Midnight Pacing

Brenda’s housetraining has been going very well. Despite that fact that it’s taken her longer than the average dog to understand that going the bathroom in the apartment is not allowed, after almost two months she is averaging only a few accidents a week.

Because of her aggression toward Ben, however, her freedom inside is still greatly limited. Still, I’m positive that she’s getting it. Every once in a while, though, she still can’t settle down at night—usually because she needs to go to the bathroom.

Our nightly routine consists of me taking her outside for one last chance to go to the bathroom while Ben takes Porter and Sadie out. When we return, I tether Brenda to the bed leg nearest to my head and go to sleep.

She has gotten very good at understanding that Porter and Sadie have access to our bed but she does not. Sometimes, if she is a little restless I give her one of my pillows to sleep with or I dangle my arm off the bed so the tips of my fingers are touching her back. She’s usually soothed by either action.

The other night was a flashback to what it was like during the early days of living of Brenda—before we established a routine that works for all involved.

At various times throughout the night she started barking—loudly and persistently. Because she didn’t poop on our last walk of the night I begrudgingly got of bed, threw a jacket and galoshes on (it was raining, of course) and took her to the roof. She peed, but no poop. I suspected she needed to, but was resentful, groggy and cold. I took her back downstairs and hoped for the best.

As soon as we got home she rushed for the water dish. Convinced it was water that she needed, I tethered her and fell back asleep.

The scenario repeated itself two more times before I just left her un-tethered in the living room, knowing that she’d probably poop there. I didn’t care at that point. I tried to go back to sleep but all I could hear was Brenda pacing back and forth from the living room to the hallway to the bathroom and back again. Finally, when she came running back into her place in the bedroom I knew she’d done it.

I got back out of bed and went to go find the steaming pile. It was right in the middle of the living room. I cleaned it up and went back to sleep for the last time that night. Brenda stayed nestled on the floor next to me. Finally!