Relentless Yipping yorkie in the mornings

[LivingLaVidaBabyShower]

Help! Our 4 year old rehomed yorkie (we have had her a year) has started a v annoying habit i am keen to break.

I suppose she is reasonably vocal. She barks at postmen /the door bell and if she is excited at visitors arriving we get high pitched yelps (she knows our families cars), she will whine a bit if she wants to play but generally a very good girl.

To the problem
My DH gets up at around 7 lets DD out for a wee and feeds her. He then potters about while i catch up on sleep (pregnancy insomnia)
From around 8am DD will then sit half way up the stairs and make a v distinct high pitched yipping noise to wake me or make me come down (it sounds like a smoke alarm when the battery is low)
I basically try and ignore it and not "answer her call"
Twice she has come into my room (she knows this is not allowed!) And has been chased downstairs

I feel lousy because i know its just she wants to see me but i am soooooo tired!
Also scared this will wake the baby when it arrives

Ignoring it is NOT working
What am i doing wrong/how can i crack this? getting up earlier is not the correct answer
All advice welcome!

Let her into bed with you and snuggle under the covers by your feet? She will likely fall asleep again and you can have a nice lie-in.

(I realise this is not the right answer either but I bet it will work).

You need to teach a "settle" command. Teach the dog to go to bed or another safe spot and stay put essentially. You'll be glad you did when the baby arrives too!

It sounds super -annoying but it sounds as though it's coming from a place of anxiety, she's likely sensed your pregnancy (through smell?) even if not visible yet and is clearly wanting to be with you/reassure herself all is well with you/is anxious about being seperated from you so irritating as it is I wouldn't punish her for it.

There are much more experienced people than me around on training/dog behaviour but I would ask your DH to take the lead on trying to stop this and I think I'd try distraction/prevention methods first, so don't let her get on the stairs/start whining or once she's started she probably won't stop! I know he wants to potter around first thing and then probably needs to work, but can he get her straight out of the house for a walk for 20-30 mins first? Also instead of just giving her her food in a bowl can he feed her from a licky mat or one of those puzzle toys, that should mean breakfast goes from 5 mins then straight onto the stairs to whine at you to at least 15 mins happy occupation (although one of mine was so dim he'd just sit looking pathetically at his puzzle boy and whining at me to open it for him ). Can he then do 15 mins playing with her in the garden or throwing a ball or doing 'brain game' or training type stuff, anything to keep her mind off you basically? Or if he needs to work perhaps he could half-heartedly nudge a ball backwards and forwards for her to retrive, mine absolutely love this. Or even if she's that kind of dog, just let her potter about by herself in the garden if it's the stairs specifically that triggers her? Don't do this if she'll just do the whining noise out there though as not fair to inflict it on the neighbours!

Basically if she's tired out she might just then agree to settle in her bed/at DH's feet/in a playpen with toys and the radio/white noise playing until you come down? Once the habit is broken DH may then be able to gradually shorten the 'tiring out' phase and lengthen the 'settled' period but either way if he can at least keep her occupied for an hour or so that will let you get your much needed sleep? Good luck!

I thought you were going to say she was waking you up at 5am. She sounds bored and probably needs a walk. Why can’t you take the dog out for a walk and then come back and have a nap on the sofa?

I think you have unrealistic expectations she's done the whole night on her own she wants your company.

I would get up just before your DH leaves and go snooze in the sofa tbh.

From around 8am DD will then sit half way up the stairs and make a v distinct high pitched yipping noise to wake me or make me come down (it sounds like a smoke alarm when the battery is low)

Is your DH still at home at this point? Get a stair gate for the kitchen or wherever she feels safe and settled downstairs. She’s pushing it by coming halfway up the stairs and it must be so frustrating for her to be so close to you and not be able to get to you.

(Or, let her up for a lovely cuddle in bed.)

The dog doesn't get to dictate which human she spends time with. The DH is downstairs with her, the OP is trying to work with insomnia whilst pregnant. The dog is not alone and needs to learn to be able to relax with OP is not available, especially with a baby due imminently.

Training is important here, to set you up for the baby arriving.

Tbh, I’d go for the quick fix and either get your DH to put her somewhere so she can’t get to the stairs and do that, or let her come in your room.

@kindlyensure

Let her into bed with you and snuggle under the covers by your feet? She will likely fall asleep again and you can have a nice lie-in.

(I realise this is not the right answer either but I bet it will work).

😂 This is my preferred solution but DH is NOT keen!

We both WFH at the minute so she has company she just prefers me
i can generally start at 9.30 so like a lie in to 8.30 we then take her for her morning walk. Appreciate i seem like a lazy slattern but my job while desk based is demanding and long hours.
pregnancy + no sleep = knackering
She also gets playtime in the day and 30mins/an hour at night on a good sniff route...so she is not ignored i do agree she is impatient/bored hence the yipping!

We very much need to tackle pre baby so thanks for the tips!
I will research the settle command! Was not aware of its existence so thank you!
Will also look into lick mats!!

If she's been asleep all night and awake since 7am, she'll need something to do - I suspect she's bored rather than lonely and knows you walk her in the morning, so wants you and not DH.

So solutions are:

• DH walks her when he gets up at 7am.
• You get up earlier, walk her and go back to bed until work.
• Get a dog walker to come and walk her in the mornings.
• Give her something to do - breakfast in a frozen kong so it lasts, a snuffle mat full of kibble, scatter her breakfast on the lawn, give her a healthy chew to eat while you sleep etc.

Out of all those, I think the best option is for your DH to walk the dog and stop "pottering around" lol.

My DH walks our dog at 6.15 before he goes to work, can’t your husband do the same?

We both work from home so netiher of us
are up at 6am.
Is an 8.45 walk really problematic? We have been taking her out around this time since we got her.

She def knows i am pregnant but the yipping has only started in the last month...