How do I get my puppy to stop waking up super early? (barking, skin)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My 10 month old puppy wakes up super early. Sometimes around 6 a.m., even on the weekends when we WOULD like to sleep until 7. He goes to bed around 8:30 in his crate and we tried keeping him up until 9ish-10. That didn't do anything. Sometimes he will be so tired he will walk himself into his crate. I put him outside as soon as he wakes up, but half the time he stands at the window looking at me and then after a few minutes goes to the bathroom, so it's not an emergency. Any tips?
He's a puppy. Think of a human baby. He needs much more attention than say, a teenager. Right now he needs to be walked,
(so he can pee) three times as much as he will as an adult. He needs to be fed, much more than an adult dog. He's going to wake up early. That will pass. But for now, get adapted to it.
He needs attention. He needs training. He needs reassurance that you will take over the duties of his mother, whom he has been taken away from. You must assume her role now.
That's why he's staring at you - you're his new family. He's very young to be alone, without a sibling, and now his "mom" is walking away too. In his mind, you're going out on the hunt, to bring him back dinner. But that doesn't mean he doesn't suffer from separation anxiety.
Don't worry, it won't last. He'll get better each week. They grow up much faster than human babies. But remember, never get mad at him for being who he is. A baby. He is going to tear up a few pairs of socks, so get him things right now to teethe on. Their baby teeth are needle sharp, and they hurt him as the new adult teeth come in, just as it would a human baby. His gums are going to hurt, and he is going to bite/nibble.
Nylabone makes several chew toys that you can freeze, to help ease his gum pain. Look into that.
You must have patience with him. The rewards are immeasurable. Depending on the breed you've chosen this can be a faster change to adult hood, or slower.
Example: I have a Great Pyrenees. He came home with me at 8 weeks. It took us three days to potty train, and about 5 to 6 weeks of chewing things,
(that did not belong to him) only lost one pair of socks....because we bought him things to chew on and taught him that they belonged to him-chew away!
Granted, that 3 day potty training was because his mommy (my wife) was home all day to keep an eye on him. If you're not, it will take longer. Only scold him if you catch him in the act. It will do no good to scream or yell at him if you don't catch him in the act. Walk him 6 or more times a day. He needs to go out, his bladder is tiny and fills up quickly.
Good luck!
*Oh, and I read somewhere years ago, that they always remain "children", at least in their minds. Of course they will no longer have accidents in the house, and the separation anxiety will dissipate. But because you always provide shelter and food, and protect them from harm, they remain in a toddler mind-set. So treat them like lovely, adorable children all their lives, and it should be good to go
Last edited by TerraDown; 10-31-2022 at 09:36 AM..
I think at 10 months, he's got a nearly adult-sized bladder (if not completely adult-sized). if you feel pretty certain that he's not about to pop, what I would do is acknowledge that you hear him (wiggling? barking? what is he doing?), by saying "[Name], No!" (firmly, not angrily). After he's been quiet for five minutes, get up and let him out (with praise). Gradually, you'll be able to increase this, but the idea is to let him know you haven't forgotten him but that no, he does not decide when to get up. But do be fair about this, and don't make him wait for too long.
If you ignore him, what does he do? If it is barking or crying how long does he keep up or do you respond right away? If you are responding right away, I would try ignoring it and make him wait. At 10 months old he should have pretty good bladder control. Maybe start by making him wait 15 minutes then increase it every few days until he learns your time? Also understand to dogs a day is a day they do not understand weekends are days some people like to sleep in.
I do not know what time you go to bed, but I would wake him up and take him out shortly before I go to bed
and have him pee so I am not asking him to hold his bladder too long.
I worked 3, 12 hr nights for many years so had 4 off where I tried to live like a normal person and sleep at night. I have had multiple dogs during all these years and somehow have managed to not have them waking me up and that includes the ones that I got s puppies except the first few weeks when they did need to pee. They go out to pee right before I go to bed. I do have a dog door to a small, fenced patio so if an emergency comes up, they go out there rather than wake me up once they do not get crated. That usually only happens when one has an upset tummy.
Once house trained and I trust them not to get into things crate door is removed and they can sleep inside it our outside it that is up to them. The only one that ever really asked me to get up was Jazz my ball crazy very intelligent and active dog. She knew around what time I would usually get up after working a night and would collect balls and place them on my bed then get up on the bed and intensely watch me when she figured it was time, she would start dropping balls on me until I got up!
My current youngest, Zephyr is 3 now and as soon as he was crate free when he wakes up, he goes downstairs and plays with toys while he waits for me and my other dog, Chaos to get up. I can hear him racing around and squeaking toys. As excited as he is to start each day he will not come and pester me to get up.
My 10 month old puppy wakes up super early. Sometimes around 6 a.m., even on the weekends when we WOULD like to sleep until 7. He goes to bed around 8:30 in his crate and we tried keeping him up until 9ish-10. That didn't do anything. Sometimes he will be so tired he will walk himself into his crate. I put him outside as soon as he wakes up, but half the time he stands at the window looking at me and then after a few minutes goes to the bathroom, so it's not an emergency. Any tips?
It's locked. He starts whining. My husband will say his name and usually tap the top of the crate and say be quiet or shh but he doesn't stop. He is also a door away from my kids, so the whining has woken my kids up before who need their sleep, so that's why we get up right away when he starts. I guess tonight I can try to wake him up to bring him outside. We def. don't trust him sleeping with the door open yet as we have a senior dog too he sleeps in our room, who hates him lol, so we don't need to be woken up AGAIN, but them fighting
A senior dog, kids and a new puppy is a big order. If it were me, I would just get up and let him out, and then go back to bed. I am wondering who wanted this dog, as generally, that in our house would name the person getting up with the dog.
It's locked. He starts whining. My husband will say his name and usually tap the top of the crate and say be quiet or shh but he doesn't stop. He is also a door away from my kids, so the whining has woken my kids up before who need their sleep, so that's why we get up right away when he starts. I guess tonight I can try to wake him up to bring him outside. We def. don't trust him sleeping with the door open yet as we have a senior dog too he sleeps in our room, who hates him lol, so we don't need to be woken up AGAIN, but them fighting
I'd suggest separating trainings for "quiet!" from crate training. He is probably confused about what you are actually asking him to do. FWIW, maybe you aren't clear yourself what you want either. It could simply be too much too fast.
Start teaching him to stop whining and be quiet regardless whether he's crated at the time or not.
Assuming he isn't desperate to empty his bladder, start teaching him to tolerate being left to himself in a crate until it's time to come out. Dogs need to learn how to handle times without attention.
Once he understands both and you are certain he really doesn't need a trip to the backyard, you'll probably have better luck stopping the early morning begs for attention.
After some thought, I remembered a senior dog that we had adopted. She was a Yellow Lab. When we relocated a year after adopting her, we were living in a two story house and my husband worked nights. She started getting up between 2:00 AM and 2:30 AM all excited and noisy. I was not excited about getting up. Also, once outside, she would just sniff around for quite some time, and maybe eventually pee.
As it turns out I figured it out, standing on the porch and seeing that my neighbor who worked 3rd shift was home, and the next night I got up right away when I heard her to find that he let his dog out at that time when returning home. As it turns out, he was out with his dog, our dog heard him, and thought it was time to get up. I kept the window closed on that side of the house, and ran a small fan in the room where she slept to drown out the sound of the neighbor returning home.
At 6:00 AM, a lot of people will be getting up and letting out their dogs. Dogs have very good hearing. My conclusion with the OP's dog is that it hears another or others getting up and out, and logically feels it is time to go!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
