Yorkie wakes me up during the night

[Hermione]

Hello, my Yorkie, Jake, has always been good sleeping all through the night. I should’ve noticed that there would be a problem when my partner left recently to go abroad for medical treatment. During the last six months my partner has been seriously ill and was up most of the time at night with pain. He would let Jake out of his crate and sometimes I would find Jake sleeping with my partner.

I’ve arranged for relatives to look after Jake and my three cats at home for six weeks while I’m away to join my partner and I really don’t want to pass on any problems with Jake. Since my partner left, Jake has wakened me up every night at around 2am. I let him out of his crate to go outside to do his business. Then he wakes me up again after two or three hours, either to go outside again, or because he’s decided he doesn’t want to go back into his crate again. He whines so much that it’s impossible for me to sleep again. I’m so tired. I crate-trained Jake, he used to love it, so much so, that he’d sit next to it waiting for me to let him in to go to sleep. He’s neutered but sometimes I do find a pee here and there around the house, he lifts his leg. If I don’t let him out during the night I sometimes find poop and pee in his crate. Jake is seven years old.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Tibbe started needing to go sometimes during the night when he was that age but it wasn’t constant, kind of went and still does, in spurts, worse in summer as he drinks way more water. Figured his aging bladder couldn’t hold itself as well and he’s manic about being clean in the house. Thankfully I am not working and always went back to sleep. I never could withhold his evening water, just limited his time outside summer evenings so he doesn’t need as much water. Plays out mornings, afternoons till it gets really hot, then he’s not allowed out long enough to get hot. Seems to have helped.

[Hermione]

Jake doesn’t drink all that much although it’s very hot. He gets up every night. First it was st 5am, which wasn’t so bad because I get up quite early, then slowly it became earlier and earlier. Sometimes it’s just that he wants to get out of his crate.

[Lovetodream88]

I think your going to have to just start from scratch with the crate training like when he was a puppy.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I think your going to have to just start from scratch with the crate training like when he was a puppy.

First of course comes a vet check for bladder/urinary tract issues, then might try that if that's okay with OP to do to him, but if his bladder muscles are weakening, spasming with early aging and he needs to go, he'll be very uncomfortable even if there is no pathology. I occasionally have to go middle of the night, would hate to have to pee in a cage because I'm getting older, lol! And if he's manic about being clean in the house, he'll hold it as long as he can stand it even if he's very uncomfortable and finally must break his and mom's rules and use his bed/crate to pee in the night. Poor dogs. Sometimes your heart just breaks as they get older and things change. A housebroken dog hates going indoors.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Hermione

Jake doesn’t drink all that much although it’s very hot. He gets up every night. First it was st 5am, which wasn’t so bad because I get up quite early, then slowly it became earlier and earlier. Sometimes it’s just that he wants to get out of his crate.

Yeah, dogs are pack animals and usually nature teaches teaches them from birth to sleep very near, sometimes touching another pack member, hate, hate, hate being separated from their pack during the night. Dogs crave sleeping with their humans, that all-night feeling of closeness. It's just a dog thing- they crave the nighttime tribalism of their pack, the need to stay very close. And dogs love cuddling at bedtime! Heck, I love it! In nature, dogs sleep very near their own pack as adults, change positions during the night to better keep watch so they almost never sleep the night through. So if he normally wakes and now needs to go, it's natural he'd want to wake you as he's now been trained to go potty outside, thinks it bad to do it indoors, especially in the bed he sleeps in. And if he had bladder issues, or aging, even a small amount of urine can trigger the bladder to need to empty asap. And bladder spasms are the worst - must go NOW.

Don't know how old you are, but one day, you, too, will very, very likely need to get up in the middle of the night to go, even when you restrict your night-time fluid intake and hate it. It can just be an aging factor. But every older person I've ever known has to do that sooner or later.

Is there no way he can sleep with you, see if that might help? Yes, it means changing bedclothes very often but that's part of having a personal toy dog. They crave you, being with, near you, likely touching you anytime they can. If you just can't have him in your bed, can you try putting his crate in a chair right next to you in the bed? Of course if it's an aging bladder issue, it probably won't help him all that much. Maybe the vet can help your little 7 year-old baby boy out. Promise you he's not trying to be difficult, he just might have some needs he can't explain so you have to figure it out, help him through it.

