My Puppy The Early Riser HELP!!!

[maciec]

I have a 5 month old puppy that loves to get up before the crack of dawn and start barking! She is kennelled because we just can't trust her not to go to the bathroom in the house. She is downstairs in the kitchen with her 2yoa sister.

Cookie inevitably wakes me up at 0630 every morning! It seems like as soon as daylight hits she is up and ready to go!

DH says get a muzzle, however, I don't think that's the best idea. Has anyone ever had this problem and how did you handle it? Does anyone have suggestions for me?

I think that covering the kennel with a dark blanket to keep out the sunlight might do the trick, but if it doesn't what in the world am I supposed to do!

BTW, dh and I both work the midnight shift so we don't have the normal sleep schedule that "normal" people do. So her barking is an issue that we would like to fix. Otherwise, she is a great dog!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I wouldn't muzzle her, I don't see that being comfortable for her to sleep with and she would start looking at her crate as a bad thing instead of her little safe place.

I would try covering the crate or putting something dark over the windows to keep the sunlight from coming in first.

Have you tried letting her out to do her business when she barks and then putting her back in the crate and see if she will go back to sleep? Our dogs are like that. They will wake up at the crack of dawn to go "pee pees" but are dead asleep 5 minutes after getting back upstairs.

Maybe try moving the crate into the bedroom with you so she can still see you?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It gets better as you know. Right now it is a baby...take the dog out to do it's business and then back in the crate. You are going to have to get up. Part of the package when you get a puppy.

If you are working the midnight shift how long is the puppy in the crate between working and you guys sleeping? That is a long time for a puppy to be in a crate. Be realistic for the puppy and how much it can handle.

Do NOT cover the crate because the puppy will eat the blanket...ask me how I know.

I am up at 5am...way before the dogs. They are like we were STILL SLEEPING thank you!

 

[cheyita]

I can completely relate. Only our problem is our 2yo. She is free to be out at night, but has decided that sometime between 5:30 - 6:00 is time to (a) go out and (b) eat breakfast. See, during the school year and work week, that's a perfectly fine schedule. The problem comes in on weekends and during time off! Just like in Lady and the Tramp - "can't you explain to Lady about Sundays!"

 

[Hercules10]

Hmmm. Not much you can do unless you want to try one of the no-bark collars. Some shock, some spray citronella. Or you may try to block out the barking with some type of 'white noise'. Fan in your bed room or somethng of that nature.

Good Luck!

 

[Jennifer S]

A puppy is like a baby- early risers but it doesn't last forever. Our dog was always up at 6:30. Now she is the last one up. Some days I have to shake the car keys to get her out of bed. I guess she's a teenager now


Just go with the flow. It will be over before you know it. Good luck!

 

[LindaR]

Well, if you go downstairs when the dog starts barking you are reinforcing what he wants...........your attention. The dog knows that if he barks long enough, you will respond. Ignore or take him out for a potty trip and give a little treat and put him back in the kennel.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was thinking about your issue and if you work the midnight shift perhaps you can take the dogs for a walk when you get home and then you can wear the pup out a bit and buy you some time.

 

[Trish Bessette]

I have a 5 month old pup too. However I do put a blanket over the front of the kennel at night only. The back portion is not covered just the front. I think she knows that means it time to sleep and never has she tried to eat it. I get up early, 5:30 a.m. but on weekends she will stay in there until I wake around 7 a.m.

I would try walking your pup around midnight and then covering the kennel. Good luck!

 

[maciec]

I work the first half of the week Sat, Sun, Mon 12 hour shifts 7pm-7am and then on Tuesday 7pm-1am. DH works Wed-Sat 10 hour shifts. So one of us is always home with the real kids and the fur babies. We adjust ourselves so that we can be normal people on our days off. So our bodies are struggling as it is with our sleep schedules. Anyway, I always take the girls out before we go to bed at about 11 for me and maybe later for dh. Cookie is up and barking at 0630. I have tried taking her out and then putting her back in her kennel, but she wants to eat. By the time I am done fussing with the dogs, it's time to get up.

For those that made the suggestion not to put the blanket over the kennel ... you are right... she would eat it!

For those that suggested live with it, it will be over soon .... I think that I had lost short of that and that you are also right. I am just going to have to live with it.

For those that said don't muzzle her, you are right. I can't imagine how comfortable it would be for her to sleep with it on all night long. I just think it's wrong in general, so I am doing everything I can to avoid caving in to dh.

Thanks for all of the replies!!!

 

[JustHolly]

Good LUCK!

My puppy used to wake us up at 1:00am to go out and again at 4:30am!!!!! He's 8 months old now, and now he gets up after I do. When my alarm clock goes off, he's under the bed and starts moaning and groaning. LOL

When I wasn't working during the summer and he still wanted to wake up at 5am, I would get up and let him out for a minute and then climb back into bed. He eventually learned to settle back down and sleep a couple more hours. I got to the point where I coud get up and let him out and get him settled without really waking up.

Is there a chew toy you could give him when he wakes up? Something to keep him occupied?

 

[lesroi]

Have you tried letting her out to do her business when she barks and then putting her back in the crate and see if she will go back to sleep? Our dogs are like that. They will wake up at the crack of dawn to go "pee pees" but are dead asleep 5 minutes after getting back upstairs.

This sounds like our house. The minute the sun rises my little old rescue lady thinks it is definitely time to tinkle. (She lives in Florida and like any good retiree, she rises and falls with the sun!) I just let everyone out, then it's right back to bed for a little longer. Yes, it is a PITA, but I'm the one that wanted all these dogs!

Tracy