Waking up Early!
My husband and I have our first dog, an 8 month old OES. Besides being a bit stubborn and loving to chase our kitties, she's been very well behaved. We've recently run into a problem though... Up until about two weeks ago, she's been on a very good schedule with us. We go to bed around 10:30-11:00. She has one last potty break before then, some cuddle time on the bed with us and then we tell her good night and put her out in the hallway. She has a bed out there (that she doesn't use, she prefers the floor) and that is where she sleep. Our alarm goes off at 6:00 and she usually scratches at the door and starts whimpering right around that time give or take a few minutes either way. She's been like this the whole time until recently. Now, everyday she's getting up earlier and earlier and scratching at the door earlier and earlier. 4:00AM this morning to be exact 
We thought it was because she had to go potty so we took her outside but that wasn't the case, she got out there and wanted to run and play. I think it's a case of her developing some sort of seperation anxiety all of a sudden? Not sure how to deal with it
Some more back info, she gets walked twice a day. She is somewhat crate trained. We don't like crating her at night but she does go in her crate when we have short errands to run or if the weather is too bad for her to be outside in her kennel. When we first got her, she slept in the room with us but as she got older, she started barking out the window, barking at the cats who sometimes sneak into the room and sleep under the bed, and overall being very restless. Sleeping outside in the hallway was working very well until recently. Any thoughts? |
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| It sounds rough, but ignore it. She'll keep getting up earlier and earlier if you keep doing it because she knows you will. As long as she doesn't actually have to go, she'll catch on that her ploy no longer works! |
You can either ignore it, or crate her at night. I find my wigglebums sleep much more soundly in their crates than anywhere else. They seem to relax and realize that they're safe & I'm on "guard duty" for the night. So, no barking at strange noises or pacing through the house...and NO getting up until I do. 
In fact, I find most of the time, I have to wake them up when I get them out of their crates. 
But, Jill's right -as long as you get up and let her out, she'll keep it up.  |
| Congratulations and welcome! I also think you should try and ignore it. I use a crate in the evenings with my boy, and it is to the point now that when he thinks it is time for bed and we're still up he will go in his crate and stare at us to close the door! |
| Welcome to the community! |
| they do sound like little kids |
| Oh, does this sound familiar!!! Oscar is so into routine that we call him Rainman! ("Wapner's on at 4. Wapner's on at 4").
Every morning I get up at 6 a.m., take Oscar out, feed him, then we rest for an hour, then he gets his morning walk. Sometimes he tests me and tries to wake me at 5:55 a.m., then 5:45 a.m. I simply sign, "go away", and he knows to go lay down until I get up. Unless he's taking steroids which make him really have to pee, I refuse to get up a minute before 6 a.m., as then I know he'll just try for earlier. As everyone has stated, sounds like your sheepie is playing a game with you. I would get up and make her lay back down. Laurie and Oscar the Early Bird |
| Sadie was waking early. We woulc go outside and all she would do is lie down on the cool sidewalk. Finally figured out she was just to warm on the carpet. She now has free roam of the house at night and usully ends up on the cool tile floor in either the kitchen of foyer - where she has full view of the house and household. No burglers here, she is a great watch dog. |
| Thank you everyone for the welcomes and the comments!
This morning she again tried for 5:00am, banging and scratching at the door. We have an older house so it was making alot of noise. We ignored her for a good 15 minutes before my husband couldn't take anymore. He got up, put her outside in her kennel and came back in to bed. At 6:00am, we got up, we brought her back in, fed her, and walked her. 5:00 is better than 4:00. We are hoping that maybe she will realize that her behavior will result in her going outside and she'll be even farther away from us. Maybe I'm asking for too much there 
We are going to continue to try and ignore her. Hopefully we can break this habit soon! |
| I'll tell you, I feel for you guys who have these early risers. I think my relationship with my dogs would be a lot different if those numbskulls were waking me up at the wee hours of the morning!
Clyde, Bear and Lucy are are perfectly timed to our schedule-- no matter what day it is. During the week, the boys sleep until I'm out of the shower and even then, I usually have to shake Clyde to get him up. He jams his head under the bed like a kid. "5 more minutes, please?" Lucy's the only even interested in going outside. Bear and Clyde obligatorily go out but Clyde takes no more than 60 seconds to do number one and two and then he runs in to go back to sleep on the couch. Bear follows him in about 5 minutes later and joins him. On the weekends, we all sleep until noon. Who says dogs don't take after their owners, lol? |
ButtersStotch wrote: On the weekends, we all sleep until noon.
 I haven't slept until Noon in YEARS!!!!  |
I was complaining about getting up a 8 lately, Sami comes into our room rest her head by my bed and gives a very soft whine, just for me and will not give up until I am up. I guess she getting me ready to get the kids up next week for school.  |
| My Rosa is 4 months. She had a couple of weeks where she woke
up at 3-3:30. She was bored. If we even just turned in the bed, she would jump up to get a pat or try to wake us up. I just started to firmly tell her off and its bedtime. She is getting the message now and goes back to sleep. |
| Obe has always been an early riser. I am usually up at 5:30 M-F so he slowly wakes then eats and outside after. Then he comes back in and he has a spoonful of plain yogurt and I have coffee. On the weekends, we cut out the waking up at 5:30 real quick. Now we both sleep till 7-ish. |
| By the way welcome. |
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