Dog owners I need advice! Beulah barks every morning when Jude walks past her to go to the loo (around 5/6am), lately she's started doing it earlier without him walking past. We go down let her out & she won't go for a wee - I think she just wants attention/breakfast. So she gets no attention & goes back in her crate happily. She has water, something to chew & her bedding in there & the radio on quietly. Today it was 4am onwards. Generally she doesn't bark much so she must be trying to tell me something. she carries on barking/whining til we get up! I've tried letting her out, & giving her breakfast & even a stuffed kong. Not sure if I should ignore her as there may be a day when she needs toilet! She has a blanket over the top & some lights on in kitchen (not main ones) - when she really goes for it I come down to find she's pulled blanket through crate. Help we're all so tired!
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! Stop letting her out!! I'm guessing that you'll be up around half 6/7 ish anyway (I don't know any lab parents that lie in!) so if she's barking at that time, she'll be fine until you get up. By going to let her out when she barks, even if you don't talk to her, you're giving her the attention she requires. At that age, she's capable of going through the night - you've said that she won't go out for a wee. The only thing she's telling you is 'come & get me' and you're doing exactly that. Now how to stop the barking, that's another matter. Ignore? A sharp NO? You'll need to find an option for you. Perhaps others could help you with that, then you can get some sleep!
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! I'd try to ignore her and if that doesn't fix it try a sharp NO when she starts barking. At that age she should be able to hold it until 7am. Don't let her out while she is barking or whining. With giving her Kongs, breakfast and letting her out while she is barking you're only rewarding her behavior. I guess shes bored and learned that when she starts barking mommy comes by and funny, interesting things start to happen. ;D ;D
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! Yes you're right I am rewarding it by doing that - you do strange things & all logic when tired!
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! Oh, do you know what? I did exactly the same!! My boy is 6mths and he had been quiet till about 4 1/2 mths then started to whine at about 5am (we think he was woken by the other house in our road going to work) and I went down, only a few times, at once at the weekend thought "as in up I'll feed him to save getting up again later, maybe I'll get a lie in" It took a month of ignoring him and listening to his whining/yapping before he slept till 6!! He still whines as soon as he hears me get up and get dressed, then shuts up when I get onto the landing. I think the only way is to ignore it, then when they are quiet go down and praise, slowly stretching the amount of time they have to be calm for before going. I found it to be painfull, I wish they picked up 'good' habits as quick as bad ones!!
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! NHM,hello stranger,nice to hear from you ,is Belulah good apart from this? I had a phase of it when we got back from our first holiday in May so Dex would have been 8 months ...his sitter had been getting up to him and he'd got into a nice little habit.....it took 3 days to break it and a firm QUIET from upstairs.My alarm goes off at 5.30 every morning......no way Dexter can hear it.....but he does one single woof round about that time,funny how he knows ,good luck ,don't take any messing ! X
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! Thankyou - yes she is all good apart from that - oh & the pulling on the lead & going mental at any dog or passerby - I have my exams at college over the next fortnight & I know it is all my fault for neglecting her training so I have booked us in for the next class starting in January. She has got better at not pulling my hubby though. We did stick to the 5 min rule but we try to walk her twice a day for 30 mins now. Not syure I can stop son walking past her at 5am as only one toilet & it is downstairs!
Re: 6 mth pup barking 5am now 4am help! Train your son to go longer as well Although if he has to go past her, then no eye contact & get him to practice the NO voice for on his way back past her. She should then settle back down for an hour or so. Like a baby, she'll learn to sleep through. Completely understand the point you make about doing things just to get a quiet life or a lie in! It'll pay off in the long run though!
