puppy won't sleep

[rangruey]

Hi I have a 5 month Yellow Lab. We live in a townhouse very close to our neighboors and they have been complaining about my dog running around the house and also she barks a lot when we get home from work. Any suggestions on how to stop her barking- she is only excited?

Furthermore, she won't sleep through the night. She used to stay in her crate in our bdrm but now the crate is downstairs and she cries if we leave her alone too long. So now she sleeps in our bed, but around 3 or 4 am every morning she wakes up and wants to go out, eat , and play. It is becomming a big problem.

Pls send me all of your suggestions! Is this a common problem?

Thank you.

[lv4dogs]

What I would do is bring her outside as soon as you get home from work and exercise her outside to get some energy out of her. That should help a lot.

And for her night issues, I would move her crate back into your room where you kept it before and keep her in it all night (IF she is able to hold it all night. Slowly (every couple days) move her further & further away from you.

OR if you don't want her crated anymore & she can be trusted in the house just keep your door shut, so she has access to the rest of the house & her food & water bowls.

Also exercising her right before bed will help tire her out, which gives better odds for a full nights sleep.

It is a fairly common problem, she's at that age where she will test you. To see what she can get away with. Be firm, consistant & patient.
Just for a warning, she'll probably go through another simialr stage again around 9-15 months.

She's at like a todler stage now, a few months & it will be like a teenager stage. Testing limits, being rowdy etc...

A tired pup is a good pup!

IS she in obedience? That would help a lot, with behavior & bonding.

Good luck

[rangruey]

She is pretty obedient. Went to puppy classes for 8 weeks. Sits, etc when asked to as long as there is a treat involved.

We take her out many times from the moment we get home until bed and attempt to get all the energy out but she just has too much and no matter how long we walk her, she still doesn't make it through the night.

I agree with all ur advice and think tonight the crate will be moved upstairs.

Are you an expert or a dog owner? (or both?)

[beagleamy]

you could also try and find her 'triggers' for what wears her out the most--play dates with other dogs, fetch in the backyard, car rides, etc. We had this problem with our dog and it was actually solved when we dog-sat for another dog. Our's didn't want to sleep with us because he wanted to know what the dog crated downstairs was doing so he preferred his crate to being with us...and we haevn't been dogsitting for a few weeks now and he is fine in his crate downstairs now.

Sometimes it's just luck!

(I'm just a dog owner and absolutely no expert:) )

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by rangruey
She is pretty obedient. Went to puppy classes for 8 weeks. Sits, etc when asked to as long as there is a treat involved.

We take her out many times from the moment we get home until bed and attempt to get all the energy out but she just has too much and no matter how long we walk her, she still doesn't make it through the night.

I agree with all ur advice and think tonight the crate will be moved upstairs.

Are you an expert or a dog owner? (or both?)

I'm glad to hear you're off to a good start. Although a second obedience class is ussually reccomended.

You say you walk her, thats good, but try playing fetch or some other really vigorous activity before bedtime.
But I know what you mean about labs having too much energy, :) she'll most likely be that way until about 3ish years of age.

Also when you do start to move her away from you, try to leave the radio on low & possibly a night light so she is not so lonely.

I do own dogs, I also worked at a vets office for 7+ years (until my family opened up a business) I also assisted with obedience, agility & behavioral classes, I volunteer at 2 local animal shelters and foster animals sometimes.

[jiena_drakon]

lol sounds like my current dog I have right now except mine is already a year old.

some things that helped me was clicker training.. once you get that started and she knows what the clicker is then you can go while your watching tv and have your treats and clicker out and start training her to lie down patiently in her crate start with seconds and work your way to an hour at a time.. then right when you get home or anytime she gets to roudy and excited send her to her crate for a nice positive time out.. at which you can treat her for or give her a kong for being nice calm and quiet..

that should help a great deal with that and the night part.. as for her age she may be just lonely give her a teddy bear with a old dirty shirt warn by you on it and maybe if you can attempt cutting the teddy bear open and put a loud tick tick clock inside of it and sow it back up.. this will help simulate company and she will not be so lonely. ...


also you want to wear her out a bit to help her sleep longer.. this of course is the most difficult as you already know. If you can trust her to bring a ball or frisbee back to you when off the leash in the open then play ball with her and you get to stay in one place and make her do all the running.. if this doesn't work then just play ball in your house throwing the ball up the stairs and she will bring it down.. and continue for awhile.. and what is really the funniest thing for me is I got a lazer light pen and I got my dog to chase it so I go up stairs and have the dog run all over the house directing her where to go with the pen haveing her run up stairs down stairs into the front room and liveing room all from one position I stand great workout for her but remember to give her a potty brake every two to three min with this thou mine will tend to pee while running if I don't hehehe ... and remember to treat her after all that running cus other wise later she will feel as if it was all for nothing and stop doing it..

anyway good luck and let me know how it works I have many more suggestions as I live with the same dog almost..hehehe