Google your thread title and see what you come up with, adding that he's a toy Yorkie dog to your search.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

First of course comes a vet check for bladder/urinary tract issues, then might try that if that's okay with OP to do to him, but if his bladder muscles are weakening, spasming with early aging and he needs to go, he'll be very uncomfortable even if there is no pathology. I occasionally have to go middle of the night, would hate to have to pee in a cage because I'm getting older, lol! And if he's manic about being clean in the house, he'll hold it as long as he can stand it even if he's very uncomfortable and finally must break his and mom's rules and use his bed/crate to pee in the night. Poor dogs. Sometimes your heart just breaks as they get older and things change. A housebroken dog hates going indoors.

I didn’t mean straight out ignoring him when restarting the crate training process I just mean when he wakes up take him potty then put him back and continue that. Like when they are puppies.

[Hermione]

Thanks for all your suggestions, it’s very nice of you to take time to write. Well I would like nothing more than to have him sleep with me but since I will have to leave him for six weeks in a couple of weeks’ time I thought it wouldn’t be a good idea. I would’ve loved to take him with me but he would have to spend a lot of time on his own in an apartment while I go back and forth from hospital for my partner, plus Jake would have to board a plane.

I’ve brought up his crate into my room but just for tonight I’ve actually left him in the living room. I left him a pee pad just in case he wants to do one of his little poops but I put a nappy on him as he would definitely lift his leg up if he decides to pee. I tried really hard to completely housebreak him when he was a puppy but I wasn’t 100% successful. I’m curious as to whether he will wake me up tonight. He recently had a vet checkup and bloods taken and all was well. He loves his food and is quite energetic.

Another idea of mine was to use two crates together open side by side and he could use one as his toilet and the other to sleep in.

Anyway we’ll see how he goes tonight. I just hope he’ll be okay when I’m away.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Hermione

Thanks for all your suggestions, it’s very nice of you to take time to write. Well I would like nothing more than to have him sleep with me but since I will have to leave him for six weeks in a couple of weeks’ time I thought it wouldn’t be a good idea. I would’ve loved to take him with me but he would have to spend a lot of time on his own in an apartment while I go back and forth from hospital for my partner, plus Jake would have to board a plane.

I’ve brought up his crate into my room but just for tonight I’ve actually left him in the living room. I left him a pee pad just in case he wants to do one of his little poops but I put a nappy on him as he would definitely lift his leg up if he decides to pee. I tried really hard to completely housebreak him when he was a puppy but I wasn’t 100% successful. I’m curious as to whether he will wake me up tonight. He recently had a vet checkup and bloods taken and all was well. He loves his food and is quite energetic.

Another idea of mine was to use two crates together open side by side and he could use one as his toilet and the other to sleep in.

Anyway we’ll see how he goes tonight. I just hope he’ll be okay when I’m away.

A diaper is not a good idea. Dogs are not like human babies that can tell you when it is full and they can end up getting urine scald and that can turn into an infection. The crate should be in the bedroom anyway where he can see you not alone in another room. If he knows to use potty pads you can buy a small exercise pen to either put around the crate or just use the pen for his bed and a potty pad.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Just because he had normal blood count might not tell you if his urinary sphincters are weakening with age, or there is a small polyp in the bladder or urinary tract. And if he’s uncomfortable, he’ll naturally want to go outside. I’d get him rechecked particularly with his night frequency the vet’s challenge to test, particularly do a urinalysis, diagnose, explain, treat as necessary.

And if he’s not sleeping at least in your room, he could have sudden night-time separation anxiety, brought about by certain noises or smells getting through to him just at night, while he’s essentially trapped in his crate, which by now might seem like a night jail to him, making him anxious and anxious dogs often pee/poop to try to relieve anxiety, stress. He might just need to sleep with his pack mate to relieve his worries. I’d try to help him immediately (he’ll survive your trip and forget it couple days w/in your return) and try bedding him down in your bed for a night or two just to see if that helps. If not, I’d be off to the vet before my trip in case there are undiagnosed medical issues and he needs some treatment. But try at least letting him sleep with you or at the least have his bed in your room for a couple of weeks to see if that helps if vet gives him clean bill of health.

Agree with Taylor that diapers can cause medical problems for dogs, scalding, rashes, inflammation urgency, infections, wouldn’t ever use one. And wearing a diaper could increase any anxiety he has - they are not natural or comfortable to any dog. Hope you can find some answers - could just be he is aging, wakes more frequently, feels anxious that he can’t freely get to his human and he’s doing his best to relieve his situation in his mind.

[Hermione]

Hello, thanks for more replies!

