# Seven month old puppy won't sleep through the night!



## Guitarlover123

Hello! Unfortunately for the four months that I've had my puppy I have been unable to sleep through the whole night. Unfailingly every night at around 3am he will wake up to use the bathroom. Which consists of me getting up, walking down stairs, turning off the alarm system, unlocking three locks, and finally allowing him to eliminate. I've tried every method of getting him to sleep through the night. Exercise exercise exercise, removing water two hours before bed, not letting him see a clock to notify him of the time, and it seems that nothing works! Any suggestions?


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## Kobismom

Some pups still need to be taken out regularly throughout the night. Even though Kobi is 4 months old and most nights he can sleep through the night, but he still wakes up anywhere from 4:30-6:00 am on the weekends. However, the last couple of nights, he's been waking up at 3:00am. Nothing we can do about it. We rather he wake us up than going in is crate. He's a baby and a baby isn't potty trained by 4 mos old. 

Do you take him out right before going to bed? We walk Kobi right before bedtime to get any last pees/poops out, which helps as well.


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## winniec777

Guitarlover123 said:


> ...not letting him see a clock to notify him of the time...


I gotta know - where did you get this snippet of advice? If you have a dog that can read a clock, I want to hear about it! 

What time are you going to bed? What is a typical day's schedule like for your dog?


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## Guitarlover123

winniec777 said:


> I gotta know - where did you get this snippet of advice? If you have a dog that can read a clock, I want to hear about it!
> 
> I've been researching everywhere to see if I can find any reasons as to why he won't sleep the whole night and some where I read that someone's dog would look at the clock and at exactly 346am it would wake up to pee. And I forgot to mention that when I first got him he would sleep through the night at 3 months old but then we left him at doggie daycare for one night because we went out of town and ever since doggie daycare he won't sleep through the night!


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## Guitarlover123

His schedule:
6am-wake up
610am - eat breakfast 
7am-go on a walk
730-830 out of cage playing with toys
830-1230 crate because no one's home 
1230-5pm go on 4-5 walks, play with a golden retriever puppy, play with toys, sometimes take a short snooze, training, and the occasion pulling me on rollerblades. 
5pm eat dinner
530-8pm play play play (water with drawn at 7pm)
8pm taken for a good half hour walk
Then we go to bed anywhere from 9pm-11pm.
3am he's wake up to pee and see if he can get into my parents room to sleep on their tempurpedic bed. Sometimes he will go to their door to see if he can get in then when he can't he'll try to go back into my room to go back to sleep.


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## Gally

Have you tried a last minute potty break before bed? 8:30 pm to 6:00 am is a long time for a pup to hold it. If you're not going to bed until sometimes 11pm take him out one more time just for a pee right before you get into bed.


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## Kobismom

Gally said:


> Have you tried a last minute potty break before bed? 8:30 pm to 6:00 am is a long time for a pup to hold it. If you're not going to bed until sometimes 11pm take him out one more time just for a pee right before you get into bed.


I was suggesting the same thing. If you're not taking him out before bedtime for a last minute walk, he is going to bed with a partially filled bladder, which will cause him to wake up midway thru the night.


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## Guitarlover123

I always take him out right before I go to sleep whether it be 9 or 11 it just depends on what I have to do that night. But I always take him out right before we go to sleep.


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## winniec777

That looks like a really good schedule. I don't think lack of exercise or stimulation is the problem. 

So even if you take him out at 11:00 he's still waking up at 3:00 to go out? When he comes back in does he settle down quickly or does he seem like he wants to stay awake and play? Do you pet or play with him at all (which would be rewarding and a good reason to wake you up at 3:00)?

Our puppy did this for a few months before she was a year old. We learned to take her out quickly and then put her right back to sleep -- no treats, no playing, no petting. We basically ignored her after taking her out. Gradually, she started sleeping in longer and longer until her bladder fully matured and her schedule matched ours.

Dogs are crepuscular, which means they tend to be their most active at dawn and dusk. Your pup, probably due to age, is getting you up a little early. All normal stuff. He should settle in eventually. And you will start getting a good night's sleep again!


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## Guitarlover123

Nope I don't play with him at all. I simply wake up and take him out then when he finishes urinating I then put him in his crate. Rather than take him back upstairs to sleep on the ground by my bed.


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## MimiAzura

so he sleeps in your room until 3 and then you put him in his crate?

Why not leave him in his crate all night?


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## Guitarlover123

MimiAzura said:


> so he sleeps in your room until 3 and then you put him in his crate?
> 
> Why not leave him in his crate all night?


He cries at night if I put him in his crate. But I let him sleep on the ground I in my room because he immediately lies down and goes to sleep it's not like he does any funny business.


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## MimiAzura

My girl cried the first 2 nights I put her in her crate.
Now she goes to sleep as soon as she goes in

I felt horrible, but I ignored it and only got up to the kids when she woke them


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