Expert: Kaza - 8/5/2007

Question
We just got our 8 week old bichon and are crate training him.  He's doing really well!  One question that I have is, should I be taking him out to relieve himself during the night?  Currently, he goes to bed around 8:30pm.  I get up around 11:30pm and 2:30am (-ish) to take him potty outside.  Each time, he does pee.  He starts to whine at these times most of the time, but sometimes it's because I've set my alarm to take him out.  He has only had one accident in his crate (poop), and that was the one night that I only got up to take him out once.  I know he's young and it's early in his training (it's only been one week), but I have read conflicting instructions as to nightime training.  Thanks!

Answer
Yes you must get him out at night , his bladder is small and to make him wait over 12 hours will simply encourage bladder stones to develop.
I would take him out at midnight then again at 4 , then again when he is up, for the next 3 weeks , after that you can reduce this to
get him up at 4am (only 1 per night) for 3 weeks, then he should go throughout the night without the potty break.