Early morning wake-up - how long?!

[Gorran]

Honestly, I'm all woe-is-me this week, must be hormonal!

Anyway, Daisy has now decided that anytime between 5-5.30am is a good time to be up for the day, this is despite not going to bed until nearly midnight. She was waking between 6am-6.30am which seemed more acceptable (though still early!).

Will this carry on forever?! Are we destined to have a dog that always so early? I speak to other people (even puppy owners, with pups younger than ours) whose dogs sleep until 8.30am! How? Why? Where are we going wrong?

She clearly wakes for the loo, as soon as she gets out into the garden she does both a wee and a poo. But putting her back in her crate isn't an option, she wouldn't go back to sleep and would bark and whine keeping us all awake anyway.

Oh, and it's raining. Again. Gah!

[Puppypanic]

Gorran, mine was doing the same and I took to taping black bin liners over all of the windows so that he still thinks it is night time! Seems to have helped quite a bit.

Yes raining.... Again!!

[RubyFakeNails]

My dogs wake up at 5:00 am on the dot nearly every morning, so i can't offer much advice. This has gone on for years.

If you do find a way to stop it let me know.

[Gorran]

Oooh pp - inspired! You'd think I'd have thought of that given I've done the same thing with a black sharpie to the window in the chicken house - will give it a go tonight.

Rubyfakenails - oh no! Don't tell me that!

[AnotherLoad]

same here! she is up at 6am whining. this morning it was 4.30am!!! didnt get up until 6am (not that i got any sleep) its funny because i was just about to post same question :) i hope its just a puppy stage thing

[Gorran]

Last night was BAD - she wouldn't go to sleep, spends all evening napping, is taken out at 9.30pm for a walk, back to sleep, goes out in the garden at 11.30/midnight then is put in her crate and howled/barked so much my H had to go down to her and ended up sleeping in the sitting room. Totally NOT what we want to do:-(.

[HoorahHilda]

We put a blanket over the crate ; seems to work til 6/7 ish anyways .

[Puppypanic]

Oh Gorran you poor thing! I try and manage my pups naps. The children tire him out after school and even if he is really wound up or especially if so, I shoo everyone out so that he sleeps at around 7pm for an hour or so. I then make darn sure he is awake until at least 9.30 - 10pm so that he crashes out all night. Did you try blacking out the room she is in or didn't that help?

Mine won't stop nipping everyone's legs, I think our joint patience is being tested to the nth degree...

[Stoney666]

Same here but does a wee then hopes on sofa with me and we go back to sleep - needs must

[batteryhen]

We used to go down at 6, let him out for the loo, feed him and then put back in the crate whilst we went back to bed for a couple of hours (weekends). We would give him his kong to entertain himself and then leave him to it. If he cried, he cried. Heart breaking, but now he is fab. Used to his little routine and is no bother . I second making sure the pup is played with on an evening and not just allowed to sleep all evening!! It's hard but you must be firm :( if she wakes early and you let her out for the toilet, she just then wants attention naturally. Be strong!!

[LovelyMuffins]

this all reminds me of when you have a new baby. Nothing lasts forever though so let's hope the same applies with puppies (am hoping so as we get ours in October!)

[Gorran]

Lovely muffins - don't read Rubyfakenails' reply then....!

[signet2012]

When mine where a puppy, he woke up AFTER us and had to be carried to the back garden and put on the pavement and then I would have to sit there saying "wee Wee" over and over until he had a wee then bring him back in, when he would go straight back to his bed and stay there stretched out snoring and slavering til at least 10.30am.

I really do think I have the worlds laziest dog. He is 8 now and still the same. Especially in the winter, we get up and I say wee wee. His ears twitch so I know he has heard me, but occasionally he will open one eye as if to say "kidding aren't you?!" before huffing and puffing his way into the garden, squatting for a wee (doesn't even cock his leg half the time) back in back to bed.

[newpup]

My lab is a lazy girl! She stopped needing to go out at 6am by the time she was 6 months and now I have to shove her out during the week when we get up at 6.30am! At the weekend she will sleep until we get up, sometimes 10am! She takes herself to bed at 9.30pm and huffs and puffs at us if we stay up later then 10.30pm. She is a lazy beast but as soon as I get her lead!! When we leave the house for a walk she has boundless energy and then on return.... boom flaked out for one of many daytime naps!

A labs life is hard.

[Stoney666]

No experience but have heard a few good things about (hope it's right name) DAP? Meant to calm them down and relax them? Was also told to use a ticking clock? Didn't need to in the end but might be worth a try. Would also let them whine for a bit longer they might just tire self out?