leashedForLife
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Best Answer
how old is he?
if he is under 6-mos, i would say he is just a bit anxious at going out alone -
and i would not blame him a bit! pups are no different from kids - they
want an adult to go along, in the dark. besides, if he is doing all this solo -
how can U KNOW at any time, when he last peed/stooled?
knowing that the dog is empty is what makes it possible to let him have
full house-privileges - without being out there to witness what he is
doing, U are giving him access to the wall-to-wall when he may have
a full bowel, or have saved half his bladder for *marking*.
speaking of marking - if he is between 5 + 6-mos age, i would be making
an appt for a desex ASAP - his testosterone peak is at 9-mos age, after
which it begins to fall. it is never as high in his life again.
THAT is why so many 9-to-12 MO M-pups end up in shelters - their
owners are tired of dealing with teenagers, LOL, and give up!
desexing him before 9-mos age saves a lot of hassle - he will not get
into some of the most-irritating M-thug behaviors, like mounting EVERY
thing and everybody, from hassocks to 5-YO kids to other dogs of both
sexes and desexed dogs as well, testing limits, etc.
if he is fully housetrained, and U make ** sure! ** that he is empty as late as
possible before bed (going outside WITH the dog on-leash, so that U know
exactly what he produced, and also how much of it), then i would be crating
him at night. this prevents him from voiding anywhere but inside the crate,
which if it is sized properly for the dog, is just big enuf to go in, lie down,
get up, turn around, and come out - NOT * So Big that the dog can lie in
one end, and toilet in the other!
crates are for lying-in, not for pacing, standing or walking.
if he is a pup - and under 15-WO - then U should be setting the alarm each
night for 3-AM and getting up to go out with him. no bones about it - babies
need a parent to go along.
U have to BE * THERE to praise + reward, also to note what he produced,
how much, was it normal?
no bleeding, no straining, no diarrhea?
personally, i prefer to go out with my dog whatever their age - it is always
possible for something dangerous to be in the backyard, and if U do not
go along to police it, and the dog gets sick...
how will U know what they got into?
raccoons, foxes, rats, and other nighttime prowlers can get a dog in deep
trouble - and a SKUNK is not a good thing, either. locally, dogs have been
killed by raccoons in their own yards - the dogs were let out in the dark,
they attacked the raccoon (who had no time to flee and was fighting for
their life), and the dogs were so badly injured they bled out.
a fence can only do so much - some #$@! who hates dogs could lob a
nice big wad of antifreeze laced dog-food over the fence, the dog finds it,
and 24 to 48 hours later, Ur dog is dead of kidney failure.
dogs who spend time in fenced yards unsupervised develop problem
behaviors - barking, fence-fighting, chasing the cars, bikes, kids, etc.
it is always safest to go along, and keep an eye on things!
there are also those eejits who think that TEASING a dog is good fun -
and they can create *huge* problems, dogs who have never shown
any aggression at all can become very, very irate at their tormentor,
which can of course be re-directed to anyone who looks-like, sounds-like,
smells-like, etc.
if he is not a puppy under 6-mos, and is not elderly / over 8-yrs, then
if he is healthy and has no real need to potty in the middle of the night,
i would crate him.
pups NEED to go out to pee, and possibly stool, too - as they do not
have the bladder capacity to store much urine, nor do they have the
muscle tone to hold a full bladder or bowel.
they cannot do it - so punishing them is pointless.
either crate him or set the alarm + go out with him -
depending on his age + health.
cheers, and happy training!
--- terry
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF
 Posted 311 days ago
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