Dog urinates at night

Question
I adopted a 6 year old pomapoo three months ago.  He has been in three different homes in the last 6 months due to travel and landlord issues.  He is a sweet dog with one problem.  He urinates and poos after we go to bed.  We are both gone during day 8 hours with no incidents, feed him by 5:30 every evening, pull water by 6:30, go out several times before 10:00 p.m., up by 4:30 a.m. to take out.  Every morning - surprise.  We have gated him at night with puppy pads.  Tried to crate him - big mistake.  Cried and barked all night.  I know that he has some issues with being moved around so much.  Like I said he is a sweet dog and we love him, just need help with the night time.  It is like he is scared.

Answer
It sounds like part of the problem is your feeding schedule. What goes in, must come out... and not always when you think it should. You might keep a journal and write down when he eliminates; that might help you with this.

First, be sure that you are not overfeeding him. A dog should always be kept *slightly* on the thin side for better health and longevity. Be sure that you are feeding a quality food such as Eagle, Canidae, Wellness, Solid Gold, or Flint River Ranch. The first ingredient should be a meat protein, preferably a meat meal, and it should contain NO by-products.

Basically, you have reversed his night and day, feeding/digestion-wise, so I would divide his food in two and feed him twice a day, rather than once, and see if that doesn't help. Removing his water an hour after feeding is not giving him enough water to digest his food properly (assuming you are feeding kibble). You could try putting warm water in his food to help with that. Here with puppies I cut off the water by 8pm (although I do try to feed no later than 4-4:30pm).

As to the crate behavior, that would not be unusual if he has never been crated before. This is a training issue that needs to be worked with. You could try feeding him in his crate, and give him a small treat every time you put him in there. Never let him out when he is fussing, and praise him when he is quiet.

At this point, I would keep him confined in a small area, such as an exercise pen or small room (bathroom), have his crate in there with the door removed, and put down papers or puppy pads, and just ignore any accidents.

A lot of this could also be due to stress. Lord knows that he must have plenty after being tossed from pillar to post in such a short time. Rescues can come with a lot of baggage, and need a lot of patience on the new family's part. Just give him more time and he should come around.