I'm at a loss. Max is 4 and a half months. For a good week he was sleeping through the night from 10pm until 4:45/5:30am. Prior to that he woke up once at 4am just to go to the bathroom but would go back to sleep for atleast an hour. Now all of the sudden he is waking up at 3 - 4am to go to the bathroom - I get up and take him and put him in crate after with no talking or playing - but will bark and whine until we get him out of his crate now instead of going back to sleep. He's been doing this for like 4 nights. Am I sooo tired. Is there anything I can do to get him to sleep longer? He is done with food and water by 6pm. He goes out to the bathroom atleast 2 times afterwards before he's crated. I've noticed when he wakes up early now he frequently has the zoomies until I feed him, which is around 5-5:30am. I tried leaving him in the crate but he whined/barked for 20 minutes straight! Our walls are thin and I give in because I didn't want the whole house to wake up. This is so hard because my kids are going back to school soon and they need their sleep, my husband works 10+ hours a day and he needs his sleep, i am feeling the effects of sleep loss and don't know what to do.
There is nothing worse that loss of sleep. What happens before 10pm when he goes to bed? I wonder if he is getting hungry during the night and this is waking him? Also is his crate covered?
Typically it's pretty calm and quiet starting at 8 - 9pm and he either chews quietly on toys or is sleeping already. I divide his meals in two, so he eats at about 5:30-6 am/pm. I've tried crate covers but he's chewed them all up. We did switch foods not too long ago but I made sure he's eating the right amount for his age & weight.
I would give him his last meal a little later , he might have an empty tummy by 3/4 in the morning if his last meal is at 6 . My routine with pups this age was still three/four meals a day, last one being around 8ish in the evening . Smaller meals more often at this age is better , gives them time to digest , its not so much the quantity , more about the spacing when they are little , good luck x
Thank you. Okay, I will try that. We had followed what the breeder was doing. She was only doing 2 meals at 10 weeks.
I use quite a heavy weight dog blanket over my puppy's crate - it just hangs over the top and half way down the sides.
When my pup was younger he used to get up early. I used to sit next to his cage or behind the baby gate silently and just ignore him. He could see me so he didn't bark or cry and soon realised that mummy was no fun at that time so after his wee just went back to bed. I also did 4 meals at that age 7am 11am 3pm and 7pm.
I've tried a heavy blanket and something made for the crate. Max was a ruthless ninja in another life. Lol!! He can get anything through the crate.
I've tried sleeping next to his crate since this happened and he seems to get more agitated. I'm going to try spreading his food out starting today and see if that helps. Thanks!!
I am amazed that the breeder had her on two meals a day at 10 weeks , its simply not enough to sustain a puppy , please try the 3/4 meals , I`m sure it will help her x
Mine always have supper as pups and adults. They get fed at 5am 4pm and supper at 8pm. I just save a small hand full of food from 4pm and the get a tiny bit of dried tripe or fish stick.We have our supper then too and the dogs seem to like it and they sleep happily.
Thank you everyone! I fed Max 3 times yesterday, last meal at 8:30pm and he only woke once and it wasn't until almost 5am. So much better than 3 or 4am.
My puppy is the same age as yours, and I am having the exact same problem. I, too, am sleep deprived and unhappy. And like you, I am also not in a position to let her "bark it out" as it disturbs my family and neighbors, so am really at my wit's end. I appreciate the advice on this forum so much. I have been feeding her twice a day since I brought her home at 9 weeks, but I am going to try switching to 3 or maybe even 4 times a day and see if that helps. Anyway, NewLabMommy, just wanted to give a little virtual support. I am sure we will both get through this with our sanity (more or less) intact!
Hi @MillysMom thank you for sharing! It's comforting to know that this is not abnormal. The first night after feeding 3 times was good but last night was horrible. Max woke up at 3:45am! I 'think' it could've been because my son woke up a little before from a nightmare calling me and a few minutes later our sprinklers came on. Lol! I'm going to give my son some melatonin tonight so hopefully he'll sleep through and change my sprinkler time to later. ((Crossing fingers)) I hope it helps. I'll report back tomorrow. Let me know how things are going with your girl does with the change.
Well after the third day Max is still getting up too early. I fed his last meal at 8:30pm last night and took him out for the last time at about 11pm. He woke up this morning at 4am. I ensured there were no noises to wake him. I'm at a loss of what to do now. Any ideas?
Set your alarm for five to four, then four o'clock tomorrow etc. That way he will learn not to shout for you and, as his bladder matures, he will sleep longer. They all grow out of it but they are all different as to when .
Merlin was the same, until I gave up with his crate and let him sleep in his dog bed next to our other dog. He immediately slept through the night until 07:00, and has continued to do so.
Ugh, I am sorry! I had some better luck last night, but we'll see if that lasts. This won't solve the waking early, but would it work to give him something high-value like a stuffed Kong or a bone to keep him busy in the crate for a while after he wakes up? That way you could maybe get some more sleep, at least.
