Morning comes too early

SteveB · Post by **SteveB** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:52 am

I have a 4 1/2 month old DK that 's been giving me trouble in the wee hours. He has in the last month shown us that he is capable of staying in his crate all night (about 7 hours) without going to the bathroom. several weeks ago he started waking up at 5 am whining and barking so I got up and let him out and put him back in the crate so I could enjoy my last hour of sleep. He continued to bark and whine until I got up and fed him and then there was no way he was going back to sleep.
This week I decided that he was going to stay in the crate until 6 am. Period. He wakes up every morning at exactly 5 (I mean within 2 minutes!) and starts barking but now he has decided that he's going to pee in the crate. I started making him wait until 5:15 then 5:30, 5:45 and so on but every morning it's the same. Bark, whine and pee.
I also want to add that I always wait until he stops barking before I let him out and he doesn't get any water in the evening after 8pm.
What do I need to do to get him to let me sleep until 6am?!?
Sleepless in Oklahoma,
Steve

sweetsong · Post by **sweetsong** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:36 am

Hi Steve,
I have the same problem with my 5 mo. old GSP that will wake up at 5:00am also and when I would make her wait a little longer she would go in her crate. So I am looking forward to the responses.

Terry

Yawallac · Post by **Yawallac** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:48 am

The dog has to learn that barking and carrying on in the crate is unacceptable behavior. I do not allow my dogs to bark, whine or otherwise act like spoiled children while crated. If they are barking or whining I issue the "QUIET!" command. That usually shuts them up momentarily until I am out of their sight. When they resume I again issue the "QUIET" command assisted with a splash of water from a cup in their face. I don't say anything else and I immediately leave their sight. One or two times and all that nonsense stops. Your dog is probably capable of holding it until six but gets all worked up and then is unable to. Once he understands what "QUIET" means then he should settle until you are ready to take him out.

gone · Post by **gone** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:38 pm

You can also use a spray bottle or squirt gun w/ the same effect. If you have another dog & they sleep near each other that usually takes care of any whining also, because they have a companion (that has been my experience anyway).

Wesley Boothe · Post by **Wesley Boothe** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:08 am

Been through all of those issues. As far as the dog waking up early I figured I had two choices. I could learn to get up at 5 or try to change something in their routine. I ended up keeping the pup up later at night and playing with them alot before I put them up for the night. I wanted them really tired when they went down. Took awhile but once I got them on a different schedule it helped alot. As far as the barking and whining in the crate, I inherited an 8 month old GSP that had some "barking issues". Previous owners gave him attention every time he barked and further more never had him in a crate. I have had him now for 5 months and it has been a challenge. I had to teach him that a crate was a "good" place and now he loves it, but the barking was a different story. Bottom line I tried the spray water in the face and gave the quiet command, I tried a bark collar, I even had him sleep with in the same crate with one of my other Shorthairs and still he barked. Now 5 months later he rarely barks and and if he does all I have to do is tell him quiet and he is done. It just took alot of repetition, and persistance on our part. He finally learned that we would not give in to his barking. The upside is he is one heck of a bird dog! Anyway, that has been my experience. The best suggestion I can make is consistancy, repetition, patience, and love will solve alot of issues! Good luck.

llewgor · Post by **llewgor** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:02 am

Wesley Boothe wrote: It just took alot of repetition, and persistance on our part. He finally learned that we would not give in to his barking. The upside is he is one heck of a bird dog! Anyway, that has been my experience. The best suggestion I can make is consistancy, repetition, patience, and love will solve alot of issues! Good luck.

Nice post Wes.

SteveB · Post by **SteveB** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:27 pm

Well, still not any better. I guess I'll have to start getting up at 5. I tried the water thing and went through about a quart. He wagged his tail and drank most of it as I sprayed.
I really don't get it. We are consistant with him, have NEVER given in to him or given him any attention when he barks, don't give him water past 7pm and try to wear him out at night. Last night I thought I would try getting up at 2:30 ( he was asleep, not barking) and letting him pee in hopes of sleeping until 6. Well, he barked from 2:30 'til 6. NEVER STOPPED!!
Is he too young for a bark collar? Aside from the collar all we can do is let him bark from 5-6 am every day.
Open to suggestions,
Steve

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:46 pm

Had a few of those mornings myself Steve, sure made my wife grouchy. lol My pup eventually out grew it. I ended up putting him in his crate in the garage so we didnt hear it anymore. Good question on the bark collar.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:28 pm

Mine was like that aswell. 5 am everyday, could set your watch to it. He was wearing a bark collar at 5 months, hasn't barked since

