Should you take puppy out to pee in middle of night

8 Things You Should Know When Taking A Puppy Outside To Pee!

It is often said in our guides to potty training a puppy that, take your puppy outside to pee and stand boring. But there are still small questions left.

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1. How do I get my puppy to pee outside?
2. Should I carry my puppy out to pee?
3. Should I carry my puppy out to pee at night?
4. How long should you wait outside for your puppy to pee?
5. How long should you wait outside for your puppy to pee at night?
6. Why does my puppy pee inside after being outside?
7. Can I take my 8-week old puppy outside to pee?
8. When should I stop carrying my puppy to pee?

Heres are the answers to those frequently asked, unanswered questions:

1- How do I get my puppy to pee outside?

You have to train your puppy to go outside. This is what we do when we potty train them.

Put the puppy on a leash, and take him to the outside potty spot at regular intervals.

Make sure you fix only one spot and use only one door leading to that spot.

When he does the deed, always treat him with a doggy treat within a second.

This way, your puppy will start recognizing that path and the spot and eventually learn to go on his own.

The key is, Never give him a chance to pee inside the house.

2- Should I carry my puppy out to pee?

Carrying a puppy outside to pee is a good idea, especially at the beginning of potty training.

This way, you will encourage him to hold his bladder. Otherwise, he may start urinating on the floor before reaching the spot and you will have to clean up a lot of mess.

But you shouldnt make it a practice.

Otherwise, he will refuse to walk out to pee.

The best practice is to carry him outside to pee at these times

• immediately after, he wakes up and
• at night time potty breaks
• whenever he shows his cues like sniffing, circling, barking, scratching, staring, etc.

These are the times when there are chances that he will not be able to hold it.

3- Should I carry my puppy out to pee at night?

yes, you should carry your puppy out to pee at night.

At night, your puppys brain might not be as active as it is when he is wide awake. He might not be interested in holding it at this time. So it is best to carry him out to pee at night.

Heres how you can do it:

Set your alarm according to his schedule. A puppy can hold it for one hour every month of their age.

Say your puppy is 3 months old, so he should be able to hold it for 3 hours unless he is a small/tiny breed (make it 2 hours for 3 months old tiny breed puppy).

Wake up on alarm, open the crate door, wake him up, carry him to the potty spot and say your fixed command like go potty.

Do not make it a playtime. As soon as he finished, put him back into the crate so he could sleep again.

4- How long should you wait outside for your puppy to pee?

You should wait outside for a good 10-15 minutes for your puppy to pee.

Make it 5-10 minutes for older dogs.

Puppies have tiny bladders and they just dont know how to completely empty them in one go, maybe because they get distracted so quickly.

When you take him out, make sure he is on a leash. Take him to the potty spot and say, go potty.

Stand boring. Never make it a playtime.

When he is done, stay there! Give him another chance to relieve himself. Wait for almost 10 minutes and give your pup another chance.

Most probably, hell go again.

5- How long should you wait outside for your puppy to pee at night?

You can wait outside for around 5 minutes at nighttimes first potty break.

You must remove the water bowl 2 hours before bed and take him to the toilet before he goes to sleep.

So it is highly likely that your puppys bladder will not be that full.

He might not need another chance.

Take him to the spot, do not play with him; make it quick. When he has done the deed, wait for a minute or 2 to see if he does that again and come back.

Put him to sleep again.

This is for the first potty break.

On the second or third break, no need to wait for long.

6- Why does my puppy pee inside after being outside?

Your puppy pees inside after being outside? There are multiple possible reasons:

• He didnt completely empty his bladder outside. This is why we recommend giving him another chance.

• He smells like pee inside. If he had an accident inside, and you didnt catch it or maybe you didnt clean it properly, he might smell pee there. (dogs have a very sharp sense of smell). Following the natural dogs instincts, he might go there again.

• Medical Conditions like UTI. If it happens multiple times, check for any medical conditions like UTI. Dogs and puppies are prone to UTIs; the main symptom is peeing small amounts repeatedly.

• Urine marking. If your puppy/dog is peeing on the new objects only, it can be urine marking too. See if he lifts one leg to pee, which is small in amount. Puppies may start urine marking as early as 3-4 months old.

7- Can I take my 8-week old puppy outside to pee?

Although we dont recommend starting training as early as 8 weeks old! But you can take your new puppy outside to pee (only to set good potty habits).

Take these precautions:

• The area is hygenic: Make sure that the area, where you are taking him, is hygienic. Ideally your own yard. Of Course you dont want your baby to get exposed to germs.

• He is vaccinated: He has at least one shot of vaccination.Usually, puppies get their first shot between 8-11 weeks (sometimes earlier)

• Be with him: You cant just leave your puppy alone; stay with him and keep an eye. He might eat something that is not to be eaten.

8- When should I stop carrying my puppy to pee?

It varies from dog to dog and depends on when you started potty training your puppy. You need to understand what your puppy is capable of.

