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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Please help- dog waking up middle of night

25 replies

tryingsomethingnew · 16/03/2023 02:50

Currently typing from the sofa!

9 month old doggy, who slept perfectly well till now, is waking up this week at 2-3am. He has been good at being in his bed at about 10.30pm then would wake at about 6.30am.

This week he is waking at 2.39am, barking so loudly. I've resorted to coming downstairs, letting him out for a wee, then sleeping on the sofa. If I go back upstairs, he barks.

I've tried to leave him to bark but it's too loud and I can't take more than 10 minutes.

I've tried feeding him dinner later at 8pm thinking that might help. Last wee outside is at 10.

He was fine before and now this is all changed. Help!

OP posts:

Nottodaty · 16/03/2023 03:01

I’m awake due to a 6 year old spaniel woofing! She is currently being disturbed by foxes at night - she really doesn’t like foxes. They seem to be more activate currently so winding her up.

im hoping it’s just a phase - I need sleep!! She has always been happy to sleep downstairs in the kitchen. The rare few occasions we had her in our bedroom she never settled & then gets annoyed by the cat - so we still didn’t get sleep!

I have no advice just feel for you!

Suzi888 · 16/03/2023 03:13

Something must be making a noise around that time to scare him? Does he want to use the toilet or just get outside or are you making him go out because you’re both awake? He’s still young, but you don’t want to form a habit. Maybe try a walk /game of ball in the evening?

BernadetteIsMySister · 16/03/2023 05:22

At 9 months it will be the secondary fear period, normal and you just need to support him again like when he was an puppy and he will grow out of it again.

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 16/03/2023 06:34

Thanks so far. I'm so tired by it all.

Could be a nose bit its every night now for a week.

He wees when I let him out. It could be this, but I do t see him drink very much at all in the evening.

Last night he settled on the sofa and slept most of the night next to me. Could be a fear thing but how do we start to tackle that?!

I did controlled crying with my DC years ago. Does that work with dogs :)

OP posts:

underneaththeash · 16/03/2023 06:58

Our dog sleeps best in his crate with a cover over the top (like a very large budgie cage).

QueenofLouisiana · 16/03/2023 07:04

Is he cold? Our dog (greyhound) needs to be snuggly tucked up- especially now as we don't heat the house as much as we used to! We forgot one night and he was up pacing and whimpering in the middle of the night. We've never forgotten since, I need my sleep.

Artemisty · 16/03/2023 07:15

Sounds like secondary fear period. He needs you. Sleep near him for a bit again and then transition away like you did when he was a puppy.

FfoxRedN · 16/03/2023 07:19

If you crate trained your dog, perhaps try bringing back the crate, but leave the door open. Dogs love a small cosy area to sleep and it could be that they can't settle, or are up looking in the garden, seeing other animals etc. We trained our dog to hit a bell with his nose (it was really easy to do hence why I'm suggesting) and he only does this when he needs a wee. That way if he barks at night I know it's not for that.
I really wish you good luck, PP are right in that you don't want it to be a habit now.
Find a small area and bed for them to sleep in and hopefully that will solve the issue, good luck! Xx

Mindymomo · 16/03/2023 07:27

My dog slept really well in crate until around 10 months old. He’d go in crate fine and sleep for a while, then wake up and bark. We let him out for a wee and tried putting him back in crate and stayed with him till he was asleep. This was happening every night and we really couldn’t keep this up, so we left crate door open and let him sleep where he wanted and we did get back to him sleeping through. We have trouble with foxes, I believe they are due to give birth soon, so are hungry and we have a neighbour a few doors down who feeds them, so our boy goes mad. He’s nearly 5 years old now and maybe 2 out of 7 nights he needs to go out for a wee. PS he sleeps really well in our bedroom, on the floor in the winter, but doesn’t like the bedroom when it’s warm.

PritiPatelsMaker · 16/03/2023 07:31

Just wondering what time his last wee is and does he have anything to eat before bed?

Mine is older and I take her out about 9pm, it used to be 10pm but she seems to prefer 9. She then gets a fish cube and takes herself off to bed.

Agree with other posters though that it's probably the second fear phase or DDog could be cold.

One thing that might help if its the cold is to put a mat underneath the crate.

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 16/03/2023 21:27

Thanks for the ideas. If it is second phase fear, you've suggested that we start again. Can you advise what to do? He was a very easy puppy and once he was ready, we began to leave him and he slept through. Or have I just forgotten!

I'm feeding him at about 8.30pm. Last wee at about 10.30. Maybe he's cold so I'll leave his bed out tonight or his blanket. He chews the bed! So not sure if we'll do that.

Could be foxes....but blind is down so I don't think he can see anything to spook him.

Looking for advise on the next steps. What would you do?

OP posts:

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 17/03/2023 06:29

Another bad night. Started at midnight.

This time I tried a bit of controlled crying. Leaving him to bark for one min. Walked into room said good night. Then left. Barked and left for two mins. Walked in said good night. He did go over to his bed. Left the room and he barked but left it for theee minutes. Continued like this till eventually there was a 10 minute gap and he had stayed in his bed.

