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You're in that place between dreams and reality. You hear the sound of a babbling stream as you drift off. But wait! There are no rivers in your house! You shoot out of bed as you clue into what's happening. Sure enough, a golden puddle awaits you smack dab in the middle of your living room.
Anyone who's dealt with a midnight urinator knows how much of pain this bad habit can be. But why would a dog who is otherwise house trained insist on “going” inside after the sun goes down? Finding that out will help you better address the situation.
Peeing at night can happen for a whole heap of reasons. Sometimes it's just a matter of not being supervised before potty training is complete. Other times, your dog could be marking his territory in a spot that he previously peed on and can still smell.
Another reason that younger pups have night time accidents has to do with when they eat and drink. Their bladders are small, and empty faster than older pooches. If you're giving your youngster a giant bowl of water before bed, she might not be able to hold it until morning. Thankfully, most of these problems are fixable!
To help your fur buddy make it through the night with no accidents, you'll need to be prepared. Try to come to the table with the following:
- An Alarm: You may think it's overkill, but it's easy to let minutes turn into hours when you aren't paying attention. Having an alarm can help you set a strict schedule.
- Cleaning Supplies: Don't just grab your favorite bargain brand! Dish out the extra dollars for an enzyme-based cleaner made specifically to beat dog urine.
- A Crate: Some dogs just need a safe space to become their den. A dog's instinct tells them not to pee in their den, so staying in the crate overnight might stop sneaky floor pees.
Peeing inside at night can also be a sign that your dog isn't feeling so hot. It's a good idea to get a full check-up to make sure all is well before trying to train your dog out of this unpleasant habit.
Below are some methods that you can use to help both Rover and you sleep through the nights. Remember, if you catch your pooch in the act of peeing inside, don't freak out! Clap your hands loudly and give a firm “no!”, then lead the dog outside.
The Rigid Routine Method
Most Recommended
6 Votes
Most Recommended
6 Votes
Set your alarm
Pick a time in the evening that is about two hours before bedtime.
Take the bowl away
When the alarm goes off, take away your pup’s water dish.
Go outside
Make sure you give your dog one or two more potty breaks before heading to bed.
Keep tabs on your dog
Bring your pooch’s bed in your room so you'll hear if he gets up.
Don't sleep in!
If your pup makes it through the night, be sure to get him outside first thing in the morning to relieve himself.
Reward a job well done
After he “goes” in the right spot, praise him with a treat.
The Cozy Crate Method
Effective
3 Votes
Effective
3 Votes
Bring in the crate
Put it somewhere that your family is, like a living room or bedroom.
Make it cozy
Think of what a den looks like. Try putting a towel on top of the crate and a fluffy blanket inside.
Check the size
Your dog should be able to comfortably lay down in his crate, but only just! If it's too roomy in there, the pup may designate a corner for peeing.
Put a treat inside
Let your dog know that the crate is a good thing. Give him a tasty treat once he goes inside and put his favorite toys in there.
Go outside before bed
Make sure that your pupper fully relieves himself before heading in for the night.
The Marking Menace Method
Least Recommended
2 Votes
Least Recommended
2 Votes
Find where your dog has peed
Locate all of the pee spots in your home. If you really want to be thorough, you can use a UV light.
Clean the spots
Get your heavy duty enzyme cleaner and soak the area.
Follow the label
Get your heavy duty enzyme cleaner and soak the area.
Try it out
See how your dog does overnight after a thorough cleaning. If he does not return to the pee areas, you may have beaten the smell!
Steam clean!
If your first clean didn't stop the night accidents, you may want to rent a steam cleaner or hire a professional. Then you'll know for sure that all urine scents are gone.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/24/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Amy Caldwell
Training Questions and Answers
My dog is does very well going to the restroom outside. During the day no issues . She goes before we go to bed. The problem is she wakes me up 3-4 times a night to pee or poop. Right after she goes to the water dish has a little water and back to sleep. Only at night does she go pee soooo much. Last health check by Vet was fine.
