Ok so I dont know if technically he is classed a puppy anymore but he still behaves like one We seem to have an ever growing problem of early waking - I have read the article on the Labrador site but I have a few questions. Rolo is waking increasingly earlier every morning, which isn't ideal. I get up for work between 7 and 730 and he is beginning to wake at 6am now. Not okay with me!!! I cannot set a loud alarm in our room, as OH has trouble sleeping and I feel it is unfair to wake him super early to proceed with this training. I have a silent alarm which is a vibrating wristband for myself which allows me to leave nice and quietly! I was debating setting an alarm in the kitchen were he sleeps for 5:45 the same as my wristband, coming down, letting him out, and rinse and repeat but putting it back 10 minutes each morning until he realizes that noise means wakey time?! Do you think that will work similarly? With my new job I will be starting later too so want to get the wheels in motion so I can have some much needed lie ins!
I think that sounds like a good plan. Also, at his age, you should be able to leave it a while before going down. He should easily be able to hang on. This morning Mollie woofed at 6:30am (not a peep from Keir!). So I thought ‘No, it’s not morning’. I got up, had a shower and got ready for the day, then came down at 7am - which is morning. This way Mollie will learn, hopefully, that shouting no longer brings me straight down.
I can't help because Stanleys lazy and doesn't like to be woken before 9 Is he still crated? Stanley slept longer when we opened his crate door - I think it was because he could get a drink/move etc. I'd maybe just go down and let him out for a wee and go back to bed and get up when you would usually get up. So he learns nothing fun happens until you come down anyway? That's all I can think of really x
Mags Thanks so much! You know what I hadn't even realized my routine is adding to his behavior. The first thing I do is go down and open his crate. sometimes its the simplest things, @JenBainbridge He is still crated Jen, as when we tried he chewed the skirting board and ripped wallpaper off the walls. So OH is adamant he is staying crated for overnight for the forseeable I really wish I had a lazy monster like Stanley!
Homer has always been an early waker. Breakfast was more important before needing to go outside. He'd wake us at 5:55, our alarm goes off at 6am. At weekends I'd put down his food open the back door and go back to bed, then he'd come up and snuggle with us. In the last year, he's 5 years old now, he's been much more inclined to lie in and not even touch his breakfast until later in the morning. I think your plan to go down later and later each morning may well work.
@Jyssica sorry can't help as Vanilla wakes up at 5am. This I think stems from when she was a pup. But your plan/Idea sounds good. This is what we we did when Vanilla used to wake up about 3am. We got it as far as 5am, which suits me as then I can get a walk in.
