The Middle-of-Night Plan

A puppy under twelve weeks simply cannot hold their bladder all night — the muscles are not ready yet.

Make every nighttime potty break deliberately dull — dim light, no play, no long cuddles. The whole trip should say one thing: this is a bathroom break, not social hour.

Get this wrong and you create a problem. A puppy who learns that waking up means fun and attention will start waking you up on purpose, long after the bladder excuse is gone.