Toilet problem with TJ not going out after dark

Tj will not go to the toilet in the garden, has only ever done it once, we need to take him right away from the house, but also he refuses to go out once it gets dark, not a problem in the summer as we can take him out quite late, but now when the nights come quite early he some times wont go out after 3.30pm till the next morning between 3.30 and 4.30am, i am worried that not going for this length of time is likely to cause him harm in some way, he has never weed in the house and doesn't seem in a hurry to get out to go in the morning, it just seems to be a very long time for him between loo breaks. Does anyone know if he is likely to harm himself holding it for this long, or have any other advice that may help.

my hooch used to be the same, as soon as it looked like it was going dark you couldn't get him to go outside for anything not even in the back garden. i don't know if it would work for you, but i started making it a game by throwing his fav squeeky about and then opening the back door and throwing it out there. then standing in the back garden and throwing it back into the house. it took about two weeks but he started to come outside to play with it. one night he did a wee and i praised him big time. it took about another 2 weeks and he was going for a wee in the garden when told.
we now don't have any problems with him going in the garden. but going for a walk in the dark is still work in progress.

One of my girls can hold on forever!!!
If its raining or cold she will NOT go out....but pick up the lead and she would walk in rain for miles!!

One of my mins goes regularly from 5pm until 11am next day. Even then, she isn't all that bothered and I have known her go another 3-4 hours if it is raining!!

I used to worry about her, but now I leave her to it. She seems to have everything well under control!

We have the same with our eldest Reah......she doesn't do dark. We leave it up to her.......doesn't seem to be a problem for her

Heyaah. I'm Hollie. I have a Shih Tzu and when we first had a mongrel from a rescue center we had the same problem. What we done was:

During the day light hours try and play in the garden with your dog and when he plays he will get excited ( he'll need a wee after all the excitement, he'll need one really bad) and then do not leave your garden and your dog will need a wee so bad he'll go in the garden. Give him his favourite treat. Continue this to build his confidence of relieving himself in the garden. Then keep making a fuss of him and giving his favourite treats to him once he does as you ask. Then at night put his leader on as if you were going to walk him. Instead take him out to the garden. Play gently and then continue to associate the garden with a treat and a game. He will eventually get the message. Its takes percervierence and patience. Give him a stick in the corner of your garden. Do not move or touch this stick. He will pee up against this stick and will associate this with his space.

Lurrve Hollie. All the best luck

If he can hold it, then why not just leave him? Or get him a dog flap so he can go out when he wants? The more bothered you become, the less likely he is to `oblige`. I`m sure in the wild animals don`t pop out for a pee after dark.

If it hadn't been for the fact that hooch kept waking me up in the early hours because by then he really needed to wee, i wouldn't have been concerned tbh.

Ben is also a bit weary after dark, but if I go out with him, and stay out there, he's OK...

Thank you all for your replies, this has put my mind at rest, i hadn't really worried about it till recently a nurse at the vets seemed to think 13hrs was a long time for a dog to not have the option to have a wee, though the vet has never mentioned it so i really suppose i shouldn't have worried.