-6am to let Poppy out for a poo.
She wants to keep her in the kitchen overnight and move her dinner time back to 5pm... I don't think this will make any odds at all and all it will achieve will be a poor dog locked in the kitchen and still needing the loo 
I suggested we start feeding her in the morning when we get up and that way she has the whole day to eat her food and then pass it out  Mum's gotten all "put my foot down" over this and insists putting her in the kitchen overnight is the best way to go... I don't think she's looking at it logically 

What would you suggest?


----------



## Dizzydancer (27 February 2013)

If dog is a slow eater and only fed once a day i would do in morning. Make sure goes out last thing at night even if that means a short walk to do business on
i would however if still feeding at evening remove food at about 8pm to give few hours clear. 

Just as an a side my lab has started getting up earlier lately think as weather improves and morning lighter he is waking so that maybe worth considering too.


----------



## sandi_84 (27 February 2013)

Dizzydancer said:



			If dog is a slow eater and only fed once a day i would do in morning. Make sure goes out last thing at night even if that means a short walk to do business on
i would however if still feeding at evening remove food at about 8pm to give few hours clear. 

Just as an a side my lab has started getting up earlier lately think as weather improves and morning lighter he is waking so that maybe worth considering too.
		
Click to expand...

Sorry forgot to say that I let her out again and wait till she does her business before I go to bed which can be any time from 10.30pm to 3am  She does only get one feed a day and mum took it away tonight at about half 9.
Good point about the mornings getting lighter though, I never thought of that


----------



## CorvusCorax (27 February 2013)

I actually Googled 'sunrise' to see what time it is at the moment, as that was my first thought too. Even if it might not seem bright to us, things like the birds starting, other wildlife moving about, even if we can't perceive it, tells a dog MOR-NING!!
Our curtains are lined but my dog does stir earlier when it gets brighter.


----------



## sandi_84 (27 February 2013)

CaveCanem said:



			I actually Googled 'sunrise' to see what time it is at the moment, as that was my first thought too. Even if it might not seem bright to us, things like the birds starting, other wildlife moving about, even if we can't perceive it, tells a dog MOR-NING!!
Our curtains are lined but my dog does stir earlier when it gets brighter.
		
Click to expand...

Do you think feeding in the morning might help too?


----------



## satinbaze (27 February 2013)

Dogs take on average 12 hours to process food so if you feed at 4pm guess what time they will need to poo...4am. Therefore feed supper later and puppy should then be clean overnight. My girls are fed their evening meal at 8pm at the earliest, although they are v flexible ANC sometimes it as late as 10pm if we have been training


----------



## CorvusCorax (27 February 2013)

Probably! As you say, it's more logical. A dog that wants to poop when it's in the bedroom, will still want to poop when it's in the kitchen (which I say will let in even more light?)
Also depends what the feed is.

Mine does get a late tea but he's always been good toilet wise, some breeds are better than others and depends what age she is, obvs pups and oldies don't find it so easy to hang on.


----------



## Ginger Bear (27 February 2013)

My dog tried this a couple of times, and once you do it the first time they get into a bit of a habit. My dog sleeps in her bed on our bedroom floor so could easily wake us up.. I found either a late night walk tires them out to sleep longer and I've also sent my dog back to bed too & didn't give in to letting her out & that sorted her out.. I was finding that when letting her out she was using it as an excuse to have a little play in the garden..lol.. On the odd time she REALLY needs to go she will make sure she gets me up and will not go back to bed.


----------



## sandi_84 (27 February 2013)

CaveCanem said:



			Probably! As you say, it's more logical. A dog that wants to poop when it's in the bedroom, will still want to poop when it's in the kitchen (which I say will let in even more light?)
Also depends what the feed is.

Mine does get a late tea but he's always been good toilet wise, some breeds are better than others and depends what age she is, obvs pups and oldies don't find it so easy to hang on.
		
Click to expand...

Yeah it would as the blinds in the kitchen are never closed. She's a border collie, coming up on 3yrs old and is usually very good with the toilet (she toilet trained very fast), and she's fed a mix of one pedigree pouch (wet food) and a small scoop of dry mix.



Ginger Bear said:



			My dog tried this a couple of times, and once you do it the first time they get into a bit of a habit. My dog sleeps in her bed on our bedroom floor so could easily wake us up.. I found either a late night walk tires them out to sleep longer and I've also sent my dog back to bed too & didn't give in to letting her out & that sorted her out.. I was finding that when letting her out she was using it as an excuse to have a little play in the garden..lol.. On the odd time she REALLY needs to go she will make sure she gets me up and will not go back to bed.
		
Click to expand...

She does do this sometimes too, if you keep an eye on her and tell her to go she does though


----------



## CAYLA (28 February 2013)

The most logical answer is as suggested move meals to an earlier time to allow her to empty herself earlier and (black out blind) the break of dawn is the most common denominator in (waking dogs) daylight= activity so keep it night time for aslong as you can.


----------



## sandi_84 (28 February 2013)

CAYLA said:



			The most logical answer is as suggested move meals to an earlier time to allow her to empty herself earlier and (black out blind) the break of dawn is the most common denominator in (waking dogs) daylight= activity so keep it night time for aslong as you can.
		
Click to expand...

Cool thank you!


----------

