Tess barking at 2:00 a.m.

[purrley]

Lately every night Tess is starting to bark around 2:00 a.m. and keeps barking until it's time for me to get up which is 4:00 a.m. I have to crate her at night because she's still too young to put in bed with me. I'm afraid she couldn't hold it all night and I would wake up in a wet bed. Is this just a phase? Can I hope that eventually this will stop. I'm just praying that she isn't disturbing my next door neighbor (the condo's are connected) or I will have to find her another home. I'm going to have to buy some ear plugs today so I can get more sleep. This barking behavior has just started, she's been really good about sleeping all night up till now:( :(

[Pam]

Wow Purrley that is a problem! I wonder what she is responding to. Can you hear anything going on that she may be tuned in to (noises in the next condo?) I really don't know how I would handle that one. I can relate in a small way because sometimes when Bella and I get up early (before 6:00 AM) and I let her out to go potty she might spot a squirrel or bunny or something and bark at it. I immediately run for the doggie biscuits and I can always lure her back inside with them. Obviously you are dealing with a different situation but the result is the same (noisy pups!) Hope someone here can help you. I have no suggestions but do have sympathy for what you are going through. Sorry. :(

[jennifert]

Perhaps Tess has to use the facilities? I know you don't want her to get in the habit of going out for a pee at 2am but...Duncan used to do this, wake me up at 3 or 4 am to go out but would go back to bed if I ignored him. Sounds like she just wants attention...How old is she now? Teaching her the "quiet" command would certainly work also. I think it's a hard command to teach and for them to learn and am currently working on it with Duncan, but perhaps others will be able to help....

[purrley]

Tess isn't quite 4 mo's old. Possibly this is puppy behavior and will pass I HOPE!!!!

[C.C.'s Mom]

Cookie did this too, barking and pacing up and down the room at the middle of the night untill someone (me) got up and brought her to the garden for potty.
The dog school teacher advised to keep quiet when you bring her out, no smiling, nothing. Just let her go potty and bring her straight back to bed (Cookie slept in her basket but came in bed when we were asleep and never wet the bed).
She outgrew this when she was 5 months old and sleeps through the night now and if I let her she won't get out of bed until 11 am or so.
I'm sure she will outgrow this, but dogs easily make a habit out of this.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Hi Purrley, Daisy sleeps with me and sometimes wakes up and barks but it's usually because she heard a noise. What about putting a radio on with some soft music, maybe it would put you to sleep and she would not hear any outside noise. Just a thought.
I do that in the summer when my window is open and she hears the noise outside and it quiets her.
Good luck
Jackie

[yorkster]

I was told to use a water sqirt bottle w/ a little vinegar in it (2 pts water, 1 pt vin)..............but maybe this would not be the answer for a young puppy, I don't know. Carrie would know I bet.

[lizbud]

Purrley, I agree with C.C.'s Mom 's suggestions on
how to react to this new wrinkle in puppy raising...My
dog Buddy did the same thing at one stage of puppyhood.
I would take him outside on leash, let him take care of
business & take him right back inside without talking
to him at all & then go back to bed.Only took about
a week till Bud learned he was not going to get to "play"
and he stopped wakeing me up. Jackie has a good
suggestion about leaving a radio on low to mask other
sounds that might set Tess off. I do that myself.
Best of luck to you & Tess . Liz

[carrie]

I didn't reply to this as I thought C.C's Mom hit the nail on the head.

If the problem persists past six - seven months then some other strategies may be useful but there is every chance she will grow out of it.

A couple of things to think about in the mean time - does your heating system or hot water tank fire up at this time? It could be she hears that or is too close to a heat source that switches on in the night? You could try resetting your timers or moving her crate and seeing if that makes a difference.

[purrley]

Thank you to all who replied to my post - I think the cats may
have something to do with setting her off - they often get up and go to the cat box or run around and I'm used to those noises so they don't bother me - however, this would be a wake up call for Tess. Last night I put some ear plugs in. It worked!!! Got a good nights sleep last night:)

[Pam]

The cats! Why didn't I think of that! I remember when we first got Bella and she would be sleeping peacefully in her crate all the cats would have to do is walk in front of the crate where she could see them and she would be awake. Fortunately she didn't bark at them though! Glad you got a good night's sleep! ;) May it continue!

[C.C.'s Mom]

I'm happy that you had a good night sleep! I know how it is when the dog wakes you up the whole time.

And... we had the same problem here with the cats waking the dog up when they went to their litter box. Cookie got used to those noises as well and it doesn't disturb her anymore. Hopefully Tess will get used to that as well as she grows older.

[tatsxxx11]

My lab Star does the EXACT same thing!!:( Besides being a very active dog (even after 2 hours of flat out running, retrieving, swimming, agility classes twice weekly etc. daily) she only wants to sleep for 4 or 5 hours nightly!! There isn't a dog on earth that gets more exercise! And, she has become so accustomed to waking up with me at 5am for work, and having an early breakfast, that she figures if 5am is good, then 4am is better!!! Usually, she starts whimpering and pleading about 2 or 3 am. to get up and play. She actually drops a ball on my chest. I have to put her out of the bedroom and ignore her. (Not easy) That usually works. But by 4:30 or 5am, she starts again!! Any ideas Carrie?????

[mary_jsn]

i had a lab that did nearly the same thing, he used to bark at the rabbits pasing by. You should make her learn by a command to be quiet, maybe you should distract her with her favorite toy and when she shuts up give her a yummy doggy treat to keep her happy and make her understand that u want her to be quiet, toys can keep her busy for a while. Maybe she barks because she is bored and is trying to get attention speacilly to you.

[carrie]

I wouldn't, no offence, advise giving any sort of reward for this behaviour at all. In your mind you know you are rewarding her for being quiet - in the dog's mind not only is she getting attention for making a disturbance she is also getting treats.

I would move the dog bed out of the bedroom and shut the door. Settle her as usual when you are ready to go to bed and then leave her. DO NOT go back to her - no matter what!
As long as you 100% ignore attention seeking from the other side of the door she should settle down within a week. If she doesn't - get back to me as I am working with a client on a new idea for a similar problem and if it works it may help you also.

[tatsxxx11]

Thanks Carrie. My thought was the same as yours. NO reward for waking up the house!!:D Star is SO food motivated, and that would only teach her to wake us up for a treat! My vet said the same as you...IGNORE HER!!! It is so painful to listen to her though. OF COURSE....The first time I ignored her, she really DID have to go out; was sick with an upset belly and had to poop bad. I felt so guilty when I came downstairs and saw she got sick by the door:( Let you know how it goes!!

[purrley]

Just like clockwork Tess is still waking up about 2 or 3 a.m. She's in another bedroom with the door closed, so I close my bedroom door, put in the earplugs and go back to sleep. I've just made up my mind that Tess will be allowed out of the crate on my terms, not hers. She will be 100% ignored until I get ready to respond to her. Hopefully sooner or later she'll stop this early morning nonsense!!!! In the meantime, I just hope my next door neighbor doesn't hear her. I would think that by now I would have gotten a complaint if he did.

[carrie]

Keep it up - it can't be easy!