Please, go back to bed!

Laura · Master

Please, go back to bed!

Teresa · Enlightened One

Sadly, I don't have any experience of this because dave and daisy don't want breakfast !! I've given up putting it down now as I used to end up chucking it all away !

I wonder if it's worth just giving her a couple of bonio biscuits and going back to bed. Can you leave a door open for her to go in the garden and toilet at her convenience? We do this with our two and haven't had any accidents since we started it.

Good luck with whatever you try

Laura · Master

Thanks anyway! What we usually do is let her out first to see if that what she wants and generally she does do the toilet, but then she bounces about until she is fed! So we dont know if she needs the loo or not.(we dont want to risk it!) I think it might just be that her routine has changed from when was on holiday when I would get up give her breakky then go back to bed for a few hours before walking her, or it might be that that is her awake, and justs needs a little something in her tummy to settle her! I will be interested in anyone else's response.

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Does she tend to sleep between 6pm and 10pm? If Rosie is getting a chance to have a deep sleep during these hours then she will be wide awake for the early hours and she is wanting your attention. Try to keep her awake, even if it a rub of the feet or just calling on her and putting her bed in a busy room.

You ciould also try with giving her more of her feed at night like you suggested.

Lets us know how you get on

emma · Guru

I wonder too if she needs to do toilet and thats why she barks. I know that a few times Chad has barked in the morning and it has been about either my bed is in a mess Mum I don't know who did it! or I need out Mum.

Like Dave and Daisey Chad never bothers with breakfast either!

Em XX

JENNY · Big Cheese

Vernon sometimes barks early hours but he usually needs out for a wee. We can hear him pacing in the laminate flooring then he barks to get us up. Its usually not for food though.

Amanda · Master

Blue was a great one for singing at 5 am. We tried the ignoring but singing turned to barking. We tried walking him later 11pm no difference we tried feeding him more and later no difference. We tried a dap plug in it worked for a while then he was as bad as ever.

We knew that he didn't need to go out as as soon as we were up he would go back to bed and fall fast asleep again

After a year we decided enough was enough and invested in a water pistol. When he started up we said nothing but gave him a little squirt and then went back to bed. After 3 days he was cured and now he sleeps as long as we do.

Obviously this wouldn't work for every dog especially the nervious ones and we waited until we had exhausted everything and he had been with us quite a while.

Good luck

Laura · Master

Siouxsie wrote:

Does she tend to sleep between 6pm and 10pm? If Rosie is getting a chance to have a deep sleep during these hours then she will be wide awake for the early hours and she is wanting your attention. Try to keep her awake, even if it a rub of the feet or just calling on her and putting her bed in a busy room. You ciould also try with giving her more of her feed at night like you suggested. Lets us know how you get on

What we do is I take her down the local park for a wee or whatever at around 8pm and then she gets some supper at 9pm then out round the block or down the park again for a final toilet chance at 9:30pm and she always gets encouraged into the garden right before bed at about 10pm, so we do try to keep her awake as long as possible, but sometimes she just dozes off! This morning wasnt too bad, as she woke me only 10 minutes before my alarm, but with not feeling to great I kinda wanted those 10 mins but never mind! I let her out and she had a wee and then I gave her some food and she settled down straight away. Will keep trying and see how she goes. Oh, Dad ignored her at 6:30am today and she did give up for 20 mins before coming to me and no puddles!

Lesley · Guru

Laura wrote:

. . . . . generally she does do the toilet, but then she bounces about until she is fed! So we dont know if she needs the loo or not.(we dont want to risk it!) . . .

On the odd occasion one of ours has woken us early - I would get up to let them in the garden, but then immediately return them to their bed and me to mine - even if only for half an hour - everything the same as if it was night time - doors closed and lights off (or whatever you do in your home). That way you avoid an accident, but the dog gets the message that he/she can't manipulate you into giving them their breakfast early, and learns that - even if they get up early to pee - nothing else of interest is going to happen until you decide it is getting up time.

