Puppy now waking up even earlier!

[rollerbaby]

Our puppy has been sleeping through the night from 10 weeks - between 11pm and about 6.15 to 6.30am. For the last few weeks he has been holding it really well and waking us up at 6.30 to do a poo outside (he might have done a wee or two before that but not woken us). This lasted about a week, but the last two days suddenly this has now become 5am and he barks to be let out. Yesterday we caught it in time at 5am, but today he had done it before we came down at 5.15. he's not content to settle himself back down and just keeps barking until whenever we give up.

We're both totally knackered and seriously thinking about bringing him up to the bedroom where we know he will settle down.

Should we get up when he barks at 5am or let it go an bit later?

We haven't been crating him overnight - we leave the door open in the pen with pads down. But frankly we might as well since he wakes us up anyway!

Any advice? We are going to put him in our room tonight otherwise, which we really don;t want to do and he will have won! ;)

Hello moomoo thought I'd reply - although not sure I got much useful to say

Several things here:

1. Where do you want him to sleep as an adult? becuase if you plan on letting him in your room when he is older then - you may as well have him up there now - but if you definitley want him to sleep downstairs - I'm afraid you'll have to stand firm

2. My dog went through this as a puppy and grew out of it! He sleeps downstairs - he always has and he prefers it now.

3. The daylight won't be helping - gundogs (andf other dogs I guess!) tend to wake up with the daylight. He's probably desperate to start his day!

Advice... hmmm.... I would make sure I always go down stairs to let him out at 6am (which is what I did) - so the puppy has some certainty. Ignore the barks (hard - I know) and this may not be practical... Or get up and let him out - no fuss or playing - and then go back to bed and make him too.

Gotta run - will think some more!

still trying to think what will work....

only thing I wouldn't bother with is pads - cos then you have to house train twice (train to go on pads - then train to go in garden)...

I used to get up at 3am and let mine out - no fuss - just up open back door - let him go to the loo, but no attention. If he cried in the night - I'd get up and let him out and then go straight back to be. One thought - are you fussing him when you go down at 5am? Because it's probably best not to - so he gets used to just asking to be let out for the loo and not to get your attention?

Mine doesn't bark tho - he just used to whinge as soon as it got light...

Hey iggs.

No we are very firm when we get up - no attention, just out for the loo. So he's definitely not getting any doggy love in the middle of the night. He barks like crazy when he wants us to get up so very hard to ignore even with earplugs, pillow over head!

It did occur to me that clocks going forward might help???!!! Not sure I can stand it between now and then. I can't work out how one week he is fine at 6.30 and suddenly it's 5am! Weird.

I think we'd rather he always sleeps downstairs. the only reason we're considering moving is really because of the lack of sleep which seems a bit shortsighted but even still we're both shattered! It seems a shame to move him because we went through 2 weeks of puppy barking hell when we first got him and since then he has done so well sleeping right through to 6.30 until now...

argghhhhh.

lock the crate at night.
Set your alarm for 10 mins earlier than when he wants to go out.
Go to him let him go for a wee no interaction at all back into crate ignore whining and barking.

Next day set alarm for 5 mins later etc etc until you get him used to going to a sensible time to wake up.

This will work and I definately would not let him in my bedroom.

Thanks minimu that's great we will try it tonight. We were wondering when we were going to start crating at night and it seems we now have the perfect opportunity...

Is he being woken up by something? Our older dog did a similar thing when she was a puppy, and we wracked our brains trying to figure out why she kept waking up at the same time every morning, then found out our neighbour had started a new job and was leaving the house at 5.30 every day - the car door banging was waking her up

I don't think so... he's in the kitchen which is at the back of the house so hopefully quite insulated from road noise. Definitely think the crating is going to help, what we have found in the past when we used it is that he settles himself quicker. When he gets out of his crate he kind of works himself up more... Going to set my alarm for 4.55am tomorrow morning - urrrggghhhhh. Short term pain....

I wish I'd stuck with the downstairs-rule myself. I wake up with two huge labradors on my bed every morning - and usually one of them has their head on the pillow! Still, I'd rather wake up and see the dog's face than DH's - much less scary!

Ha ha! I love having him on my bed but he is only ickle puppy at the moment so not too much of an inconvenience. Mr Moo won't let me anymore though (we used to argue at 6.30 on a sat/sun morning) so he is banned.

Definately go for the crate. all mine, including the rehomed dog i got at 11 months were in a crate until housetrained. they wont ususally poo in their crate. that said I woke up this morning with 3 labradoodles on the bed. good job i am single (likely to stay that way if the dogs have their way

can i ask if you let him in the room how he would have "won"?

also, whats wrong with him sleeping upstairs?

Well to my mind teaching a dog that barking will get attention isn't going to result in a well behaved dog.

