I have a Jack Russel who sleeps with us, but gets up at least once a night. She sometimes has a pee or poop but not always. She wonders around the garden sniffing the grass. She has her last walk/run at 6.30pm every day.. She eats her food when she fancys it, sometimes she does not eat at all. We were told she would grow out of it, but there is no signs of that happening.

If she's free fed and her last potty break is at 6:30pm, then it stands to reason that she'll have to get up during the night to potty.

Try taking her food up after 5pm, and water an hour before bed. Make sure she gets one last chance to potty before bed time.

If she's free fed and her last potty break is at 6:30pm, then it stands to reason that she'll have to get up during the night to potty.

Try taking her food up after 5pm, and water an hour before bed. Make sure she gets one last chance to potty before bed time.

Free feeding not a good idea. Can lead to obesity. I hate seeing fat JRs!

Free feeding not a good idea. Can lead to obesity. I hate seeing fat JRs!

And obesity can lead to diabetes and joint problems, just to name two.

6:30 seems so early to expect a full night without going potty. Our 3 month old puppy goes out at 10 and can make it until 4. It's taking time to build up to longer stretches, but we're getting there :).

Increase your dogs exercise level and let the poor thing pee one last time before bed time. My dogs ALWAYS get a last call no matter what time I go to bed. They sleep through the night too ;)

Not a big fan of free feeding.. but I think your main problem is not letting the dog out to go potty before bedtime.

6:30 seems so early to expect a full night without going potty. Our 3 month old puppy goes out at 10 and can make it until 4. It's taking time to build up to longer stretches, but we're getting there :).

Yes little bladders have a tough time!

How old is the dog?

How active is she during the day?

What time is bedtime? What time is your wake up time? How long are you expecting her to 'sleep'?

I agree with stopping the free-feeding and taking the water up an hour before bedtime.

That said, dogs will wake up during the night and move around if for no other reason than to change position or because someone rolls over on them. Is she whining to go out or are you waking up because she is moving around and assuming she needs to go out because she is awake?

Heck, I can't last from 6:30PM until whenever other people wake up! Neither can my dogs.

Pippa goes out in the garden till about 10pm when we go to bed to have a poop or pee the door is open most of the time. I am going to try giving her last food at 6pm

Increase your dogs exercise level and let the poor thing pee one last time before bed time. My dogs ALWAYS get a last call no matter what time I go to bed. They sleep through the night too ;)

Not a big fan of free feeding.. but I think your main problem is not letting the dog out to go potty before bedtime.

The door is open till 10pm she is free to go out whenever she has lots of exercise as we live by fields and has 3 long walks a day I do think it may be her food routine

My dogs, 3 of them, can't go all night without peeing! Two are housedogs, the other a yard dog. I let the housedogs out every night around 2 am, and they are find from then on. One is 10 yrs old, the other 9 yrs old.
PLEASE do not feed them people food, if you do now. It makes them fat, and really can take about 5 yrs off their life. I leave dry dog food out for my 2 all the time. They eat when they get hungry, and neigher one is fat.

What is a yard dog? "I leave dry dog food out for my 2 all the time. They eat when they get hungry, and neigher one is fat.:"

What/when does the third one eat?

I have both self fed (as you do) and had set dinnertimes. I think it all depends on the dog(s).

What is a yard dog? "I leave dry dog food out for my 2 all the time. They eat when they get hungry, and neigher one is fat.:"

What/when does the third one eat?

I have both self fed (as you do) and had set dinnertimes. I think it all depends on the dog(s).

What is a yard dog? It's a dog that lives in the yard, with a dog house, tied to a tether so it can't get out and get run over by a vehicle.
A house dog is a dog that lives in your house. At least, those are the understandings that I have heard all my life, and I'm 71 yrs. Old.
The yard dog eats dry dog food, too, along with a can of Gravy train dog food, once a day.

The door is open till 10pm she is free to go out whenever she has lots of excercise as we live by fields and has 3 long walks a day I do think it may be her food routine

How old is she?