Train dog to sleep through night; here is how – San Antonio Express-News

A healthy medium-sized dog should be able to make it through the night, six to eight hours, without having to relieve himself.
Dear Cathy,
My 2-year-old lab mix wakes me at 2 a.m. every night to go outside. He’s always done this, so it’s nothing new. Sometimes he pees, sometimes he doesn’t. But I would very much like to sleep through the night. Any suggestions?
Margie
Dear Margie,
If a vet says he’s healthy, a medium-size dog should be able to wait until morning to relieve himself. Eight hours is too long to expect  dogs to “hold it” during the day when they are active, but at night, when they are sleeping, they should be able to go six to eight hours. 
Dogs are creatures of habit, and he may have gone out in the middle of the night when he was being housetrained and decided to keep the routine going because it’s fun.
Here’s what I would do. Go outside with your dog for at least 10 minutes before bedtime to ensure he empties his bladder. If you notice him taking a huge gulp of water right before bed, you may want to restrict water 30 minutes beforehand. If you do this, please leave a few ice cubes in his water dish overnight in case he’s thirsty.
I also would incorporate training to get him to go back to sleep. Teach him the phrase “It’s not time yet.” During the day, if he wants to play or eat, say, “It’s not time yet,” and then delay the play or food for at least 10 minutes. He will learn that his requests won’t always be met immediately.
At night, simply say the phrase and go back to sleep. He may whine for a few minutes, but if this is merely a habit and not something he needs to do, he should give up and go back to sleep. It takes time to undo habits, so be persistent and consistent with the training.  
More Animals Matter: How sharing the bed with your dog might help you get a better night’s sleep
Dear Cathy,
I am interested in fostering dogs and pets. I live in 78230.
Linda
Dear Linda,
You can reach out to any animal shelter, including the city’s Animal Care Services; almost all of them have foster care programs. Living in 78230, you could foster for the Animal Defense League (on the east side of town but still north of the city) or the San Antonio Humane Society, which is at Fredericksburg Road and Loop 410. Either organization would be thrilled to bring you on board as a foster volunteer.
More Animals Matter: Should you adopt a guinea pig in San Antonio?
I like to tell people that San Antonio residents have a “high humane IQ.” Based on my observations, what I am saying is that San Antonio has a high percentage of residents who want to help animals. Your desire to foster gives me yet one more reason to continue that crowing. Thanks for stepping up to make San Antonio a better place for animals. 
 
Send your pet questions, tips and stories to [email protected]. You can follow her on Twitter at @cathymrosenthal.
Cathy M. Rosenthal has worked for both local animal shelters and national humane groups for more than 25 years. She also is a freelance writer for newspapers, magazines and nonprofit organizations, focusing solely on animal issues, pet behavior and the human/animal bond. Cathy is the author of several children’s books on pet care.

source