Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

There must be a solution to this or nobody would ever have a dog!

194 replies

inexcessive · 04/02/2020 05:45

Can any dog owners help me? My 7 month old puppy has started waking up at around 4am (2am yesterday, went back to sleep at 4am). He whines and barks. I have to go to him as we have neighbours and i can’t just let him bark it out. When i go down he just wants to play. I am literally weeping from sleep deprivation. Currently i don’t feel much love for him and that makes me feel terrible. What the hell do i do?! Can anyone just tell me this will get better?

OP posts:
NothingIsGoing2GetBetterItsNot · 04/02/2020 05:51

Poor you!! Flowers (too early for Wine ) I am writing this as my 4m old pupp has just whined to get me up as he has diarrhea... I have just watched him squirt his way around the garden with a torch (me obvs not him with the Torch) 🤢 and now can't get back to sleep. At least he woke me up and didn't do it in his crate, I suppose!

Not much help for you but definitely offering sympathy! They're almost as much a worry as the kids were at that age! 🙄

PinkFlamingo888 · 04/02/2020 05:53

What time is he going to sleep? Is he getting enough exercise during the day? Does he have access to toys when he wakes up?
My dog is now 14 months and we’ve always been pretty lucky with him at bed time (in or out of his crate) but now that he’s not restricted to his crate he’ll come up stairs when he’s awake but won’t disturb us and will just wait. We’ve never trained him to do that though, he’s just very clever so that’s not much help I’m afraid!

YouJustDoYou · 04/02/2020 05:56

The only thing that ever solves that for us was bringing his bed next to our bed. 20 years later and he never whined once again and slept straight though until around 7am. Not for everyone though, obviously.

YouJustDoYou · 04/02/2020 05:56

*solved

MothershipG · 04/02/2020 05:57

Is he cold? That sometimes wakes them up. Then if you go down he's excited to see you so you have to not be interesting.

Original poster
inexcessive · 04/02/2020 05:57

Thanks both! Poor you, nothing. Flamingo - yes an hour every day off lead plus two school runs. Goes to bed about 10. Was absolutely great until xmas and we went away and it all went to shit. Is it normal to have bad feelings towards your puppy? I feel terrible!

OP posts:
Original poster
inexcessive · 04/02/2020 06:00

Hmmm - yes bed is one option but he can’t seem to settle as he knows he’s not allowed upstairs! The thing is i know i am totally reinforcing this behaviour by going to him but the alternative would be understandably upset neighbours. Otherwise i would leave him to cry! Gina ford for puppies.

OP posts:
InfiniteSheldon · 04/02/2020 06:00

He is cold and lonely

slipperywhensparticus · 04/02/2020 06:04

Radio?

Toffeecakes · 04/02/2020 06:04

I know you said you can’t but, unless he does need something, then barking it out is the only way. He’s barking because he gets a response, he most likely just wants company and although it’s harsh he has to learn that it’s not correct behaviour.

Failing that, let him sleep upstairs. Do you have space on the landing he could be so he’s not in the bedrooms or on the beds? He might feel more secure because he’s with everyone.

Pixxie7 · 04/02/2020 06:05

He is lonely and missing you perhaps get him a toy or even a soft toy that smells of you to reassure him.

WombatStewForTea · 04/02/2020 06:06

Don't leave him to cry.
Chances are something is waking him up- hunger, cold, toilet. Ideally you'd have him in your room to sus what's going on. Otherwise you could try feeding him part of his dinner before bed so he's not hungry. Getting him up before he does to take him for a wee/poo then next to bed.

Original poster
inexcessive · 04/02/2020 06:11

He really definitely does not need a wee or poo. I let him out and he starts digging not weeing! I get he might be lonely but when i do go to keep him company he wants to play not sleep and he barks at me until i do something! Tried radio and tv.

OP posts:
Original poster
inexcessive · 04/02/2020 06:12

He loves watching the lion king, maybe i should put that on like i used to put peppa pig on for the kids at a similar time!!