Last week Jake did sleep in my bed, of course that worked, we both slept all night without potty breaks. As I said, I am just concerned about giving him separation anxiety and my relatives who will look after him while I’m away probably won’t allow him to sleep with them so I’m trying to figure out a way to make everyone happy and also make sure Jake is well. In February I had to put my other Yorkie to sleep, Jake and Lucy seed to play a lot with each other. Couple of weeks ago my partner had to leave. Jake and him spent a lot of time together in the night as my partner spent most of the time awake.

Jake was okay sleeping in the living room. It is the coolest and largest room in the house which is important as the summer here is very hot and humid. The room has two glass doors and I had a night light on for him. He slept all through the night, dry nappy, no poop either. In the morning he was happy and throwing his favourite toy in the air! I’m not fond of nappies on dogs either, so last night he was in the living room again but this time no nappy. We both slept all through the night, however, I found one little puddle of pee against the sofa, small poop on pee pad and another on the floor. Tonight I’m going to try the crate in my bedroom.

Next Monday m taking Jake to the vet for a check up. I don’t think he pees more than he used to, I just think his routine was messed up while my partner was up all night, but vet check is never a waste of time or money.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Hermione

Hello, thanks for more replies!

Last week Jake did sleep in my bed, of course that worked, we both slept all night without potty breaks. As I said, I am just concerned about giving him separation anxiety and my relatives who will look after him while I’m away probably won’t allow him to sleep with them so I’m trying to figure out a way to make everyone happy and also make sure Jake is well. In February I had to put my other Yorkie to sleep, Jake and Lucy seed to play a lot with each other. Couple of weeks ago my partner had to leave. Jake and him spent a lot of time together in the night as my partner spent most of the time awake.

Jake was okay sleeping in the living room. It is the coolest and largest room in the house which is important as the summer here is very hot and humid. The room has two glass doors and I had a night light on for him. He slept all through the night, dry nappy, no poop either. In the morning he was happy and throwing his favourite toy in the air! I’m not fond of nappies on dogs either, so last night he was in the living room again but this time no nappy. We both slept all through the night, however, I found one little puddle of pee against the sofa, small poop on pee pad and another on the floor. Tonight I’m going to try the crate in my bedroom.


Next Monday m taking Jake to the vet for a check up. I don’t think he pees more than he used to, I just think his routine was messed up while my partner was up all night, but vet check is never a waste of time or money.

Good for you. Try keeping a baby gate over the doors of the rooms you with him are in to make him have to go where he knows you can see him and don’t let him out of your vision. If you have to, temporarily crate him while you finish a task, can’t always watch him, praise him for ‘goooood crate!’ & whisk him outdoors. If a dog can know anytime he’s crated, he’ll immediately be taken out if his stay longer than 15 minutes, he has hope of soon getting to go and can eventually begin to start holding it, if he can.

Once he knows he can sleep very near you night after night, it should be a comfort to his natural instincts to pack sleep. And if he gets a totally clean ua plus other testing and vet says he has no pathology, ask him if it couldn’t be early aging causing night time pottying. Of be his need to gain closeness of his pack during the night. You never know, there could be other factors he can hear or smell, like a female in heat in the neighborhood or new neighbors who work days, do things around the house in the wee hours and with his superior hearing, he hears, gets anxious. And with that new bill of health, try a couple + months of housebreaking, restriction from all areas you aren’t in with gates, big boxes over doors, whatever it takes so he can’t sneak off. Then, routinely take him out once an hour for next two months, so he can establish a routine again and confine him to your bedroom during the night, with potty pad for him to use if he must go and you can’t manage more interruptions.

Sometimes the answers are not that satisfactory but with our baby, we accommodate where we must if we’re not expert trainers. But first, try sleeping with you, room gated off and see what 2 weeks brings. Course first thing, he goes potty mornings before you get to as his body likely older than yours at age 7 years. Others will likely also toss in their tips and somehow you can work through this for him.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Somehow I overlooked or had the window opened too high on my small laptop screen the paragraph about your sentence about your poor partner getting up nights in pain, letting him out, sleeping with him occas. and now being gone for treatment. I am so sorry and so sorry for your partner's suffering, the famly's separation during oversea's treatment. Sure hope things work out for the best.

No doubt that is playing a big part in your little guy questioning what's happened to his pack, where a big part of his family has gone, adding stress. These personal little dogs are so invested in our lives, they feel loss when a member of the pack is missing. Likely he got conditioned to getting up nights to potty, with the added bonus of getting to kip in with his buddy afterward and truly misses that, feels loss, frustration, pretty much exacerbating any physiological needs his body may also be reacting to. Can't believe I never saw that paragraph.

