>   My wife Janice, and I have a weenie dog named
 > Fritz...and she
 > originally got him when he was 7 weeks old. He'll be
 > 11 in November, and
 > sadly, has got cataracts and glaucoma from
 > diabetes...so, most of his
 > eyesight is gone. However, the rest of his senses are
 > still in tact.
 > He's a smooth haired, brown critter, with white on his
 > muzzle and at the
 > ends of his paws...and 2 feet, 7 inches long from his
 > nose to his tail.
 > In short...cute, but ornery.

 >   The thing is...like most dachshunds...he's high
 > strung. We have him on
 > a medication (basically, a liquid Prozac for dogs...I
 > can't spell the
 > name of it)...because he's terrified of thunderstorms,
 > and hates water
 > (rain, baths, etc.) unless he's drinking it. The worst
 > part is that he
 > is waking me at all hours of the day and night,
 > ruining my sleep, just
 > so he can get a potty break. Our vet is stumped on
 > what to do about
 > it...saying it's a behaviorial habit that's hard to
 > break (no kidding).

 >   The thing is...I don't want my wife (who is
 > disabled...and I'm
 > heading that way) going out at night...but, she sleeps
 > like a rock, and
 > can fall back asleep quick...while I have a terrible
 > time getting back
 > to sleep if I'm awakened.

This is one of those circumstances when it's nice to have a spot in the
house with newspapers or doggie training pads that the dog will use when
necessary. Do you think you can set up something like this?  They sell
puppy training drops, the smell of which supposedly encourages the dog to
go *there*.  (To me, the smell is not unpleasant and not fecal.) The dog's
need to go more frequently is presumably an effect of the diabetes.  You
didn't say how long this has been going on, but if it's recently increased,
consider the possibility that the dog may have a urinary infection in
addition, if that hasn't already been checked for.  I don't know what to
think about the remark that a potty break is "a behaviorial habit
that's hard to break."  They're necessary for life, and going very
frequently or very seldom tend to be indicators of health issues.

 >   Also, he's wanting his "shot and goodie" way early.
 > He takes 18 units
 > on Lentil insulin twice a day, a drop of pilocarpene
 > in each eye twice a
 > day, and then his "prozac laced" dog food. We try to
 > give it around 9am
 > and 9pm, but he's wanting it earlier, and the vet told
 > us to play
 > "hardball" with him...but the dog still raises a fit.

 >    Any ideas on what we might do??

If the requirement is that he take these medications twice a day (12 hours
apart), is there anything sacred about 9am and 9pm?  Or are you saying that
he seems to feel that 12 hours is too long a time, blood sugar is going
off, whatever, and he not only wants his stuff earlier in the morning, but
earlier at night, also?  That would suggest to me that he may eventually
require an adjustment in his food and/or insulin schedule; however, I'm not
knowledgeable about diabetes, let alone canine diabetes.

He certainly is a little soldier if he takes pilocarpine twice daily in
both eyes.  I had to take it four times a day for some time, and let me
tell you, that stuff stings so bad, it takes your breath away.  Perhaps
it's combined with numbing drops or something, for veterinary use.

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