Jan. 23, 2024
Angel's Owner
our little girl has regressed in toilet training...she nows pees in the house every single night
Dec. 11, 2023
Meli's Owner
it will not stop peeing in the house at nith and we do not kowe to do
June 6, 2023
scharet's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I recommend strictly following the crate training method from the article I have linked below, for potty training harder to train dogs. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 6, 2023
My dog is potty trained however he has started peeing in the house at night over the last couple months. We take him out at least once if not twice before we go to bed, we stop any water or food around 6, we have pee pads we put down and he at least seems to aim for those. He currently sleeps in our kitchen with a big dog bed and blanket. he will pee on the other end of the kitchen away from his bedding. He is a very anxious dog so crate training when he was a puppy was easy but as he got older, he cries. If he sleeps with us, he makes it through the night. he’s just big
May 24, 2023
Sausage's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I would start by speaking with your vet since this is new, to make sure there isn't something medical causing this. There are some medical things that can cause that. I am not a vet though so can't give medical advice. I would also look at his evening schedule and remove all food and water two hours before bedtime, take pup outside to go potty right before bed - not 30 or 60 minutes, since the bladder will work differently while sleeping and any time awake before bedtime is time the bladder can be filling up again. I would make sure he is getting enough water earlier in the day and not just guzzling it in the evening to make up for not enough earlier. I would go with pup outside when they go potty at the evening potty trip. Some times a new dog or wild animal will move into the neighborhood and a dog will spend the entire time outside exploring scents and such instead of pottying, then need to go potty later because they didn't do so while outside. If adjusting the schedule doesn't work or the issue isn't medical, I would work on encouraging him to hold it overnight by using an exercise pen he can sleep in. That will allow a bit more space and even a pee pad if absolutely necessary, and break any habit of peeing in a specific spot by the door. This will only work if anything medical or schedule related is also addressed though, to help pup physically be able to hold it overnight again. Go with pup in the evening when you take them outside if you aren't already doing so, pup getting distracted and not finishing pottying at night is a very common cause for this. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
May 24, 2023
I have had a rescue collie cross for 2 years, she is house trained and during summer we have no issues with her going in the house at night, in winter she refuses to go out unless she needs it at that time and will often mess in the house. I don't feed her late and she was using puppy pads but has now decided to stop going on them, choosing to go anywhere but the pads. I can't crate her as have tried this before and shes too scared to go in as she is a timid dog - help?
Jan. 9, 2023
Sadie's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Is she refusing to go potty outside right before bed, or in order to hold it through the night does she need to go outside during the night, via something like a doggie door that you are not facilitating directly? If the issue is that she won't go potty right before bed, then I would set a potty schedule for her in the winter, and consistently take her potty every 3-4 hours whether she wants to go or not, not waiting for her to go on her own or alert you. I would heavily reward and enthusiastically praise whenever she goes potty outside, and depending on your climate, consider purchasing a dog coat that is easy to go potty in, and possibly dog boots too if there is a lot of snow or ice. When you take her potty outside, insistent that she stays outside until she goes for up to twenty minutes, so long as you both are wearing proper winter gear to be safe to stay out. When she finally goes, praise and reward enthusiastically, and then take her back inside - going back inside then becomes a reward for going potty, and she should learn that the quicker she goes potty when you take her out, the quicker she can go back inside. This means you will need to take her on leash at first and go outside with you until she learns to go do her business quickly then come back in. If at the end of twenty minutes, she still hasn't gone, let her back in, but tether her to yourself with a hands free leash so she can't sneak off to pee inside, then take her back outside to try again in 30-60 minutes, repeating the trips outside until she finally goes potty outside. This process won't be much fun for either of you at first, but once she realizes that going potty quickly gets her back inside and free from the tether AND equals super yummy treats, this process should become easier. A good dog coat desired for dog sports and functional rather than primarily fashionable should also help the cold be less miserable for her in the winter. There are many off-brands and additional options online, but check out this website for examples of quality dog coats desired with function in mind and highly insulating, to get an idea of what to buy. https://ruffwear.com/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Jan. 9, 2023