Tried it all- need help with house training a dog

[cdlamis]

Please help~We have a 1 yr old female Enlgish Bulldog who is essentially house trained. She does not go to the bathroom in the house anymore except at night. She sleeps in her crate since dogs are "supposed" to not go where they sleep. Her crate is small enough so she only has room to turn around and sleep comfortably. She sleeps on a towel and every morning it is wet with urine. I don't know how she can even stand to sleep on a wet towel but she does!

We take away her access to water at 4pm every day like our Vet suggested and we take her outside many times after that and we make sure she pees at 10pm when we go to bed. We let her out by 6am. Is this just too long still for a dog her age to hold it or do we just have a dumb dog?

Any ideas? Thanks!
Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

[Momof3Labs]

Have you ruled out any medical reasons for her not being able to hold her urine? Is she spayed? Has she ever had a litter of puppies? Has she been tested for diabetes? Have you tried putting her on PPA (phenylpropanolamine)? Our male dog is on that for being a dripper. Have you tried changing her food to a lower sodium food?

Do you know if she is actually urinating at night, or is she leaking the urine?

A one year old dog should be able to hold it for 8 hours, if there is not another reason for the incontinence.

If your vet refuses to consider this anything but a training issue, then find a new vet!

P.S. Dogs don't go where they sleep only if they are *able* to hold it.

ETA: Have you ruled out a bladder infection?

[miki]

I don't think think she's too young to go 8 hours without peeing. We've got 2 dogs--one we've had since puppyhood, she's a cocker spaniel. When she was a few months old, she could go the night in her crate without any accidents and her crate was actually too big for her.

I can only think of two things. Maybe your dog has some medical problem (but you mentioned consulting your vet so I guess the vet has already looked her over). Or maybe for some reason she did not learn to keep her sleeping area clean from her mom before she was weaned.

As far as solutions, the easiest would be if you were able to have a doggie door, she could go out at night if she needed. What we did with our pup after we stopped crating her at night was to let her sleep gated in the kitchen. We put down some newspaper and she would pee on that once during the night. Then after a couple of months, we took the paper away and she didn't pee in the kitchen at night, she just held it. We'd just make sure to take her out very early.

Good luck.

[KGoes]

I would ask her vet. She's young to have weak bladder problems, but spayed females often have control problems especially at night while they sleep. This is easily treated with PPA, which are now chewable tablets that reek of garlic - apparently a doggie delight.
Kelley
DD born 7/03

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

My gut is medical issue too...a small medical issue, but a medical issue.
Even if you adore your vet more than anyone I think I would take this pup to another one for atleast "one consult", maybe a new set of eyes, or different knowledge might beable to find out the root of the problem. I'm certain the pup doesn't want to sit in her pee, and suspect that during the day she might need to go but knows an opporutntiy to go outside will surface more than during the night...

This is just my gut I know it is so hard in that they can't tell you...I'd copy Lori's suggestions and take them with you to the vet...my strong feeling is a new set of eyes on the situation will help...then return to your vet if loyal.

BUT please keep us posted...
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties