Why has my dog's body clock reset itself?

[tinselvestsparklepants]

My gorgeous girl has been with us for 4 months. For three of those months she's got up when we do - 8 ish as we both WFH. For the last month she has decided that 5.30 is the new 8 - she trots in, wakes me up and if I send her back to bed she'll just keep trotting in again every 30 mins. I am currently compromising by getting up to give her breakfast and let her out at 6.30. She goes for the food before asking for a pee. I don't really mind but I am mystified - anyone shed any light in this, or has she just stopped being so polite because she knows this is now home? (In which case ) We are late to bed most nights and she dozes on the sofa from about 9- midnight before coming up.

Ooh no idea, my wee boy has never gone past 7am! We're currently on 4.30am wake ups following a dodgy tummy last week so I'm very tired and watching for advice haha

No advice but watching with interest! Ddog has always been an early riser but about 18 months ago decided 4.30 - 5 am is her preferred wake up time. We've tried everything, but she is relentless until someone gets up. Most of the time she doesn't even seem to need a wee, she just wants company. We now take turns sleeping in the spare room with the door shut a couple of times a week so that one of us can get a full nights sleep.

That's like us duckie one of us takes him downstairs at 4.30 snooze on the sofa so the other can have a bit more sleep! I wouldn't mind so much if he didn't insist on sitting on my head

I don't have a dog, only cats, so this might be useless. But what if you moved his meal to 10am on a regular basis? My cats would get us up as early as we were willing to feed them, and they create new habits quickly.

Mine did this and his only options were jump into the bed with us or sleep on the spare dog bed kept in the room. He chose his spare bed. We stopped paying any attention and he has stopped coming in over the last 6 months. We are up by 7 anyway.

Personally I would not be feeding him at 6.30. Ignore until 8.00 if that is the time you get up.

She is training you well

Oh I know she is. I'm a pretty willing slave though.... although I may well start to push her breakfast a bit later. (She's staring at me now actually because it is nearly -whisper it- dinner time...)