Morning all! We are getting closer! Bob slept has from 11pm to 5am for the past 2 nights which is fab I think (he's 10w on Thursday). I'm happy to come down at 5am, take him out for toilet etc... But I would LOVE to go back upstairs for a couple of hours really - 5am is a bit early for me. Problem is that Bob is totally HYPER when he wakes up... and I know if I go back upstairs, he'll freak out and the noise will wake my little boy up. I don't know whether to play with him for 1/2hr or so.... tire him out, give him a kong and leave him to his own devices. OR whether I should just not play, be very calm and quiet (as ideally we would rather not be up at this time)... and so he gets the idea that 5am is not playtime? Any suggestions? Lou x
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! I went for the 'lets snooze 'till proper get up time' option with both of mine. I took them in the front room and I put on breakfast TV while we snoozed 'till breakfast. I'm not sure if it made any difference to the pups, but they are really calm in the mornings now
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Hi Boogie, So you stayed downstairs with them and all snoozed together? This morning my hand was forced somewhat because my little boy started crying out for me (wondering where I had gone - we co-sleep) So I chucked some newspaper down by the back door and legged it upstairs and got back into bed with him for an hour. Got him back off to sleep. Bob lost the plot totally for well over 1/2hr and eventually settled. Came down to a wee by the newspaper and an even bigger wee when I took him outside so he must have been holding himself which is good. So not too bad I guess, at least I know he can cope. He's not allowed upstairs at the moment, we are keeping him in the kitchen/dining room area until he's potty trained and can manage stairs OK. Lou x
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Morning, or afternoon as it must seem to you right now. My pup is nearly 7 months but I remember the stage you are at very well! We also did the snoozey thing between 5ish and 7 - that was our 'acceptable' time to get up (no kids here, just two lazy and shell shocked adults). We wanted to avoid an association with early morning being play time. We also wanted to let the other person have some sleep as they would be up later at night with her. It seems to have panned out. Weekdays we get up and go for a short walk then off to work but weekends we can push the time back and head out for a proper walk mid morning. So, at 5 we were getting up, letting her out for a pee then back in to settle on a cushion. She would play by herself for a few minutes but got into the habit of settling back down and I often got a wee bit extra sleep and gradually 5 moved to 7.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! I make sure that I don't talk to Willow unless it's getting up time. So, even this morning when I was awake with her at 7:20, I thought about getting up but then decided she had to learn that I was the one who dictated the morning time, not her (although she did really need a poo, so I don't begrudge the fact she woke me!). So, even though it was only 40 minutes before "morning", and I wouldn't get any more sleep, I still put her back in her crate and went back to lie in a dark room until the alarm went off. She cried for a few minutes but then settled. I guess if Bob's a determined crier, though, and you have to think of your child, you need to decide what works best for you and the suggestions the other have made might be more appropriate.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Elsie goes to bed when I do about 10pm then sleeps through to 2.30 ish when we all get up because I need the loo and they take the opportunity to go too. Then sleeps through again until 5am when my husband gets up for work and they have some breakfast and a wee and come back to bed with me until 7.30-8ish. Might not be what everyone else would like but it works for us and when we go on holiday they seem to adapt pretty fast to having breakfast when we all get up instead of so early when my husband rises.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! When we first got Harley and she slept downstairs, any time she got up before 7am would mean quick wee/poo, then back to sleep on the sofa until at least 7am. When she came upstairs, she would often sleep til 10am. During the holidays when my daughter is home, Harley gets up with me around 8am, has breakfast/wee/poo then goes into my daughters room and often sleeps til 11am. She stays up until about 9.30/10pm every day.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! I have decided that tomorrow I will keep very quiet, take him out and then go back upstairs again for a couple of hours. Our clocks go back this weekend too so 5am will soon become 4am ie. TOO EARLY! He will just have to get used to the idea that 6.30/7pm is the acceptable time to wake up! I'll just have to make sure my little boy's ears are covered. I spoke with our neighbour today and he said he hadn't heard Bob so I"m happy to leave him to cry now after he's been to toilet as I know there is nothing urgent. Lou x
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Bob made it until 6am! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Marvellous! Wish the clocks didn't go back this weekend, poor dog has just lost that extra hour LOL! Lou x
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! [quote author=Loopyloo30 link=topic=8409.msg118874#msg118874 date=1413957472] Hi Boogie, So you stayed downstairs with them and all snoozed together? [/quote] Yes This lasted 'till they were about 16 weeks for both. They then slept 'till I get up (7am) They still do now - but, as it's dark at that time they don't get up even when I'm having my breakfast! They get up when they hear their breakfast being prepared.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! I'm doing a 5 am start with Gibson as well. The trouble is, once it gets to about 8pm he crashes out. He'll wake up for a pee and a poo before bedtime at about eleven but then, when he wakes at 5 am, that's it, he's full on awake. He's still only 10 weeks old so no real surprise, but I'd love to keep him awake more in the evening and get another hour in the morning. As I type this at 5.30 am I'm grinning because a small labrador pup with a large, well-chewed bone, on a wooden floor has to be the noisiest thing in the world outside of a teenage drumming convention. Any ideas on moving 5am to 6am without the poor little fella bursting (he's really good at holding it now) would be much appreciated.
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Morning Paul, Bob has the exact same schedule as Gibson... he snoozes all evening, out for a pee at 11pm then crashes out until about 5am ish. I think the trick must be to keep them more active in the evening somehow and by doing so that will push their morning wake up back a bit. May try that tonight! This morning I came down when I heard him bark (5.15am)...(waited until he was quiet though before opening the crate...) took him out, quick wee and a praise. Then back in crate and I went upstairs. Bob went bezerk for about 1/2hr before settling down. Then he started barking again at 6am. I figured this was more of a reasonable time (and maybe he needed a poo as well) so I've come back down. Made my cup of tea while he was still whining...and then let him out again after he was quiet. I'm making the point of NOT giving him his breakfast straightaway, I don't want him associating me coming down with getting food... as that will only make him cry more for me (I think!). Hope you are OK and not too tired! These pups are hard work aren't they?! Lou x
Re: I'd rather 5am was not playtime!!!! Definitely hard work - we do the same over his breakfast and leave it till later. He's fine with that. I think, as it's the weekend he'll be up later as my kid gets to stay up later and gives him no peace when she's awake.
