I've had my 11 month old dog for 4 weeks now and for the first 3 weeks we had no 'accidents' whatsoever. He would go for a last toilet before bed and I would get up at 6.30am for his next toilet, and he would hold out.

For the last 5 days I have got up in the morning to find wee wees in the kitchen and living room. Not just one but two or three.

Can anybody advise me here please. He knows full well where he is supposed to toilet so why has he started doing this all of a sudden?

(ps: I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but he is an uncastrated male).

4 weeks is not a long time to have him. perhaps he feels a littel strange and is trying to adjust to his new home, Do you take him out late at night I do with Zac he is only 7 months but really clean some mornings at 6am he is busting poor sweetie .

Are the wees little squirts and puddles, usually near a verticle piece of furniture? If so yes it could be teritorial scent marking. A firnd of mine had a terrible time of this with a young Dobe male. He even weed into one of the sockets and blew the electrics.

You will have to contain him in an easily washed down area, and watch him like a hawk, and if you see him do it then reprimand him. Can't think of another solutionif that is what it is.

Also has there been any changes in the home that have made him a bit insecure, which could trigger this. change in work patterns, a new baby or dog etc?

Also you need to rule out any urinary tract infection, which could be making him wee more!

He only seems to do these wees overnight. If I go out shopping without him or anything like that, he is fine. It's only during the night.

Everybody I have asked has told me to put his nose in it, but I think that's too cruel. I wondered how to discourage him without upsetting him. He is perfect in every other way and such an innocent looking thing.

Wee wees are usually up against things. We've had them up chairs, sofas, doors, walls, and even the VIDEO RECORDER! If we had him castrated, do you think it would help?

Castration mught help, but I have looked after castrated dogs who still do it, as my home is strange to them.

In view of the short time you have had him it could be insecurity making him cok his leg to get his scent onhis new home.

As it only happens at night, I would invest in a crate to put him to bed in. This will be also very useful in the car or whenyou go away with him!

I do have a crate which I bought from his previous owners, but I thought it would be cruel to cage him at night.

Beanie,
It's not cruel to crate a dog at night....especially puppies. It's just a bed to them. Yes, you're restricting them, but then again, a crib does the same for a baby. Keeps them safe & in a confined area.

Personally, I sleep better knowing that my dog doesn't have the chance to wander & get into trouble. My terrier loves to explore for food & stuff while I"m asleep. Right now, I have a baby gate across my bedroom door at night to keep my two with me, but I can hear the rest of the house. They're adult dogs..but more nocturnal than I am :D

He might have trouble deciding to wake you up to be let out (My Cocker mix is like that-- lil ms shy jr). If he's crated, he'll probably cry in the middle of the night to be let out. He won't go potty in his bed unless he's ill. Get up, let him out, quietly praise him, put him back to bed, & you go to sleep unworried that there are more messes waiting for you in the morning.

Also watch the water amount that he gets before he goes to bed. When mine were puppies, I usually stopped allowing access to water about 90 minutes before bedtime.
There are other reasons for tinkling & I'm sure others will bring up other ideas. But rest easy on crating being cruel punishment. Just think of it as a dog's playpen. :D
toodles

Crates - cruel ! No way. They are a brilliant idea. To quote a book I recently read "a dog will treat the crate like a den. Thats the natural instinct of the dog anyway. Besides they soon learn its completely private to them, safe and the rents never due". Seriously crates are a fabulous idea and mean that you dont have to live with your pal in the bedroom (if you dont want).

They also help in housebreaking and setting the dogs "clock" to what happens and when.

A lot of people dont see it that way. But then again their beds probably have lots of hair all over them

Most books on the subject of training now seem to recommend them but ultimately I suppose its a choice to fit the lifestyle of man/womens best friend!

Hey now Daren, don't stereotype us crate advocates as not having dog hair on our beds. My dogs have both crates in the bedroom, but we all snuggle together on the bed pretty much every night... especially with hubby gone & not hogging the covers :D :D :D
So there's some dog hair, but my hair is kind of long, too & it's unfortunately worse to deal with than the dogs. :D :p
toodles