[Spooner]

Hello all -

We brought home our French Bulldog at 8 weeks. She's super smart and has done very well with her training, learning commands, liking her crate and day bed, etc. She is now 14 weeks old, and though she goes to sleep in her crate every night with no problem, she has to go outside to do her business every three hours. She is very small (the runt of her litter), but this is killing me. Am I not running her around enough during the day? Is this just a function of size and age? We don't feed or water her after 6pm, but she consistently has to get up.

Please, any advice would be welcome.

Thanks!

 

[LeoRose]

She's still very much a baby at 14 weeks, and is really just beginning to have control over her bowels and bladder.

Depending on when you get up and feed her in the morning, I wouldn't restrict food or water that early. At this age, she still needs to be eating three times a day. If you do take up her water (not something I would normally do), do it when you go to bed.

My German Shepherd, whom I rescued when she was about 16 weeks old, needed an early morning potty run until she was nearly two years old.

 

[parus]

At that age and size she really probably does need to go out that often. Usually puppies can start holding it while sleeping through the night around then, but if she was a runt she's probably behind. You say "we" so I'm assuming there are two adults there - if she sleeps 3 hours I'd take turns in such as way that you can each get at least 6 hours of sleep in straight so you can get at least a little deep sleep in.

 

[Spooner]

Yikes...hopefully this doesn't take two years to improve. The last few days have showed some improvement. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Spooner]

Thanks for the reply, Parus. As for getting help from the "Us" part, well, I am pretty sure my wife is using this as revenge for all those years of colicky babies.