And there's nothing wrong with a dog sleeping upstairs - we've just decided not to as we have a baby on the way.

fair answer second question

re first answer i understood your pup to be barking as she needed a toilet?

Right, here's what happened last night:

We decided not to set alarms but see when he woke up after being crated for the first time all night. A 'pure' test if you like!

So at 11pm after 3 good walks and lots of playing in the evening he went to bed a tired boy. Not a peep after putting him down and covering crate so no light.

4.30am woke up to barking but also noticed birds going mental in trees outside. Went down let him out and he clearly really needed wee. Put him straight back covered him up and said go to sleep. Carries on barking. Panicked that he might have also needed poo, so let him out again but no not interested. Put him back ignored barking and back to bed. Stopped barking after 5 mins (yes this would not have happened if he hadn't been locked in I reckon).

6.10 wakes up as normal (I guess this is when it is also getting light now) and OH takes him out for poo etc.

So... do we set alarms for just before both 4.30 and 6.10 tonight?

Clutha - wasn't saying that, was referring to barking after going to the loo. Also please note winking emoticon in initial post.

ah. understood now.

btw, no winking emoticon on my screen

He does not "need" to go out at 11.00, then 4.30 and then 6.00. He needs to be trained that he can go all night generally without needing all those wees and poos!

keep locking him in the crate at night go down once but I would have ignored the 6.00 oclock barking.

If he is waking up at a regular time I would set the alarm to pre-empt this so he does not get used to waking at a set time but gets used to you waking him. So that when you don't wake him he stay asleep.

If he has once been in your room then obviously he knows this is an option. (One I don't use as wet farty dogs in my bedroom is not for me and dogs do need some time on their own so night is a good as time as any!) You will have to be a bit strict over this and harden your heart to the whines etc. They do get over it very quickly if consistent behaviour is given and just think you may get a lie in to 7.00 one morning soon!

You must be shattered (did you say what type of puppy he was?)

Just checking is he weeing and pooing more in the day or is this just a night time thing? I am assuming that this is a behavioural issue and not medical. If he is weeing more in the day obviously a visit to the vet may be needed to check infections etc.

Yes feeling pretty tired but bit more postiive that we are doing something now! Not helped by being 8 week pregnant and shattered!!!

His daily wees and poos are pretty normal I think - so yes think this is a behaviour thing. So tonight will set alarm for 4.15 and wake him up for wees and then 5 mins later each night - right? God it's going to take forever to get to 7am!!! And then ignore his 6.10 wake up call and consistently get up at 7am?

I know what you mean about farty!!!! He's only a little 16 week old cocker spaniel but wow the smell he can emit is impressive.

By the way, he hasn't ever slept in our room I just bring him up for cuddles in the morning at weekend when he wakes early but not allowed anymore!

You poor thing! You will be surprised as you may easily be able to move the clock on by 15 mins etc at points or he may be a really quick learner and cotton on very quickly. So maybe on some nights just leave him to see if he does sleep on through.

So for the next couple of nights set the alarm and ignore the 6.00. If his crate is locked he may not poo in his bed but if he does ignore it let him out and then clear it up without a word or any body language to let him know there is a problem. (God rotten having to do that 8 weeks pregnant and feeling queasy!).

He will quickly learn to hold on to the poo or do it at 4.00 when you take him out.

Thanks Minimu... will let you know how we get on.

Minimu gives fab advice Hope you get it sorted moo

well, Minimu you were absolutely the right, the night training (i.e 5-10 minutes later each night) is definitely working. We started at about 415 at the beginning of the week and now up to 4.45... ever more civilised! I have hope that we will get there... just slowely.

The one thing that isn't working well, is leaving him to bark from 6.15 until 7am. I'm worried that this is reinforcing that barking alot for a long time eventually brings us down. What do you reckon? Keep it up?

Glad some bits are getting better. I would be tempted to not set the alarm until about 6.00 now and see what happens.

If the pup sleeps through great let him out and gradually make the night longer.

If he barks early again go back to earlier alarm.

When he barks in his crate if you go into the room do not let him out of the crate at all while he is barking. Ignore him then the second he pauses for breath praise him like mad and let him out. (so although the barking is getting you downstairs there is no point in his eyes as he is still ignored until he stops barking)

What is he like locked in the crate in the day?

Hi Minimu

We woke him at 5am this morning... no probs and then back in and left him until 7am (barked for an hour). Unfortunately for all of us he couldn't hold his poo and went in his bed bless him. Baths all round.

So I think you are right - wait til just before 6 (when he barks anyway) and let him out then and gradually lengthen by 5 mins.

He is as good as gold during the day and is much more accepting of crating. He generally whines for a bit but settles for about 2ish hours.