Puppy waking at 4:30am. I'm exhauseted.

[Jennytailia]

I have had her for 8 weeks now so she is 20 weeks old. She sleeps in a crate in the front room. She has been waking earlier and earlier each day. This morning it was at 4:30, and I had already been down at 1am to let her out for a wee and poo when my DD woke her up by going to the toilet.

She just barks and barks until i go downstairs, up until 2 weeks ago I used to ignore her until 6am, but my neighbours starting banging on the wall
so I can't leave her to bark.

I was thinkin of letting her sleep in the DC's room but am worried she might regress with toilet training if not in her crate, and if I lock her in her crate in their room I'm sure she would still bark.

What can I do?? I'm sooooo tired >waaaaiiiillllll

So tired I slept exhausted wrong!!!

Do you cover her crate completely to make it really dark in there? I also leave radio 4 on-likes the posh lady talking I think!

Not bragging here as my pup is a complete nightmare and night time is the only thing she gets right, but ever since her first night, we've never gone down to her and she never messes her crate. She was 8wks when we got her and went 10-6. By 10wks went 10-8. So they can hold it. Maybe ask neighbours when would be a good time for you to force the issue?

Yes I have started covering her crate and have always left Radio 2 on for her(maybe that's where I'm going wrong )

How difficult that you can't leave her to bark - she is getting exactly what she wants. Is there a time when your neighbours are going on holiday or away for the weekend? Can you book them a cheap weekend away Can you have her in the crate in your room and everytime she barks re-assure her but not let her out and stay in bed? Give her a chew, bone anything to keep her occupied but in crate until she gets the message. She can certainly wait for the toilet all night at 20 weeks. Mine has been going through the night since 10 weeks.

"She just barks and barks until i go downstairs, up until 2 weeks ago I used to ignore her until 6am, but my neighbours starting banging on the wall"

you left her barking overnight for weeks for weeks until the neighbours quite rightly complained? she doesnt sound as if she is happy. is she getting enough stimulation and company during the day? you have had her for 8 weeks but she barks so much overnight that the neighbours knock on the wall.

"How difficult that you can't leave her to bark" bloody hell, the poor thing. find out why she is barking. you arent talking about the first few nights in a new home but she has been with you 8 weeks

Our pups have always slept in the utility room and we have always seem to get pups in the summer months over the years and one major factor I have found is daylight!! Their little bodies seem to be programmed with nature, when it's dark they fall asleep and at the slightest suggestion of daylight it's eyes WIDE open!! So.. our utility room has heavy curtains on window (with blinds behind) and curtains on the door so there is virtually no light getting in at silly o'clock in the morning.

Are you in a really good routine with her? Last feed at the same time? Bit of a play? Toileting? Bed & biscuit at same time and not disturbed again till the morning? Pups are like babies, they thrive on routine, it gives them a sense of security. We never open a door to let dog in or out if barking, once silent then we do it, you must never reward barking with what they want..

No I have never left her barking all night .

If she woke before 6 I would leave her to bark and then she would go back to sleep, she seemed to get it and then a couple of weeks ago she started waking earlier and earlier and then thats when the banging started.

I have had a few cross words with the neighbours over barking so I can't really offer them a wkend away

I am in a good routine!! She knows that after I let her out at night she goes straight to her bed as she is excited about her kong.

If she is at 20 weeks and has already cracked the toilet training then see no reason why she should regress.

I dispensed with the crate at about this stage - I was never 100 % sure whether it was right for us to use one - our lab also used to wake up about 4.30 and whine . In the end we just let her sleep on her bed in back room and she went right through.

I'm sometimes not sure whether crates are all they are cracked up to be - they were not used as much many years ago and we still managed to toilet and house train dogs. But from personal experinece when we got rid of crate things were much better for us.

Our lab is now a year old.