Nighttime pee driving me crazy!

[JaymeK]

Hi all!

I have been super absent again! Sorry about that, hope everyone is doing well. School is kicking into gear and it's getting to be a bit much! I'm not working as much but I do still have Benson!

He's been driving me crazy at night lately when I take him out for his pee. Our walk usually ends by 7:30 or 8, and depending on when I have to get up in the morning we go out around 10 or 11 for a pee. He almost always has to go, it's just that he takes FOREVER. I don't have a backyard so I have to get all suited up (it's freezing here) and walk him around on a leash in the greenspace behind my house. He has this horrible habit of walking around FOREVER before finding a spot to pee.

Oftentimes, as happened tonight which finally made me post this, he'll lift his leg or squat numerous times but then just change his mind and keep walking. It is not uncommon that I spend ten minutes walking him around before he decides to go.

My plan is to start setting the timer on my phone for 3 or 4 minutes, and if he doesn't go by then, well he's lost his chance and will just have to hold it until the morning.

But I was wondering if anyone else has any tips or tricks to make him go faster? I'll be moving next year, hopefully to a place with a fenced yard so he'll go right away or I'll at least not have to stand out there with him, but in the meantime I'd like to get him in the habit of going faster.

It's even more frustrating because when I was puppy sitting for my neighbour I brought her out a lot (every two hours) and the second we hit the grass she would pee then go back inside.

So as for now, I am very cold and very frustrated

Any advice would be appreciated!

[AngeD]

I have the same problem, only it is with defecating. My dog will pee instantly when we walk out the door, but he will spend forever finding a place to defecate. It is like no place is perfect for him.

[kian]

Jayme he is being a male and has to find the perfect spot to pee, only you need to make him go on your time, not his.
Be sure to pick up all water after 6pm and when he goes be sure to give it a command "go potty" "hurry up" whatever works for you. It's teaching him to pee on command not at his leisure. First he has to understand the command, bring something he likes....a treat, a toy whatever makes him happy.

Reward him the minute he goes potty and make a happy fuss! Hopefully it will only take a few nights before he gets it and does his business.

Also lunge him like a horse, you don't move, just stand and keep him walking back and forth. I feel your pain with the cold!

[JaymeK]

Thanks Kian, we use the command "Get busy" which is what his breeder used when he was a puppy and we have been using it ever since.

I always just follow him around so maybe I will grab his long lead and just stand there. I do give him a treat but not until we go inside. I'll start bringing a few out with me.

Thanks for the advice!

[Nileska]

Jaymie..I think a Flexi lead might come in handy. They are retractable and come in 18 or 26 ft lengths...As with the lunge line for Horses you can stand in one spot and exercise your dog,the line retracts automatically. I personally prefer the longer version..The original Flexi is German made,beware of Asian knockoffs they are not worth the money..

[pawsforthought]

Monty (as well as Finn, and they're both full males) can take his time, but for us it's about finding the right place for him to go. He will NEVER go on just flat ground, even if it's grass, he goes on buildings, trees, lamp posts, the sides of houses, potted plants, gates, walls etc and he pretty much goes straight away if you manage to find him one of these places. When we go to the Isle of Wight and stay in places that don't have enclosed gardens, or when going to pubs and taking him with us he has to go outside on a lead and it's through trial and error that we found the ideal places for him to pee. Maybe Benson is like this and finds it hard to get to a good place to pee on a patch of grass?

Even if Benson isn't intact, a lot of male dogs mark like this.

Otherwise I agree with Kian on the lunging idea, and with your plan to just come inside after a time and he'll have to hold it. I just assume now that if whichever dog I'm taking out isn't peeing, that he doesn't particularly need to.

Good luck! I can sympathise, believe me!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Jayme, I find as our dogs mature, they actually need to go less and less often.

I think the extra long Flexi-leash is a great idea because you may be able to stand somewhat indoors and just hold the leash. Only by the "brand" name as the cheap ones have been known to break, and that just won't do.

Another suggestion is to eliminate that 7:00 to 7:30 walk, and perhaps try and extend the time to 9:30 and make that the final walk of the night. Both of my males like to go out immediately after eating, which they do. That is usually around 5:00ish to 6:00ish. I always let them know when it is the "last call" for the night so they know it's bedtime after this, and unless they're ill, they won't be going out again until morning.

I think asking him to hold it from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. is a long stretch, although he probably could. You will also finds as he gets older, he will become happier and happier to sleep in longer. Of course the only day Oliver did not sleep in this week was Sunday! He stood on the foot of my bed BARKING at absolutely nothing, but it was at least 8:00 a.m.

Oliver likes to putz around in the morning, which can be just as infuriating if one needs the loo themselves or is in a hurry to leave the house. Henry still needs to go out as soon as he wakes, but is quite ready for bed by 11:00 at the latest.

Good luck with that as I know it's been awfully darn cold, especially last night, and it was terribly windy over the weekend.

[pawsforthought]

flexi leads are so good for this purpose but the one we just bought is faulty and the button keeps sticking in which can be really infuriating and Finn gets his legs all caught up etc. Out on walks, it's been difficult to reel him in out of the way of traffic/people/dogs and we emailed the company and haven't had a reply. Annoying because they're otherwise really good. Ah well

[Nileska]

Paws,I do hope you bought the genuine Flexi brand lead made in Germany.There are many cheap copy's made in places like China which are not worth the money.Since they were first introduced ( I bought my first one in Canada ) they have been my lead of choice for walking and exercise...It's just like reeling in a fish And I DO appreciate not haveing to go everywhere the dog goes while he investigates each blade of grass looking for the proper place to take care of business

I currently own about a half dozen genuine Flexis ( the name is on them ) I have never had a problem with any of them and they ARE guaranteed .. I used to have a vendor who would give me a price break if I bought several at a time so I would send one home with each of my puppies. ..I suspect you may have a knockoff,they look similar but don't work as well.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Richard, I totally concur with the value of the Flexi product. My first Flexi was their "entry level" model, which for small dogs, has a thin sort of string, before the leash part, and it's very good, except a young puppy, with sharp puppy teeth, can very quickly chew through that if a young boy is not paying attention.

I have two more now, and the latest one I just love. The entire leash is like a tape, instead of the thin line rope, followed by the short leash part. It also has reflecting strip down both sides of the entire length of the leash/tape, and because it's a flat tape, it never, ever sticks or becomes tangled. I bought this one in pearl white. The "comfort handle" on the case makes it very ergonomic, and the button even has a dip in it for one's thumb. It is as sturdy as can be, and I would suggest that anyone buying a Flexi spend that little bit extra, buy the weight appropriate size for one's dog, and buy the top of the line Flexi!!! I am not a paid spokesperson for this product, I should add.

Having the built in reflection on the tape is a real plus at night even if one isn't walking on the street. It is all double stitched and extremely tough and sturdy.

Gaby, I do hope you bought an original Flexi and not a cheap knock off.

[pawsforthought]

It was indeed a genuine Flexi. :s

Anyway, not to take this thread off the subject xD

[JaymeK]

Thanks for everyone's advice:)

We have been using his long lead to go out at night. I stand in the middle of the green space and let him walk around. He does get tangled sometimes though. He usually goes within about 4 minutes now and I treat him right away.

Tonight I am taking Deb's advice and walking him later, around 9. This might be something we'll do more in the future because with our usual walk at 7 I don't have time to do homework between dinner and our walk, then by the time we get back around 8 I usually end up just watching a show or something. This way I can do work from right after dinner until our walk then go right to bed.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]