Facebook page.However, the past several nites, she's started wanting to go out at 12:45 am. It makes me nuts. I take her out, she pees, maybe just a tablesoon or so (the little stinker), then back into her crate. There is no petting, no playing, no treats for going in the crate, nothing fun at all, just do your business and back to bed.
But, I'm trying to figure out what's going on here. I doubt very much it is anything like a physical issue; her urination pattern has not changed at all during the day (if she had a UTI, I'd expect her to need to go more frequently).
The only think that I can think of is that a few weeks ago, I came up kind of lame, and we haven't been able to do our regular morning hikes. They are moderately strenuous and great exercise for her, plus all the wonderful things about being in the woods on trails. Usually, we hike in the morning, then have a fetch session or two later in the day, plus various training sessions. What I've been doing since I've been lame is a modified walk with more fetch in the morning, to make up for the missed hiking, then another fetch session during the afternoon. I go by her energy level during fetching; if she seems tired or resting too much, we're done. I want to be so careful with her young joints!
I know the hiking wears her out in ways that just the physical activity of fetching doesn't, and I'm wondering if this is enough to cause the nightime changes in her?
Or, it could be something totally different.
I'm open to ideas
Judith Van Neerland Dutch Shepherds 
I know what you mean. You are still carring them to their little bed when the fall over and fall asleep after wild play. They still fit perfectly in your arms. And you are still in the process of admiring their freshly standing ears and newly aquired housebreaking skills. 
