# my puppy cries until we feed him.



## justlorio (Dec 29, 2010)

I have a 7 month old lab....We feed him the same time everyday 6 am and 6 pm but he starts crying and whining every morning at 4:30-5 am until we feed him at 6. We are feeding him the exact amount of food for his age and weight and don't want to over feed him. How can we stop this crying and whining every morning.


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

do you react or even show you are awake when he starts up? Normally when a behavior starts it will continue because the dog has found that it gets a reaction with it's behavior, the more days this goes on the stronger the behavior becomes in the dog and the harder it becomes to try and "reprogram" his behavior.


----------



## justlorio (Dec 29, 2010)

This has been going on for months. We try to just ignore him but that doesn't always work.


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

justlorio said:


> This has been going on for months. We try to just ignore him but that doesn't always work.


can you describe what you have been trying? Do you make sure to not look at him or even act like you are awake no talking between the two of you?
How long have you tried to ignore? hours in the day? for how many days or weeks straight?


----------



## kelliejh (Dec 28, 2010)

maybe try dividing this same amount of food up into in thirds. feed him morning noon and night. having three separate meals through out the day might satisfy his hunger more and keep his system more stable so he doesnt have major blood sugar spikes and lows. Its just a thought. maybe see what happens!


----------



## justlorio (Dec 29, 2010)

This has been going on pretty much since we got him 5 months ago. We don't look at him or act like we are awake, no talking either. Somedays he will start crying at 5am otherdays 4:30am until we feed him at 6 am. We tried feeding him at 5am for a few days then 5:15am for a few days and then gradually working our way back up to 6 but that did not work he just started crying earlier 3:30 am or 4. Strangely enough he does not cry at all before his evening 6 pm feeding. Someone suggested feeding him 3 times a day maybe we will try that. I will try anything.


----------



## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

What I'd recommend is to develop a morning routine in which feeding the puppy is NOT the first thing that happens after you get up in the morning. If whining is followed by you getting up is followed by him eating, those things can become connected in his mind. He doesn't know that you were going to get up at 6 am anyway regardless of what he was doing - he's the center of his universe!

So, for example, take a shower and brush your teeth or some other thing that is part of your morning routine before the puppy gets fed. This will hopefully separate the "you getting up" and "me eating food" connection in his mind. 

(This can also sometimes work for those cats that get people up at 4 am for breakfast.)


----------



## justlorio (Dec 29, 2010)

thank you so much..I will try that


----------