As a general answer, You can stop carrying your puppy out to pee when you think/know that he is now capable enough to hold his bladder, and somehow he knows that he needs to hold until he is out. Most dogs start understanding the potty spot in one week of training (if you have started training at the right age (12-14 weeks). But you should keep carrying him (on recommended times) for at least 3-4 weeks to be on the safe side.

Suppose you have started training an 8-week-old puppy, which is too young for a puppy to understand what is going on. You can continue carrying him out to pee until he is at least 13-14 weeks old.

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Must-have supplies during the puppys potty training

If you are potty training your puppy, you can benefit from this printable puppy potty training planner. It helps you track your puppys schedule and speed up his training.

Have any more questions? Feel free to ask in the comments!

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How To Get Your Puppy on a Healthy Sleeping Schedule

Getting a puppy is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming. In some ways, having a puppy is like having a baby, because they need a lot of attention and patience while theyre learning and adjusting. One of the first things your puppy needs to learn is a sleep schedule.

Depending on the breed of dog, their age, and their activity during the day, puppies sleep a lotanywhere from 1220 hours per day. Very young puppies will sleep constantlyunless theyre nursing. As puppies get older, they alternate between sleeping and bursts of energy.

With all this time spent snoozing, heres how to help your puppy learn good sleeping habits.

Where Should a Puppy Sleep at Night?

Your puppy needs to have their own sleeping space. A properly sized crate is useful for sleep training, and your pet will soon learn that this is where to go for a quiet and safe place to rest. Bonus: Teaching your dog to sleep in the crate also helps with potty training.

The crate should be a comfortable and warm place. For at least the first few weeks, it should be placed in your bedroom where you sleep. Remember that your puppy is in a new home, away from his mom and siblings, and those first few nights will be scary! Its important that he learns from the beginning that he is safe and not alone. A scared puppy will have trouble falling asleep.

How To Prepare a Puppy for Bed

Creating a routine will help your puppy know what will happen next and what behavior you expect. Make sure your puppy has eaten his last meal of the day at least three hours before bedtime. This gives him enough time to digest and use the bathroom before bed.

Take a walk and have a final, gentle playtime about an hour before bed. Once you put your puppy in the crate to sleep, you should either go to sleep or pretend to go to sleep. If you are still up, active, and making noise, your puppy will want to join you.

Creating a cozy and comfortable bed will also prepare your puppy for sleep. If possible, put a blanket or something with your scent in the crate with him. If that is not possible, a soft, warm blanket will still offer some comfort. Choose a dog bed for the crate that has raised sides so your puppy will feel cradled and protected. Whatever bedding you choose, make sure its washable in case of an accident.

There are also toys designed to mimic another dog, such as the Snuggle Puppy, that can be a soothing toy for your puppy to cuddle. If you do put toys in the crate, stick with ones conducive to bedtimenot something that would make your puppy think its playtime. As always, use your best judgment when choosing items to put in the crate with your puppy; you do not want to put anything in the crate that could be a choking hazard.

What To Do If Your Puppy Is Crying

There are two main reasons your puppy cries in his crate: He needs to go to the bathroom, or he wants attention.

If your puppy just went to the bathroom but is still crying, comfort him by gently and quietly reassuring him with your voice, or quietly sitting by the crate until he falls asleep. Do not interact with your puppy in a way that gets him excited or playful. You also do not want to let him out of the crate in response to his crying. Doing so will get him in the habit of waking you up simply because hes bored. And remember: Even though you do not want to indulge his crying when he just wants attention, never punish your puppy for crying at night.

How Often Do Puppies Pee at Night?

When puppies are young, they need to go to the bathroom every two to four hours. If your puppy cries during the night; is awake or unsettled; and it has been at least a few hours since he last went to the bathroom, then assume he needs to go again.

Quietly take your puppy out without interacting much or playing with him. As soon as your puppy goes to the bathroom, immediately go back inside and quietly go back to bed. Leaving the crate to use the restroom should be all businessnot a fun field trip.

Some puppies can sleep through the night by 12 weeks old, but it could take longer for them to hold their bladders for six to eight hours through the night.

Learn To Be a Morning Person

Like babies, puppies will sleep when they need to sleep and wake up when they need food, water, playtime, or to go potty. Let your puppy sleep undisturbed as much as possible so they get the sleep they need. Eventually, your pet will learn your sleep routine and wake up in the morning when you do. But remember: Puppies need to go potty more frequently than adult dogs, so sleeping in might be challenging until your puppy is older.

Because puppies are like babies, they will have moments of energy and being awakeand then suddenly they will be sleepy and need a nap. If your household is constantly full of noise and activity and your puppy struggles with napping during the day, consider putting your puppy in a quiet place to nap. Like a baby, your puppy may need someone to be nearby until they fall asleep.

With love, patience, and a schedule, your puppy will be on their way to a great sleeping routine.

Featured Image: iStock/SolStock

WRITTEN BY

Dr. Rania Gollakner

Veterinarian

Rania Gollakner received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2010 and a Master of Public Health in 2017. She practiced companion...