If you decide she genuinely can't hold on you might try restricting her drinking water after 9pm (suggested by my vet for Ra).

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Sorry Laura,

if I read this all wrong I didn't realise the issue was her toileting, I thought it was to do with her getting up too early.

and I wholeheartedly agree with Lesley on restricting her intake of water after a certain time to try to stop puddles appearing.

Laura · Master

Siouxsie wrote:

Sorry Laura, if I read this all wrong I didn't realise the issue was her toileting, I thought it was to do with her getting up too early. and I wholeheartedly agree with Lesley on restricting her intake of water after a certain time to try to stop puddles appearing.

Sorry for any confusion! What the problem is that Rosie is waking us up too early.We then let her out and she usually does a wee, but will not settle until she has had some food. So its more of a waking and feeding and not so much a toileting problem! We ignore her for a little bit, but one morning we didnt get up at all and thats when the accident happened. She hasnt toileted in the house since that but she starts off squeaking, then barks, and then tries to jump on my parents bed. However, they dont shut their bedroom door at night whereas I do, so she cant get into my bedroom, but she just jumps about and then if I dont get up she scratches at the door. Last night we gave her a little more food at supper, but I think we'll have to do it several times before we can say it works or doesnt work. It might just be that she needs out and then once she sees one of us she thinks that we're up and ready to play! But she usually snuggles back on her bed and dozes off for a while after breakky. Hope we can sort this soon!! Edited to say, that sometimes Rosie doesnt wee at all in the garden before breakky.

-- Edited by Laura at 08:52, 2006-08-26

Lesley · Guru

Thats why I would send her back to bed Laura. At the moment she knows that - once she has woken up - if she makes enough fuss one of you will get up, let her out, and feed her.

If, once you have let her out just in case she needs to pee, you put her back in her bed, close the doors and ignore her - even if it is just for 10 minutes to start with - you will be sending her the message that she does not get up and get breakfast until you decide.

Lorna · GAL Shop Co-Ordinator

Hi Laura

I agree with Lesley - Harley used to do the same thing (and occasionally he still does wake us up in the early hours). Usually though he just goes back to sleep if we ignore him. If he makes a lot of fuss we do get up and take him outside just in case there is an accident. He goes straight back to his bed afterwards though and goes to sleep again.

I think if you feed her when she wakes you up she will just think she can do it all the time and you will have many more sleepless nights

Hope that makes sense!

Laura · Master

Thanks, I think I'll try that, let her out and then ignore her. She kinda got the message when she got put back on her bed three times one night at about 3am. Dad put her on her bed, tried to go upstairs but she followed him so he kept plonking her back and after the third time she just looked at him, but didnt move!

Right, keep her awake until we want to go to bed, then if need be let out and ignore, sounds easy enough!!

Will keep you posted. Hey, just a thought, we are going to switch her(and the other dogs) on to AG this thursday, will it make any difference?

Lesley · Guru

Arden Grange is an excellent food, and all of ours get it, but whether or not it will make any difference depends on whether she is genuinely hungry or just trying her luck at getting you up.

The fact is - she probably is hungry first thing in the morning - ours can't wait for their breakfast, but nonetheless they have learned that they don't get breakfast until we decide - not them.

Good luck.

Laura · Master

Latest update- Rosie is getting better in the mornings. This morning she came and started whining and such, but as suggested she was ignored and about 10 minutes later she was back on her bed. She came back upstairs about quarter of an hour later and started again, ignored, back on her bed fairly quickly. Seems like three really is our magic number as on the third episode of whining she gave up after just 5 minutes and resigned herself to bed for another half hour. I then got up and let her out (she did a wee) before giving her breakfast. Had my own breakfast and walked through to the garden and passed Rosie curled up on her bed cuddling her teddy. Lets hope this continues!!

-- Edited by Laura at 14:40, 2006-08-27

-- Edited by Laura at 14:42, 2006-08-27