Should my 9-month-old crated dog still need a 4 AM potty break?

You can try warming his puppy food slightly or mixing in some warm water. This could stimulate his appetite. Depending on his age, he may still need to go out in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. The rule of thumb regarding maximum crate time before a potty break is 1 hour for each month of age plus 1 hour. So, if he is 3 months old, that would be a maximum of 4 hours crated before having a break.

I will give you the method I suggest to help potty train puppies. I find it to be effective in house breaking them: Start by keeping your puppy on a regular feeding schedule, and taking away her food between meals. Take her out to potty first thing every morning, and once every 30 minutes to an hour. Always make sure she goes out after meals, first thing when she wakes up from a nap, last thing before bedtime at night, and right before you leave the house. Take her to the same spot each time to go potty. Her scent there will encourage her to go. Stay with her outside each time she goes to potty, at least until she is fully house trained. When she goes outside, praise her and give her a treat. You might want to consider crate training as part of her house training. It allows you to keep an eye on her for signs that she has to go potty, and will teach her to hold it until you put her outdoors. The crate needs to be big enough for her to stand up, turn around, and lie down, but it should not be big enough for her to go potty in.

At 3 months old, she's still in the middle of the house training process and it's normal for her to have multiple bowel movements a day. Keep working on the house training and being consistent. Using a crate at night could help her hold if through the night, but she may also need you to set an alarm and take her out for another month or two.

Hello, and thank you for your question. A 1 year old dog should be able to sleep through the night without having to pee. If not, you can try using pee pads to train him to go potty in the house. If it is a matter of Rolo wanting more exercise, you can try longer walks, less frequently, e.g. 45-60 minute walks in the morning and night. I would gradually try to phase out the 4am walk by taking him out a bit later each day, e.g. 5am on day 1, then 6am on day 2, etc. He should eventually understand that he will not be getting that early morning walk, and as suggested earlier, if he has to go potty you can try training him to use a pee pad. I hope this helps! Good luck with training Rolo!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Snoopy. Most puppies will wake up during the night to go potty. They cannot typically hold their urination and defecation through the night until after 3 months of age. So take him outside, let him go potty and place him directly back in his crate or sleeping area. Be quiet and do not engage in play with him. This will help him learn to go back to bed quickly. I hope this information helps!

Hello. Crate training takes time, so keep persevering. That being said, expect dogs to be able to hold their bladders the number of months they are in terms of hours, as a general rule. They can hold it a little longer at night. Expect to have to wake up in the middle of the night to let him outside. Bring him outside, let him pee, then right back inside into the crate. No playing or else he will get used to that. The whining and barking should subside soon. HAve fun with him!

Since Theodore can't talk, I do recommend to have him checked to make sure there is not a bladder infection or GI parasite. It's very unusual that it's happening with this regularity. Examine your schedule to see if he is staying in the crate longer than usual or skipping a walk/bathroom break. You may also discuss his history with your vet. If Theodore was kept in a crate for long periods as a small puppy where he had no choice but to use the bathroom in the crate, this can effect his crate training and house breaking in later life. It's also possible his crate is too big for him. Try adding an extra walk on Fridays and Saturdays to see if this helps. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.