# suddenly waking up earlier?



## Zoe'sMom (Sep 4, 2008)

My dog just turned 1 and has been crate trained and potty trained since about a month after we got her (10 months ago). We've worked a pretty regular morning routine for during the week.
5:15 - Wake up, let her out to potty and feed her
5:20 - 5:40 - I shower, get ready for work, make coffee and breakfast
5:40-5:50 - play with her and eat a quick breakfast then wake up my husband
6:00 - I leave for work, husband gets ready for work, eats breakfast, plays with her.
7:00 - 7:30 - potty time for Zoe, then she's crated while we're at work

Her crate is gigantic for her (the rescue thought she'd be about 60-70lbs so we bought a crate for a 75lb dog and she's only 40!). She's got a bed in there (had to go through 5 before we found one she wouldn't eat) and we switch out what toys are in there for her. There's also a crate fan.

We don't have problems with her messing in the crate or the house, just the fact that suddenly she wakes up 30 minutes earlier than usual! This is precious sleep time people! We haven't had to restrict her water at night since she became potty trained but we've tried it this week (pulling up water 2 hours before bedtime), to no avail! She used to still be sleeping when I would come to get her at 5:15, I don't know what happened!

Now, at 4:45 she'll start whining, if we ignore it, then by 5 she's barking. We've been letting her out, she pees, then she goes back inside, I refuse to feed her early (don't want to reward the behavior), so she just goes back to sleep in her crate.

Any ideas on how to get her back on schedule?


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## Talynn (Sep 10, 2008)

Is she having any other potty issues? Having accidents in the house, or anything? When our dogs suddenly change potty habits, my first thought is always "UTI!" lol.

If she has no medical problem, and if you are sure she won't mess her crate in that half hour, I'd suggest making her wait. This, of course, is only from personal experience and self-education about crating, but letting her out when she barks (or whines) is only going to make her do it again tomorrow.

Honestly, if she doesn't have a physical problem, and if you KNOW she can hold it, I would really just wait until the scheduled time. Yeah, she might bark and all, but you're awake anyway, right  I'd think eventually she will (re)learn that whining and barking isn't going to get her out. I know you said you don't want to reward the behaviour by feeding her, but letting her out is reward enough!

Again, I am no professional, but that's what I'd suggest.


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## Zoe'sMom (Sep 4, 2008)

yikes, that's what I was afraid of! We live in a small house and while her whining wakes me up, she doesn't wake up my husband until she starts barking, and that's over an hour of sleep loss for him! The weird thing is, she doesn't do this on the weekends. She'll sleep in until about 6:30, then I let her out and feed her and go back to bed. She's good in her crate until about 9:30 then!


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## Talynn (Sep 10, 2008)

Ouch! OK, so, she doesn't have any problem "holding it" she just wants out, sounds like 

The great secret to crate training is to never, EVER let the puppy/dog out when it is making noise. Even at the appointed time! Otherwise, they just learn that barking or whining gets them out. She tried whining, that didn't work, so she started barking... so, she just escalated, like a kid throwing a tantrum.

Unfortunately, now that she *knows* that barking gets her out of the crate, it may take a while to extinguish, since she'll likely keep trying to escalate it more. Don't give in! If she barks for ten minutes, and you just can't take it any more, and give in, she's just learned that barking for TEN minutes gets her out.

Again, I relate it to children  If a kid wants something, and you say "no"... they keep asking and asking, maybe even getting into tantrum mode. Finally you just can't take it anymore and say "Fine! Have it!" (whatever) Well, gosh, what's going to happen the next time you say no? All the child can do is think, "I just have to keep bugging mom til she gives in!" 

That may have been an unecessary illustration, lol, but it's something I kept firmly in mind when crate training. Don't give in! Once Sadie understood the fact that she was not getting out unless she was quiet, it's been bliss ever since!


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> Now, at 4:45 she'll start whining, if we ignore it, then by 5 she's barking. We've been letting her out, she pees, then she goes back inside, I refuse to feed her early (don't want to reward the behavior), so she just goes back to sleep in her crate.


You don't want to reward the behavior? Good grief. When fed on schedule, dogs are pretty regular. She obviously has to pee, since she does, and then comes right back inside, so why are you upset about it? How would you feel if you were prevented from using the bathroom when you had to go? If feeding her a little earlier takes care of the problem, what's the big deal?


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## Zoe'sMom (Sep 4, 2008)

I am happy to report that this morning she randomly went back to her normal schedule!!! Yay, so 2 weeks of waking up early might be over, but if she does start the 4:45 stuff again, I'll deal with the barking and make her wait.

On a side note: I noticed this morning that both cats were in bed with us at 4:45 but one of them was noticibly absent during the past 2 weeks, I didn't think much of it on those sleep deprived mornings, but I wonder if someone was in there waking her up early.

poodleholic - She's normally fed at 5:15, so giving in and feeding her at 4:45 when she wakes up and whines would be changing her feeding schedule. Besides, I'm not forcing her to hold it any longer than she's been happily doing for the past 10 months.


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## jbray01 (Dec 26, 2007)

rosie was doing this for a while. i usually get her up to feed her at 6 am, but she was getting up at 4am.

i think my problem was that i was sick and unable to give her as much exercise that she needed...im feeling better now and we got her running out in the backyard last night and we did training with the cats and she slept like a baby until 6 am!

im glad your dog went back on schedule, but maybe next time try tiring her out a little more.. maybe thats the problem?


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## Zoe'sMom (Sep 4, 2008)

jbray01 said:


> rosie was doing this for a while. i usually get her up to feed her at 6 am, but she was getting up at 4am.
> 
> i think my problem was that i was sick and unable to give her as much exercise that she needed...im feeling better now and we got her running out in the backyard last night and we did training with the cats and she slept like a baby until 6 am!
> 
> im glad your dog went back on schedule, but maybe next time try tiring her out a little more.. maybe thats the problem?


We thought about that when it first happened on a Monday morning (we've been rebuilding our deck so didn't get to play much on Sunday), but then on Tuesday morning it happened after her 2 hour "play date" with buddies Ripley (3yo Beagle) and Oscar (7 month white German Shepard) and she always is exhausted after those! Those play dates are every Monday and Wednesday. Then on Tues/Thurs. she gets 1.5hour walks. Friday, Sat. and Sun are quite a mix of things.


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## Talynn (Sep 10, 2008)

Glad to hear things are back to normal. Good luck with it staying that way!


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> poodleholic - She's normally fed at 5:15, so giving in and feeding her at 4:45 when she wakes up and whines would be changing her feeding schedule.



I thought you meant feeding her earlier in the evening. 



> Besides, I'm not forcing her to hold it any longer than she's been happily doing for the past 10 months


When you've got to pee, you've got to pee. As regular as my dogs are, sometimes they've got to pee more often than usual, or earlier than usual. They may have had more water, or taken a drink later than usual.


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