Barking after pee/poo

Hi All,

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Im new to the forum, I have a 19 week old blue bitch called Luna. Ive had her for just over 2 months. She is amazing and responding really well to training.

During the day she is left in the kitchen with a stairgate blocking her escape. She isnt crated and has the whole of the kitchen to play in. She is left for 3.5 hours in the morning and then i spend an hour with her and go back to work for 3.5 hours. She has toys and puzzles to release treats, music left on and water. She is normally asleep when I return and then neighbours say she is quiet whilst I am gone.

The problem is she can go for the 3.5 hours now with out messing in the kitchen (9 times out of 10) - perfect!! She can be with me and the wife asleep or playing and chilling out in the evening for upto 6 hours with out asking to go out for a toilet. BUT - she cant or wont go through the night without messing. She doesnt make a sound until she has gone and then barks to tell me to go and clean it up....

Any suggestions or do I just hang on and wait for her control to improve.

That's fairly common as they don't gain full control of their bladders until 6 months of age. You could wake up and let her out or try paper training but nothing to be worried about.

At that age I got up twice every night to let Bo out. I'd advise you to get up half way through the night and let her into the garden, or on the lead outside the door. I wouldn't let her to get into the habit of going in the kitchen. When they're older they can hold it in no problem, but for the first six months I'd make allowances.

About the barking - the one time Bo did a No 2 in the house, on his second night with me, he barked afterwards. To me it seemed like an expression of stress in that he knew something was wrong and was attracting my attention because of that.

Thanks for the replies, i am trying to find the right time to get up with her. Whatever time i get up for her she either has gone or hasnt and if she hasnt she doesnt want to go when I put her out. Then when I hear her barking at 4.59am 1 minute before my alarm goes off and I fly downstairs to let her out to find she has peed or/and pooped.

I agree the barking is utter disgust that she has had to use her den as a toilet and she is annoyed im not better at this.