Dog wanting to go out in the middle of the night

mel.b

Cooper (almost 4, Alaskan malamute, neutered) has started to develop a bad habit of wanting to outside in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's to do his business, but other times he just wants to go out. I don't have any problem with him sleeping outside - he's a malamute after all and there is a shed for him to go into as well, but he won't actually stay out all night and several hours later starts howling to come back in.

if the weather is mild enough I have ended up leaving the back door open but obviously from a safety and security point of view this isn't idea. The past few nights I've waited with him downstairs and made him come back in a few minutes later which has worked ok, other than the fact I don't want to be getting up in the middle of the night to let him out in the first place. When I hear him scratching at the door to go out I call out to him 'No Cooper' but he doesn't settle back down and starts pacing and eventually scratches at the door again at which point I end up getting up and letting him out.

I always put him out to do his business before I go to bed so tonight I'm going to let him outside earlier so he has longer outside before having to come in again to see if that makes a difference. I don't think it is a problem with being able to hold his bladder overnight as some nights he doesn't ask to go out and like the other night he just wanted to be out, he didn't actually need to do anything. But it's starting to drive me crazy, so if anyone has any ideas on what I can try that would be great.

muddypaws

Can you hear anything outside, I saw from a friend that its fox mating season, and she's being kept awake at the moment by her dogs wanting to get out.

mel.b

muddypaws wrote: »

Can you hear anything outside, I saw from a friend that its fox mating season, and she's being kept awake at the moment by her dogs wanting to get out.

Nothing that i can hear.

Ms Doubtfire1

We don't necessarily hear that if we're asleep..he might though.

GT_TDI_150

if you keep getting up to let him out though in the middle of the night, he's going to keep asking to be let out.

He'll stop asking if he is not getting let out.

mel.b

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

if you keep getting up to let him out though in the middle of the night, he's going to keep asking to be let out.

He'll stop asking if he is not getting let out.

I realise that but i also don't want to be cleaning up a mess in the morning if he really did need to go out and i ignored him.

Ms Doubtfire1

Fox mating season ends middle of march - can you hold out til than? Otherwise a doggie door might be an option? would be a big one with a fluffy bear...

GT_TDI_150

mel.b wrote: »

I realise that but i also don't want to be cleaning up a mess in the morning if he really did need to go out and i ignored him.

If he has been before being locked in and doesnt have a water/food bowl during the night then he should really need to go, no?

mel.b

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Fox mating season ends middle of march - can you hold out til than? Otherwise a doggie door might be an option? would be a big one with a fluffy bear...

I don't think it's because of foxes that he wants to go out. He's not interested in or looking for things when he goes out. The night before last when I let him out he immediately just plonked himself down next to the door and would have been happy to stay there.

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

If he has been before being locked in and doesnt have a water/food bowl during the night then he should really need to go, no?

He has access to water but not food. I guess tonight if he does want to go out I just have to not let him and see what happens.

hairyprincess

Mine was up at 3.30 this morning looking to go out. I tried ignoring him but 20 minutes later he was still barking on and off. I brought him out and he peed and pooped.

He was brought out to toilet at 10.30 last night as usual, and only peed. I think the problem last night was that he hadn't been out for a walk yesterday, it was such an awful day here he refused to go walking! Did Cooper get out for a walk yesterday?

We're heading out for a long one now this evening to make up for it.

Willfarman

if you are living in a rural area make sure you you know where your dog is 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

DBB

What does he usually do when he goes out op? Does he seem agitated or looking for something?
How long has this been going on?
Have you got near neighbours?

muddypaws

Willfarman wrote: »

if you are living in a rural area make sure you you know where your dog is 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

This actually applies whether you are rural or in a town or city

KingBrian2

mel.b wrote: »

Cooper (almost 4, Alaskan malamute, neutered) has started to develop a bad habit of wanting to outside in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's to do his business, but other times he just wants to go out. I don't have any problem with him sleeping outside - he's a malamute after all and there is a shed for him to go into as well, but he won't actually stay out all night and several hours later starts howling to come back in.

if the weather is mild enough I have ended up leaving the back door open but obviously from a safety and security point of view this isn't idea. The past few nights I've waited with him downstairs and made him come back in a few minutes later which has worked ok, other than the fact I don't want to be getting up in the middle of the night to let him out in the first place. When I hear him scratching at the door to go out I call out to him 'No Cooper' but he doesn't settle back down and starts pacing and eventually scratches at the door again at which point I end up getting up and letting him out.

I always put him out to do his business before I go to bed so tonight I'm going to let him outside earlier so he has longer outside before having to come in again to see if that makes a difference. I don't think it is a problem with being able to hold his bladder overnight as some nights he doesn't ask to go out and like the other night he just wanted to be out, he didn't actually need to do anything. But it's starting to drive me crazy, so if anyone has any ideas on what I can try that would be great.

