Early morning waking

[totallyliterally]

13 month old cocker, sleeps in kitchen. Has never slept in but it's getting worse. 4am today.

She cried until I gave in and went down at 5am. Let her out. Not desperate for a wee as jumped about inside first.

I don't greet her at that time.

Left her again with radio on and she cried and banged door till 6am when I went down and got coffee / put washing on etc. Breakfast given at 6:40am and left again whilst I come and have a shower.

She went out last at 10:30pm.

Very active during day, 1 1/2 hour off lead run, hardly sleeps during the day. At day care a couple of days. Makes no difference. Tried one big walk, 2 walls etc.

Flops between 8-9pm at night on sofa and dozes.

I can't carry on like this, I'm a zombie.

Partner away this week, usually we share getting up.

My neighbours must hate us.

She can't sleep upstairs with us because of space / Cat.

We've tried leaving her to cry, going down every 10 mins and doing a shush on your bed. Tried leaving her in darkness / light radio on / off.

Not heating waking her as it's manual.

She just loves being with us and once awake wants attention.

Feeding times make no difference. Tried all that.

I've read the setting an alarm thing and teaching her to wake to an alarm but has anyone actually done this. All I've read is people suggesting it but not actually doing it.

Is she coming in to season? I've had dogs whose whole routine seemed disrupted and also one bitch for whom disturbed sleep was the first sign of a UTI. I don't think you can do any more exercise wise, you could try feeding earlier or later just in case it is a case of needing a wee, even if the excitement of seeing you downstairs makes her skip about first. One of my dogs had a problem with too much freedom, she was better left in the small hallway than the kitchen/family room, I think she felt more secure. On that same note, if you don't use a crate that might be worth a try, you can start with it in your room and move it further away each night. You can also get timed feeders, would she be content to have a morning snack without you being there? I think you are doing the right thing not to interact with her when you get up to let her out. I can imagine your exhaustion but I can't see how using an alarm clock is going to work if she is already up and noisy, but maybe I'm just being dense.

My dog sleeps in my room with me.

When I’m up for work my alarm goes off at 6. As soon as it goes off, my dog starts licking me. I’m a snoozer so I tell her to lie down and she does. When it goes off again, she’s realised that it’s really time to get up!

On my days off I usually set my alarm for 8:30 or 9. She occasionally stirs around 6ish but settles, however when my alarm goes off she knows it’s time to get up.

Is she in a routine?

I wake up get out of bed, take her for a walk, come back give her food whilst I go get ready. If I ever get up and DONT take her out she’ll pace and start barking up at her lead.

Could you not let her sleep upstairs in her own bed in your room? My dog now associates the word ‘goodnight’ with sleep time. Once I tell her goodnight I totally ignore her. Now she doesn’t even bother me once I say goodnight.

So yes, the alarm trick does work but it’ll take a couple of weeks for the dog to realise.

Another one who uses an alarm like Chippyway

I just make sure I never, ever, ever get up before the alarm. I might change the time of the alarm if I fancy a lie in or bring it forward if I am wake early and want to get up but one truth remains: no getting up until the bell sounds.

If dog is awake he just settles himself until alarm time and then "ah ha!" he jumps up ready to go...

Just wanted to add that it doesn't need to be an alarm. For example, a bluetooth speaker downstairs with the dog and you just play a sound from your phone upstairs when it's time to get up.

Thanks all - to answer a few questions

She has been spayed so not in season and no medical issue as this isn't just a recent thing! It's just getting slowly worse

She goes to bed like a dream, last wee and you say night and she gets in her crate and that's it. Crate is left open. For first 5 months home she had it shit but slept through better with it open. Kitchen is quite small.

I think she is probably hungry but she's a spaniel so that's 24/7 ;)

I'm going to try dinner later at 8pm and see if that helps. And then the alarm thing. We have an Alexa in the kitchen so can get that programmed to go off at 5:15am for starters so even if awake from 4 then she will have to wait until that and then I can come down. Do that for a week then edge time forward.

Fingers crossed!

Funny she is having a pre arranged sleep over at day care tonight as I had an afternoon and evening meeting and didn't want her left for ages and partner away.

The utter relief knowing I can go to bed early and sleep in a bit. Will probably wake at 5 anyway

Mine is in a really strict routine for work. So alarm 5 am and she's up and raring to go. Out for pee and poo and then back in. On a work day she then plays about and doesn't have breakfast until we get into work an hour later. If I am off I feed her and she cosies straight back in for a sleep. There is no way she would go back to sleep without breakfast, but so long as she has had it she will settle no problem.

Our lab did this for ages. She barked for her breakfast really early. Started at 5 am and as it got lighter sometimes it was even earlier. One day our neighbour mentioned she could hear her and I was mortified. It's one thing disturbing us but it's awful that our neighbours were disturbed.

I bought an anti-bark collar from amazon. When she barks it beeps. We put it on her at bedtime and she has never woken us up early since. I would recommend it with no doubt at all. It doesn't hurt her, she actually brings it to us to have it put on now.

I can't link but this is what it's called.
2018 No Shock Anti Bark Collar Pet Dog Barking Control No Prong Comfort + Dog Whistle (Med / Large 2018)