Another rude awakening! At 3:30 this morning, I heard Nickie (6 months old) bark in his crate. Sometimes he gets me up that early to pee, so I got up and took him outside (on leash). He promptly peed but acted like he wanted to play - no deal! Back to bed for you, little guy. He was quiet for about 10 minutes then started with a little whimpering and a little bark every few seconds. I kept debating whether to get up again and take him out or just ignore him. I chose to ignore him. Then at 4:05 he really started barking so I got up and found that he had pooped in his crate (first time for that to happen other than when he was sick a couple of different times since we've had him with diarrhea which this was not). I took him outside again and after walking him around a few minutes he did have looser poop than what was in the crate (guess I got lucky!).

Anyway, there is an old joke on how to house break a puppy:

1. Come in the room and see that puppy has made a mess on the floor.
2. Get a newspaper and roll it up.
3. Hit yourself on the head and repeat, "I will listen to my puppy when he has to go outside."

Guess that sure applies to me this morning! I'm not going to be too sharp this morning at work with only 5 1/2 hours of sleep!

Hey Diane:

Don't beat yourself too hard with that newspaper. My pup will not poop in his crate, unless I don't let him out. Well the first time we crated him (yes after bringing him outside to do his business), he pooped in his crate. When we got home 1-1/2 hrs later, he had tried to poop out through the grate, and then tried to kick the poop out the grate.

I had to chuckle. As much as I found it terrible to have to clean up the mess inside and outside the crate, I was glad to know that he didn't do it by choice and that it bothered him enough that we was trying to get it out of there.

Our only other poop accident was during the 2nd week of diahreah. He was in the crate in my vehicle and for only 45 minutes, but obviously he couldn't hold it. Again he went in the corner near the door, on the towel. I just threw the towel away and rinsed out the residual.

I thought that there was another poop accident on our Kitchen Floor, but it was my 9 year old Tabby Cat just being a B*TCH. Poor puppy almost took the blame for that one.

Like your pup, he starts out with a whine/whimper and if I don't respond it escalates into a bark. During daytime, I do not let it escalate. At night time, I tell him quiet/enough. If he continues I know he needs to go outside.

I share your pain, as a fellow get up in the middle of the night during diahreah, I've had my share of sleepless nights already.

Cheers!