Why can't you build him a kennel so he can stay outside and do his business out there and sleep? Also he is Alaskan so this would be a perfect solution. They are used to the cold.

mel.b

DBB wrote: »

What does he usually do when he goes out op? Does he seem agitated or looking for something?
How long has this been going on?
Have you got near neighbours?

He doesn't seem agitated at all, will either just plonk himself down next to the door or have a bit of a wander and then do a wee/poo. Over the summer he occasionally wanted to sleep out and that was fine as he'd go out when i went to bed and stay quiet until 6am when he wanted to come in. I'd say it's gotten worse over the last month - i've been up to him the last 4 nights in a row and probably more than 50% of nights since the start of Dec. I've got neighbours on both sides but neither have dogs.

KingBrian2 wrote: »

Why can't you build him a kennel so he can stay outside and do his business out there and sleep? Also he is Alaskan so this would be a perfect solution. They are used to the cold.

He has a shed he can sleep in, the problem at the moment is that he won't stay out all night - i tried that and after a few hours he is howling to come in. During summer if he sleeps out he stays out until about 6am when he thean asks to come in. I can cope with that, but nit getting up at 1am to let him out and then 3am to let him in. If i wanted that i'd have a baby

R.D. aka MR.D

Is there any chance that he is too hot?

My parents house is heated with a stove and radiators and in the winter it would be like a sauna. I used to take our collie out every 2-4 hours in the evening so he could get a breath of fresh air. Would take him out at around 3am and then my mother would take him out at 6am.

Wasn't a problem at all when he got to be an old man! He'd be curled up right in front of the stove and it blazing away!

Would your house be very warm recently?

R.D. aka MR.D

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Is there any chance that he is too hot?

My parents house is heated with a stove and radiators and in the winter it would be like a sauna. I used to take our collie out every 2-4 hours in the evening so he could get a breath of fresh air. Would take him out at around 3am and then my mother would take him out at 6am.

Wasn't a problem at all when he got to be an old man! He'd be curled up right in front of the stove and it blazing away!

Would your house be very warm recently?

Took the words out of my mouth.

I have a husky mix OP and shes looking to go outside all the time for the last month or so. No sooner is she in then she wants out again. I know it's because the house is too warm for her these days with her double coat. When she's not outside she lies in the utility room on the cold tiles near the door.

Even aside from the heat inside, she absolutely loves being out in the cold. She loves being with us more though, so like your fella, she'd be looking to get back in after a while.

mel.b

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Is there any chance that he is too hot?

My parents house is heated with a stove and radiators and in the winter it would be like a sauna. I used to take our collie out every 2-4 hours in the evening so he could get a breath of fresh air. Would take him out at around 3am and then my mother would take him out at 6am.

Wasn't a problem at all when he got to be an old man! He'd be curled up right in front of the stove and it blazing away!

Would your house be very warm recently?

This was something I wondered about but I don't think so. The fire has been out more times than it has been lit this winter and i turn the heating off at about 7.30pm as it gets too hot upstairs for when i go to bed. However its definitely something i will watch.

I didn't get woken up last night which was nice i put him out for about 15min before i went to bed so maybe that helped. I'll see how we get on over the next few nights.

tk123

Lucy got up last night and asked for water so I got up and filled the bowl up for her. She sniffed it and went back to bed!

scarepanda

Dogs! Can't live with them, can't live without them!

If it's any help op, we have two husky mixes, and both go through phases of wanting to go out at night. Sometimes it can last a week or two others it might only be a night here and there and then they can go for months without wanting to go out.

I would try see if there's anything waking him up. Ours, especially the pup, tend to look to go out when the baby wakes during the night. It's not every time bubs wakes, but does generally coincide with that disturbance. Last night the pup decided 12 at night is a right old time to go digging in the back garden..... OH was fit to do the unmentionable coz he's been restless the last few days day or night ;-) (our garden doesn't drain well so heavy rain means pup is brought out on a lead coz he'd have himself destroyed in muck otherwise which also means we need to go out with him and it's a pain in the ass if all he wants is a sniff about!)

razorblunt

A warm house might definitely be a cause, November was weird month where I live, it wasn't warm during the day but overnight it would get very humid. Our westie who sleeps in our room was having difficulties with it. Leaving a window open rectified that.

Also, the same dog got used to 4pm outside breaks. We'd take her out around that time whilst training her to hold her bladder.
She's now gotten used to the routine and often asks to go out, even though she really doesn't need to go. We now get her to settle and if she lies down we know she doesn't need out and she herself knows we won't bring her out.

If she's hopping about the place and looking urgent then we know it's a loo break that's needed but right now she knows the difference which has worked out well for us.

mel.b

Happy to say that Cooper slept through another night without waking me. The longer time outside before going to bed seems to be helping. He's also been getting his walks everyday for those that asked. Fingers crossed he keeps it up now