Our young 13 month Labrador is waking earlier and earlier in the morning, 5:45 today. She does not need the loo, she probably wants to eat but I am being strict and waiting until at least 7 am (with ultimate aim of breakfast at 8 am). I am feeding her later at night , yesterday she had her last meal at 8 pm. I have tried leaving her to whinge in the crate, but it only gets louder and worse and we do have neighbours so it’s no longer an option. Last night I set an alarm in the hallway to wake us both up, set for 6 am, but she beat the alarm! I will set it earlier tomorrow but what do I do after waking her up? I am staying in the kitchen with her now, ignoring her, but she is restless, pacing, on and off whinging, basically waiting for breakfast. Now, today, a new activity whinging to go outside (maybe because I am ignoring her). If I were to give her breakfast she would go back to the crate and sleep, which is what she will do after 7 am when I give in. Even if the alarm wakes her up, i can’t see how to make the time later? It would have to be painfully slow? At the moment she is whining to go outside and play (probably because I ignore her indoors). We all need our sleeping don’t usually get up until 7 am so this is pulling the whole family down. People are talking that she has to go...of course no one can perform jobs property without sleep. At my wits end. Any advise?
Make her evening meal a much bigger one? Keep her full for longer. Then breakfast can be smaller. And also a bedtime snack. This is what we did with our boy.
I’m being completely soft here, maybe she just wants company. Our boy has a bed in our room where he sleeps at night but will come up onto our bed at about 6am just to be closer to us.
I'm a softee too! My girl started making noises to go out early in the morning when she was about 9 months and because I thought she needed a wee I was leaping up earlier and earlier. After a couple of weeks of silly mornings I cottoned on the fact it was company rather than a wee she wanted so I decided she was old enough to go up the stairs and she sleeps in my room now. We're both happier with the arrangement
