Belly Bands

[MilesDavis]

Hi everyone,

Miles has developed a really bad habit. Even if I take him outside before bed, and take his water away plenty early in the evening, he'll inevitably wake up in the middle of the night, quietly jump out of bed, and pee in some obscure corner of the room. I'm am so sick of constantly scrubbing my carpet! He does fine during the day, but it's always at night when he pulls this stunt. I've been thinking about getting some belly bands just for him to wear at night. It's really the only time he would need to wear one. For those of you who have used them, what did you think? Did your dog try to chew at it or get it off? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[MaddieBoo]

Why don't you put a pee-mat down just during the night for him to use?

[enge55]

Mine has never seemed bothered by a belly band at all. He only tried to get it off once when he was attempting to low crawl under something and it was preventing him from fitting. They've been a real carpet saver at my house.

[MilesDavis]

A pee mat would be great...but he won't use it. He just picks random corners in my bedroom. Very frustrating.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by MaddieBoo

Why don't you put a pee-mat down just during the night for him to use?

Yes, I agree with this, and that way, if you ever have to leave him for long periods he'll at least know what a pee pad is for. I don't believe in using belly bands for anything but marking. It just seems wrong. To me it's like locking the bathroom door at night and making you wear a diaper. How old is your dog, remember, they can hold their urine for one hour per month of age. I'm not a believer in withholding water either, I don't think it allows the bladder to normally stretch and grow; they are just not peeing because they don't have to pee, not because they've learned how to hold it.

Put the pee pad in random corners of the bedroom. When they go in a corner they are hiding it from you, he's ashamed and knows he's doing something wrong. Remember not to punish the mistakes, but to praise the success.

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by MilesDavis

Hi everyone,

Miles has developed a really bad habit. Even if I take him outside before bed, and take his water away plenty early in the evening, he'll inevitably wake up in the middle of the night, quietly jump out of bed, and pee in some obscure corner of the room. I'm am so sick of constantly scrubbing my carpet! He does fine during the day, but it's always at night when he pulls this stunt. I've been thinking about getting some belly bands just for him to wear at night. It's really the only time he would need to wear one. For those of you who have used them, what did you think? Did your dog try to chew at it or get it off? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

My Tiger does the same thing, including poop . . .and I do have a pee pad in my bathroom floor as that is where he seems to want to go all the time . . .he however does wear a belly band because oftentimes it is NOT on target . .so it saves me a lot of work cleaning up in the morning when I am always rushing to work . . .I carry a wide selection of belly bands on my website so feel free to browse. . .

oh I forgot to mention that since he is with a BB at night, I don't withhold water especially since he seems to want to drink in the middle of the night . . .

[MilesDavis]

Miles will be a year old at the end of March, so I KNOW he can hold it for a while! When I am at work during the day, he stays in the kitchen with a gate, and he holds it until I get home. So I just do not understand why he won't hold it at night (since we're in bed for about the same amount of time I'm at work!). Right now, belly bands just seem like the only thing that will work at night.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by MilesDavis

Miles will be a year old at the end of March, so I KNOW he can hold it for a while! When I am at work during the day, he stays in the kitchen with a gate, and he holds it until I get home. So I just do not understand why he won't hold it at night (since we're in bed for about the same amount of time I'm at work!). Right now, belly bands just seem like the only thing that will work at night.

I understand your frustration, but while they may work, they aren't teaching him anything.

[cath54]

I have used them for my 3 males.i use for the inside poise pads for people who can not controll there urin,not womens pads.they stay on them and we realy like them....there is a lot of web pages for belly bands,that you can make.hope this helps

[MilesDavis]

I completely understand where you're coming from Nancy. I don't want to end up relying on belly bands forever. I suppose I could try putting pads in every corner and see if that would work. Thanks!

[MaddieBoo]

Originally Posted by MilesDavis

I completely understand where you're coming from Nancy. I don't want to end up relying on belly bands forever. I suppose I could try putting pads in every corner and see if that would work. Thanks!

We have done this in our house. Started with about 5 in an 8'X12' area and slowly we have been able to take away all except 1 as he gets the hang of it.
Also, if you wake up when he gets up and he uses the mat, the (sleepy) praise you give him may be what he needs to get him to repeat the good behavior.

[viviansnickers]

Hello All..

I am having a similar problem. My Snickers can't/won't seem to hold it sometimes while he is crated while we are at work. Mind you, he is 8 months old and is never in his crate for more than 3.5 hours intervals. We just don't get it, he can hold it while we are home and all night (8 hours!) We know he might have some seperation anxoety. A few months back, Snick developed a UTI and we had to buy a diaper for him (he was going all day, every 5 min). Well he would NOT go pee in the diaper. He would hold it and would only go when we took it off and took him out. I am thinking this might be a solution for me and his crate problem. I hope!! The diaper I have is easy to wiggle out of, I think I might make some with my husbands old t shirts and velcro. Hmph!!

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by viviansnickers

Hello All..

I am having a similar problem. My Snickers can't/won't seem to hold it sometimes while he is crated while we are at work. Mind you, he is 8 months old and is never in his crate for more than 3.5 hours intervals. We just don't get it, he can hold it while we are home and all night (8 hours!) We know he might have some seperation anxoety. A few months back, Snick developed a UTI and we had to buy a diaper for him (he was going all day, every 5 min). Well he would NOT go pee in the diaper. He would hold it and would only go when we took it off and took him out. I am thinking this might be a solution for me and his crate problem. I hope!! The diaper I have is easy to wiggle out of, I think I might make some with my husbands old t shirts and velcro. Hmph!!

The reason dogs and humans can hold it longer at night is because urine production is cut way down. Urine becomes much more concentrated than during the day. After a UTI the bladder may experience discomfort when holding much urine, and may need more time to grow and stretch comfortably. Have you thought of using a pee pad, and allowing him to pee on the pad? Also, it's possible an infection is still present.