OP posts:
GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 04/02/2020 06:14

Go to him, but be very boring: check he's alright, put him back in his bed, go away again.

We had an early riser, and this eventually worked.

MurrayTheMonk · 04/02/2020 06:21

This is the exact reason that I'm currently in bed with two jack Russell's. DP caved after about two nights of barking ( after I'd done 6 months hard crate training)Hmm.

It stopped the barking but I don't love sleeping with two Dogs tbh. I'm trying to persuade them into a basket on the floor now with naturally absolutely zero success Smile

Roselilly36 · 04/02/2020 06:25

Our dog slept in our bedroom, he had a bed on the floor, he just couldn’t settle otherwise, dogs are pack animals after all.

Egg · 04/02/2020 06:29

Is he in a crate? Mine was waking early when in a crate but when allowed to sleep on blankets and cushions on the floor (and now sofa now he’s old enough not to fall off) he’s much more settled.

Jojo2wyatr · 04/02/2020 06:30

Boy, that's a tough one...who watched him whilst you were away for Christmas? Did they follow the routine you had him on before you left him? They may have unknowingly reinforced this behaviour of waking up and barking. I dogsat a neighbour's poodle once and treated her (the puppy, not the neighbour) like a princess because of course that's what one does with a poodle, right? WRONG!!! I took her upstairs and let her sleep with me and practically never let her feet touch the ground. When her owner returned, I mentioned what a delight it was having puppy snuggled right up under my chin all night...the neighbour said "What! We have her sleep in the garage and she's never ever allowed upstairs !!!!" From then on little poodle was my best friend and kept digging herself out under her garden fence and would runaway to visit me day and night. I had created a monster...but she was a cute little monster...that'll teach her owners to go away without her. I know this doesn't help you, but maybe you could talk to your dog minder and find out what went on when you were away....he may have missed you and barked all night.

TheBlessedCheesemaker · 04/02/2020 06:31

Bed in crate in bedroom for a while, then try to switch, ideally by moving crate back downstairs with him continuing to use it, otherwise remove crate and leave bed in bedroom.

AnnaFiveTowns · 04/02/2020 06:31

Our dog used to do this; every night we'd have to go down to him. He now sleeps in our bed with us and we get to sleep through the night. I actually love having him in the bed with us now. With dogs and babies the easiest thing to do is embrace the co-sleeping. Trust me, you'll never look back.

Tombliwho · 04/02/2020 06:31

Tricky when you have neighbours because it becomes a cycle of you needing to keep her quiet and her getting attention (reward) for the barking.
Our dog doesn't bark at all now, in fact the couple of times she has (I think it was someone coming in the back door unexpectedly) she seems shocked that she made the noise. She has never "got" anything from barking.
When she was little we would let her out for a wee of course, but no talking, no eye contact, nothing and then go back to bed.

Branster · 04/02/2020 06:33

Ideally, as you said yourself, you’d leave him alone as you know he hasn’t got an upset tummy or anything like that.
Obviously you can’t let him bark because of your neighbours.
Try going in to him as soon as you hear him but don’t put lights on , talk to him, nothing whatsoever. Try put him back in his bed without looking at him and walk away. Be as boring as you can (but not angry). It works with babies, I wonder if it might work with puppies. Has he got a crate that he can sleep in? Perhaps cover it up a bit so feels snug and safe.

TheVanguardSix · 04/02/2020 06:40

Go to him, but be very boring: check he's alright, put him back in his bed, go away again.
We had an early riser, and this eventually worked.

This is exactly what you need to be doing. Talk to your neighbours and tell them you're trying to train your pup not to bark and whine at 4am, so 'sorry if you do hear him but we're working on this'. That will give you a degree of relief and you can just crack on with nipping this in the bud.
Make sure he's warm and that his bed isn't near a drafty back door or anything. Give him a t-shirt you've been wearing.

Franticbutterfly · 04/02/2020 06:51

The answer to most dog problems is more frequent and/or longer walks. Try this first.