I went to bed. An hour later, barking again. I was too tired so slept on the sofa again.

One thing to add was that he was barking and panting a lot so I think the idea of sleep regression, fear is what's happening here. He seems okay knowing I was outside the door (eventually).

Heeeeeellllllllllppppppp

OP posts:

TheLadyofShalott1 · 17/03/2023 07:01

Are you totally against trying something new @tryingsomethingnew? Sorry!
What I actually mean OP, is are you totally against him sleeping in your bedroom? With our last two DDogs we tried that instead of going through ages of them whining and barking when we went to bed. It honestly made having a dog so much easier for us, that I wished I hadn't listened to other people and had done it with our previous dogs!
Anyway, Good Luck, they are definitely worth any initial problems 💐

mrsfennel · 17/03/2023 07:07

I would definitely let him sleep with you, 9 months is still young and if he is panting and whining he is not happy . A bit of support and confidence boosting now will save you a lot of issues in the future.

He sounds like so far he has a been straight forward pup so something is up with him.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 17/03/2023 07:24

Bless him - he sounds incredibly anxious.

Does he need to sleep downstairs on his own?

StrongTea · 17/03/2023 07:26

One of ours often wakes during the night, we are rural so lots of wildlife. Last week in desperation I got Alexa to play calming music for dogs, just on low volume.

pistachioicecream · 17/03/2023 07:33

The only thing that stopped broken sleep in our house was having her in our room.

I spent two and a half years trying all things you’ve been advised on this thread with no success. We went on holiday with the dog last summer and there was nowhere safely to leave her to sleep in the holiday house, so we put her bed in our room. She didn’t wake up in the middle of the night once whilst we were there.

She’s been in our room ever since and has slept through every night.

She just didn’t want to be on her own.

DH had been adamant he didn’t want a dog in our bedroom but even he agrees this is the best solution all round. We need sleep!

BarrelOfOtters · 17/03/2023 07:41

I think you just have to get through it….it’s a phase.

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 17/03/2023 19:24

Okay, all good advise. I think we will try having him in our room. He's a big pup so I wonder if he'll be moving around and jumping on us! But I'll give that a go tonight. Thanks, really, I'll try anything at the moment!

OP posts:

pistachioicecream · 18/03/2023 10:26

how did it go @tryingsomethingnew ?

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 18/03/2023 16:27

Hi!
Oddly enough, DH put him to bed last night. And he didn't wake up at all! Was fully prepared to have him upstairs but we'll see tonight.

OP posts:

PritiPatelsMaker · 18/03/2023 17:14

tryingsomethingnew · 18/03/2023 16:27

Hi!
Oddly enough, DH put him to bed last night. And he didn't wake up at all! Was fully prepared to have him upstairs but we'll see tonight.

That's good news!

BreakfastClub80 · 18/03/2023 17:21

Just to add, if you do move him to your room it might take a few nights to settle. We have moved our 18 month old into our room and he kept waking up every hour for the first night or two before settling down.

Onceanexpat1 · 30/07/2023 09:14

@tryingsomethingnew how are things going? We are going through exactly the same thing now with our 1 year old spaniel. Never had any issues with him sleeping, even as puppy, happily downstairs in the kitchen, but not in a crate. Suddenly he has started barking at 2 and 3am. I do think this coincided with our neighbours going away and their teenage son having friends back in the middle of the night, stomping up and down the stairs. And also one night he was barking someone broke into our car(!!) so he is reacting to outside noises. Issue is this is an urban area and those noises aren’t going away- equally he has also known them since day one. I am wondering if it is secondary fear stage. We went in last night after 20mins of barking and he was so upset and jumped on my lap and fell fast asleep. He started barking again an hour later but settled down after 10mins. We really don’t want him in our bedroom with us- firstly because he is obsessed with our cat who gets free roam of the house at night, and I know he would end up chasing him around. Secondly we had a really old dog who slept in our room. The final years were really difficult with her, loads of accidents etc in the night. I just don’t want that in my bedroom again if I can avoid it. Does anyone have any tips. Do I keep going down to soothe him? Do I move him to another room near my bedroom and on first floor so maybe quieter, but also with carpets so not ideal. Do I sleep with him for a bit on the sofa downstairs? We don’t have a sofa in the kitchen. We can’t cope without sleep so I need to nip this in the bus before the neighbours kill me and the husband freaks out even more!!

Original poster

tryingsomethingnew · 18/01/2024 22:14

Hi- just found my old post. Well...we gave up and have him in our room. Started off for a few months on our bed. Only in September we managed to get him on the sofa in our room by putting treats there ebeytime we said No and pushed him (led him) from the bed to sofa. Now on the sofa all night but our door is shut. We sleep much better. The occasional time he has been sick or woken us but generally all much better. Haven't tried leaving him down since. Not sure that helps you.

OP posts:

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