Get a good one tho, I have the Tritronics, you can set it as low or high as you want, even tells you how many times they barked when you shut if off.
The bark collar not only stops the barking but it also seems to calm them down, in the kenel or crate. Barking usually comes with pacing, jumping up, scratching at the door,shredding of blankets and other fun activities. For some reason these activities are only fun if done WHILE barking, so in my case the bark collar has cured them too. As soon as it goes on...he gives up and lays down.

cumberland · Post by **cumberland** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:43 pm

Steve,

It seems as if you are definitely not alone in this. My DK pup had bladder control issues until he was 6 months old. It seems as if he just out grew it all of a sudden. I think all of the suggestions given are good, but I think it is one of those things that your pup will outgrow. Mine is 8 mo old now and is a perfect gentleman in the crate (no more barking or peeing).

SCOTTS_4X · Post by **SCOTTS_4X** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:24 pm

I had the same problem my gsp, solution was he just wanted to sleep in bed with me! problem solved.

-Scott

Casper · Post by **Casper** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:48 pm

I also had a puppy that from the day I brough thim home he barked and howled from the time he was put in the crate till the morning came. This lasted for about 2 weeks till he finnaly gave in and would sleep in the crate. I had to continue the crate training over the next few weeks till he would always be calm and quiet.

I only got about 2-3hrs sleep every night those first two weeks other than a 10 min. nap on my lunch break but he finnaly excepted his new place and is a great dog now in the crate.

Be persistant he will learn to except it. It may take some time but you will have many years with him so a few months isnt much to deal with.

tradhuntr · Post by **tradhuntr** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:19 am

[quote= issue the "QUIET!" command. That usually shuts them up momentarily until I am out of their sight. When they resume I again issue the "QUIET" command assisted with a splash of water from a cup in their face. I don't say anything else and I immediately leave their sight. One or two times and all that nonsense stops.[/quote]

WOW this realy works. i have tryed the spray bottle and didn't work, infact it seamed to make him bark more becasue he seamed to like it. but as soon as i use a 1/4 cup of water it shut him right up. by the 3rd time he was listening to the quiet and i never had to use the water again.

EWSIV · Post by **EWSIV** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:38 pm

I also want to add that I always wait until he stops barking before I let him out and he doesn't get any water in the evening after 8pm.

Try no water after 7pm. He may really have to pee.

Wesley Boothe · Post by **Wesley Boothe** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:19 pm

Sorry to hear you are still having problems. I know it is very frustrating! Been there! I am curious, how old was he when you brought him home? Has he always exibited this behavior from the time you brought him home? Have you always crated him from the time you brought him home? What is his routine during the day ie: is he in a dog run, fenced yard, in the house, or crated and periodically let out? Do you have any other dogs? Sorry for all of the questions, I am just trying to get to know his/your routine.

I wrote earlier and said that my shorthair was pretty much over his barking issues. Well I had to travel out of town for 3 days last week and my wife called one night and said "listen to your dog". She could not get him to stop barking until she put the e collar on him. I get home and he has not barked once. Go figure! Good luck and hang in there.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:49 pm

Have you ever taken the pup to the vet and checked for a bladder infection? That can have the effect you are experiencing

Ezzy

SteveB · Post by **SteveB** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:49 am

Update...My wife suggested that I put his big fluffy bed in the crate with him so he could make a "nest". I was against the idea because I didn't want to have to wash the bed every day when he peed on it but I said "what the heck, let's give it a try.
Long story short, it worked! The past 2 days I've slept until 6 and this morning I even had to wake him up and coax him out of the crate!
Thanks for all of the ideas and even the sympathy. When I figure out how to post pics I'll let you all see Avery.
Thanks again,
Steve

Post by **Ayres** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:59 pm

Be careful with a nice fluffy bed. Do NOT let the dog play with it or be unsupervized with it (unless he's sleeping) otherwise it might just become a toy and get shredded.

That's what our V did with various beds. We finally decided to say 'heck with it' and just tossed in a couple of throw-blankets. We used one, folded over to fit in his half of a crate, when Justus was a pup and I guess he liked it better than any other bedding. It's good for us too, because they're a lot easier to wash.

I think the best thing about them from our dog's point of view is that he can bunch them up and shape them any way he wants. He can also grab a corner and pull them out of his crate and into a sunbeam for an afternoon nap, which is what he has always done since a pup as well.

It sounds like this new bedding is the solution for your pup, so hopefully he'll be happy with it and let you catch that extra hour in the morning!