Re: [PyrNet-L] Hurry up- it's cold......

[GypsyunLTD@aol.com]

How old is Sam?  Maybe I'm just lucky but Gypsy (now 8 months) goes out for 
the last time at around 9, and then knows that it's bedtime and doesn't even 
ask to go out until I get up in the morning.  When she was younger I had a 
similar problem with her.  Caused a lot of grief since I if I don't get 
enough sleep I can't function during the day, and my work was suffering.  I 
think that more than "having" to go out, she just wanted attention.  What I 
did was to set my alarm clock to go off every couple of hours (yeah - it was 
brutal!), and take her out on a leash for 10 minutes.  That's plenty of time 
if she had to go, and whether she did or not I would just bring her back in 
the house after 10 minutes and go back to bed.  Two hours later, I'd do the 
same thing.  During our outings I wouldn't play with her in any way.  
Strictly business.  After a couple of nights, I set the alarm to go off only 
once during the night.  It took about a week of effort, but when I noticed 
that she hadn't had to "go" for two nights in a row, I set my alarm to my 
normal time.  I also limited her water intake while I was doing this - 
offered her fresh water at about 7, and what she didn't drink got dumped.  I 
figured that she wouldn't die of thirst before morning, and for the time 
being the less liquid in her body at bedtime, the better.  No accidents, and 
now I can sleep all night!

Jeanne