No doubt he reads your stress level over your partner gone for treatment, making him feel more anxious and needing/wanting comfort time with you. You haven't mentioned any others in the home so if you are left, likely he truly feels the need to comfort you in these distressing times and night time is cuddle time, time to burrow in with the pack one has and provide comfort, protection. And his present stress level can also spur a not that fully-housebroken dog - or even a fully housebroken one - to pee/poop to relieve stress. He can't take a walk, read a book, watch tv for diversion but he can wake you, get outside, relieve himself and then hope for the rest of the night both comforting and being comforted himself by your arms. He's likely really in need of reassurance, night time pack sleeping and any distractions and fun you can provide him anytime you can manage.

More physical activity, walks, ife enrichment w/doggie games, puzzles, forage toys, food bowls will very likely help keep him positively directed, distracted from missing his buddy who's gone and re-focus his worries toward more fun - and dogs are all about fun. Without it, they often can demonstrate behaviors we don't like. And comfort now won't make him miss you any less when you're gone but if his sitter helps him enjoy his new, temporary lifestyle, it could provide a real respite. I'd leave him with an unwashed tee-shirt, nighty, socks in his bed, while you are gone, always placed near where he spends most of his time, to help calm, reassure him with your scent. And don't worry, he'll act likely act estranged, aloof when you return until he's sure you are back for good and one day he'll cave, seek you out, re-establish your relationship. And he'll watch you a bit closely for a while so alll the distractions, life enriching fun you can show him during that time will be good for you both, console and encourage him.

Others here who've been through this will likely keep posting tips and you guys will work through this in time. Best of blessings to you and your partner and your little one and hugs and Yorkie kisses fom Texas.

[Hermione]

Thank you yorkietalkjilly for taking the time again to write two long posts, I really appreciate it and all the other advice received here. There is always something new to learn. Thank you also for the well wishes for my partner, he certainly needs them.

Last night I had Jake next to my bed in his crate. At first he started to whine and I said “no Jake” and he immediately settled down for the night. Around 5 am he started to stir so I took him outside for a little while. His crate was clean. Back to my bedroom he’s now cuddled up against my legs

I will probably miss Jake more than he will miss me, I will take a lot of the advice given and certainly leave some of my used clothing to sleep on. I really hate leaving him behind though, I’m a born worrier!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Hermione

Thank you yorkietalkjilly for taking the time again to write two long posts, I really appreciate it and all the other advice received here. There is always something new to learn. Thank you also for the well wishes for my partner, he certainly needs them.

Last night I had Jake next to my bed in his crate. At first he started to whine and I said “no Jake” and he immediately settled down for the night. Around 5 am he started to stir so I took him outside for a little while. His crate was clean. Back to my bedroom he’s now cuddled up against my legs

I will probably miss Jake more than he will miss me, I will take a lot of the advice given and certainly leave some of my used clothing to sleep on. I really hate leaving him behind though, I’m a born worrier!

You are more than welcome. When I finally saw your initial paragraph about your’s and Jake’s partner being so ill, my heart broke for you. Such a terrible time to deal with a loved one so ill, missing them and having that hole in your family. No wonder Jake is having some issues, he’s aging and stressed right along with you. Stressed dogs often poop or urinate just to relieve stress. He’s likely extra stressed when his sleeping buddy no longer there for him to cuddle up with after night-time trips outside. Sleeping with or as near to him as possible can reassure him that he’s still a member of your little family pack, not all alone with few tools for helping himself.

Good reports of longer night sleeping mean progress and you are wise to reassure him by sleeping as near as possible. Toss a worn piece of clothing into his crate to sleep on now, should help. Keep vet appt. stressing you need to r/o medical problems causing his night pottying. If clear bill of health, enriching his life, simple basic obedience training can refocus him on achievement with positive reinforcement as he achieves each request to do your command. He’ll begin to feel more selfconfident, become more settled, less anxious, whatever else is going on in his life.

Try not to worry about Jake. During surgery 2 yrs ago, Tibbe was away from home about 8 wks., during hospital, rehab, home rehab while still weak from blood loss anemia, punished me w/aloofness a few days after he got home, but the moment we got back to training and chasing, foraging games, he was my bosom buddy once again, like we’d never been apart.Dogs can be surprisingly resilient when they are loved, cared for responsibly at home.

All the best to you three and keep us posted. Talking about tough times helps us cope. YT is truly the most supportive community I’ve found on the internet.