A bit of help

Over the last few nights Toby has started to get really naughty and I wondered if any of you could offer some advice?

He has his normal 'nightly walk' about 9ish and then just before we go to bed 10:30-11:30ish I pop him out into the garden for his last wee of the night. The last couple of nights he has refused to do anything other that wee on the nighty walk and nothing just before we go to bed, no matter how long I wait. But now he is waking us up in the middle of the night anywhere from once to four times. We taking him outside, sometimes he does a wee or a poop but often he will just stand there sniffing the air. I don't want to get into the habit of not taking him out in case he really needs to go to the toliet, but I really think he is just trying to push us.

Also he used to come upstairs to wake us up if he needed a wee in the night, now he has taken to scratching the door to the living room which is driving my gran mad. Any ideas how I can stop this? The door to the living room needs to stay closed as he is not allowed in there at night.
Any ideas?

maybe he's related to my mad mutt ,lol
She's silent during the day but at about 9 pm she starts. barking scratching the doors ( & She scratches HARD) then she'd shut up for a while & start again at 4am on the dot.

my only suggestion for stopping them scratching doors is to have a baby gate instead

You could try putting him in a crate at night, then covering over the crate with a blanket?

Chester always gets a little bit naughty as the night goes on. Starts scratching at the carpet and doors. I think he does it when he gets tired and gets a little restless.

The more you get up with him in the night the more he will try it on. Perhaps you could take his water up & not let him have any once you are back from your walk then you will know he doesnt need to go and is just trying to get your attention.

Oh Toby, you naughty boy!! :lol::lol:

Have you checked to make sure he doesn't need water when he wakes up at night? Sometimes Kosmo will wake up and I'll let him out to pee - he comes back in and wakes me up an hour later - and so on, until I get him some water.

I don't know what to say about him not peeing on the nightly walks except for stay out until he goes :lol:

do you have a marker word you use for him? Like "go peepee" for instance? Maybe that would help for those frustrating times.

Good luck

I would take him out if he indicates that he needs to go, but don't 'reward' him in anyway whatsoever. Don't turn on any lights, except the minimum to see what you're doing. Don't look at him, talk to him, pet him, etc. Just matter-of-factly take him out and bring him in.

Some dogs want attention, and they see this as a way of getting extra attention. But you do need to take him out in case he needs to go potty.

I would consider crating him at night as suggested.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
Cathryn - I had not thought about a crate, he has never been in one, so I don't know how he would react but its worth a go. I don't tend to talk to him (normally half a sleep and a little mad at being woken up). He does try and push it and refuses to move out of the living room which means I have to pick up up.

Kelly/arasara - Toby always has water and I normally fill the bowl before we go to bed. I have tried to lift his water before but he just wakes us up when he wants a drink.

arasara - No I don't have a marker word for weeing, Toby is deaf and we do rely on hand signals. LOL will have to think of one for go wees wees now

I am going to put a few into pratice over the next few days, although will hold off on the crate for a bit as I am due to go away on the 29th and Toby is stopping with Archie.

How is little Toby doing now?