# Cockapoo toilet trainning at night.



## Andy86 (Feb 27, 2015)

hello, I have a cockapoo bitch approaching 6 months. We work in the week so she is on her own 8-5pm
2 days of a 7 day week, in these two days she has a dog walker who spends two hrs with her in the day. 


We have a dog flap for her but we are having real trouble messing. We started with puppy pads which she will only wee on. We got closer and closer to the door then out the Matt outside but she won't wee outside (at night) we tried to take the pads up at night all together to find she would just wee and poo inside and not use the flap, we tried putting a light outside for her at night but no good. 


We did all the standard things in her early days. Take her out for a wee all the time, first thing in the morning and last thing at night with lots of fuss and positive re inforcement. 

Now she knows she's doing wrong as when she has messed inside when I go downstairs and open the kitchen door she hides from me. 

We tried taking her out for a walk at 10pm before bed and sometimes she poo but most of the time she wouldn't then when we go to bed I'd check on the camera in the kitchen and within an hr she's had a poo. 

It's like she disapprovs of being put in the kitchen (which is big and she has the garden) 

Am I expecting too much? I have a crate, should I pop her in there for one night and see how she reacts? 

Please help she's ruining my kitchen floor -


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Does she use the dog flap at all? She may not be associating going outside with the need to toilet. Ditch the pads and physically take her outside yourself, go back to basics. At night, I'd crate her so she learns to hold it. But take her out as late as possible and then be prepared to get up early to take her out again even if you go back to bed for another hour or so afterwards.
Our cockerpoo (see profile piccie) learnt to touch the cat flap when he was announcing he wanted to go out and that was after being taken out to toilet. So once she associates going outside with the need to toilet, she then may start using the dog flap.


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## Andy86 (Feb 27, 2015)

Thanks Wiz201, the issue only seems to be a night. Sometimes I have stood outside with her for 30/45 mins and she just lays down and looks at me, we have a command go wee wee's which we have used for both wee and a poo but it generally only works for number one! If we where to crate her overnight its usually between 10:30 and 6am, is this too long? I don't mind getting up half way through the night and let her outside...


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

You could try crate training at night, the theory behind using a crate to help with toilet training is that a dog wont soil its bed or surrounding area or where they eat,
most wont, but if they are left in there too long and really need to go then left with no alternative they will. It is only ever an aid to toilet training, and you still have to do the actual physical training of taking them out rewarding with praise and treat when they go etc etc.

From your post I take it that shes fine in the day and clean and you only have the problem at night? When you were toilet training her originally did you ever take her at night too as well as train her in the day? If you didn't then that may be part of the problem. With all mine when toilet training I have always had them within sight and sound of me for the first few weeks so that when they wake or stir I have always popped them out to go. This way they tend to get into a natural pattern only waking when they need to toilet, as their capacity to hold more for longer periods increases and with the training you then find that the need to go in the night gets less and less and they eventually should go right through until morning. Otherwise people often set an alarm a few times, and take them out that way at the start while training until they go through. If she has never actually been taken out in the night to go then that may be your problem its just become a habit/ she thinks its normal and acceptable. You could try using the crate and taking her out a few times. If you can tell by the camera that there seems to be a regular pattern time wise that she seems to do it, maybe ensure you co-incide the time you pop her out just before she will naturally be doing it.

You need to make sure she is introduced and will relax and rest in the crate though, because if they are not used to it and cant relax, then you will often get soiling through stress and anxiety too.

At 6 months even if you think they are totally trained its not uncommon to get a relapse, a lot of the time its often because thinking that they have completely got it we relapse in making sure they go out and reminding them, at 6 months still they are often still not great at realising they need to go or thinking for themselves.
Often a course of retraining and then ensuring you pop them out still sorts it.

There may be a clue too in what you have said that she knows whats shes done and hides. A lot of people think that but the truth usually is that they don't associate the toileting long after the fact and connect your behaviour or telling off with the event. All they learn is that when you appear at certain times you are tense or angry or they get a telling off and don't know why. Telling dogs off for toileting or being tense or angry in your body language and tone of voice can actually make them nervous about going in front of you and make them some more likely to sneak off and do it or when you are out of sight. Some dogs toilet too when stressed so that may even be a factor. You also need to ensure you clean up with a special pet stain/odour remover as smells left can encourage repeats.

The problem too may be how and what you are feeding her. Some foods have a lot of bulkers and fillers producing excessive waste that causes them to poop more, more waste more poop. Sometimes changing food can help. Also there tends to be a transit time between eating and toileting, so when you feed her may be playing a part too.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

By using the puppy pads, you taught her it was fine to toilet indoors. Now you're having to teach her it's not OK. Much better to teach them to go outside right from the start. Read through the sticky above on toilet training, and put it into practice. It might help to choose a new toilet word, if the old one has bad associations for your dog.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Andy86 said:


> hello, I have a cockapoo bitch approaching 6 months. We work in the week so she is on her own 8-5pm
> 2 days of a 7 day week, in these two days she has a dog walker who spends two hrs with her in the day.
> 
> We have a dog flap for her but we are having real trouble messing. We started with puppy pads which she will only wee on. We got closer and closer to the door then out the Matt outside but she won't wee outside (at night) we tried to take the pads up at night all together to find she would just wee and poo inside and not use the flap, we tried putting a light outside for her at night but no good.
> ...


I think you need to use the crate a little longer, use a lead and make all things contingent on emptying.


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