Need advice on bathroom/eating schedule
 

Lexi is 5 months old. She has an Xpen and pee pads, with her food and water and bed and toys all in there. When she is roaming the house when I am home she has access to a doggie door (Still learning) and a pee pad by the door. (getting better)

I beleive I need to put her on some kind of eating schedule. Every night when I put her to bed (with food and water) she goes on her pads many times. She also poos sometimes twice. Therefore, I know she is getting up several times a night to do this. I prefer that she learn to hold it. But in the daytime she goes about once an hour. Shouldn't she be able to hold it longer by now?At what age should I expect her to potty three times a day like older dogs?

For those of you that are expierienced with this age puppy, what kind of eating schedule should she be on? Is feeding her twice a day enough? Will taking her food and water away at night improve the situation? :confused:

First off I would take out the food and water at night. That will help her learn to hold it through the night, especially if she's in a crate or smaller area, she won't want to potty where she sleeps plus she's supposed to be sleeping so she shouldn't need anything to eat or drink. ;)

Samson is 8 months old and he still wants to pee every hour or so when I'm home. I'm not sure when that will get more infrequent. I know he can hold it longer because he does while I'm at work but when I'm home with him he knows I'll take him out so he barks to go outside more often but he does go everytime I take him out so he's not just doing it to get outside, well maybe partly. ;) I'd rather take him out every hour though rather than clean up a mess! Even though he CAN hold it it doesn't mean he WILL. :) little stinker!!!

As far as when you're gone, I leave Samson's food and water with him but he doesn't really drink or eat much if at all when I'm not there so I probably don't really need to leave it for him. If you wanted to go on a schedule I would think that feeding 2-3 times a day with water would be o.k. (maybe just twice a day when she gets a little older) and then having water available at certain times like after playing, running, walks, etc. That might help her get on a bathroom schedule.

Hum.. Toki goes 3 times a day but he didn't start doing that until 1 year old. Lexi is still young so i think it's normal that she goes at least 5-7 times a day.