Advice needed for 5 month old puppy

[magzg]

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Hi I am looking for any advice or tips on helping my with my 5 month old puppy. He is crate trained and has no problems sleeping in his crate. The only issue we have experienced is that he is waking up every morning at 4am and howling (we are up just after 5am for work). He is taken out between 11-12.30 for the toilet before bed so don't feel this is the reason he is howling. Can anyone recommend anything that I should be doing to stop this? I know he is still very young and will hopefully grow out of it but just don't want it to become a bad habit. We have been ignoring him and not responding to the howling but the lack of sleep is definitely taking its toll! His crate is in a separate room from us and we have purchased a black out blind as thought the light mornings were the cause, however, this has made no difference. Any advice and tips would be much appreciated.

 

[eingana]

Hi Magzg- welcome to DogForum

It's probably to do with the light mornings as much as anything else. Dogs are so visual that when it's light that means I should be up and about- right?

One thing that several people I know have had great results in terms of calming little ones in crates back to sleep is a clock with a nice big tick tock sound. Proper old mechanical wind up alarm clocks make a lovely calming regular nose that calms both pups and babies so I'd recommend one of those for the fiver that they cost.

Good on you for not rewarding his howling with attention. I know it's hard, but he will learn that there's no point because you won't be coming to entertain him until proper getting up time Either that or he'll grow out of it and change to some other problem just to ring the changes

 

[poppy2714]

Did the clock work for you? I am having the same problem really, she wakes up about 1am and howls for about half an hour to an hour and the lack/distrubing of sleep is starting to really take its toll. I live on my own so its hard work doing it all, I was hoping a strict routine would do her the world of good but it doesnt always work

 

[Hagrid]

I found with my Theo that a hot water wrapped in my t-shirt worked as he thought I was there. I didn't use a light or radio as I did not want to always have to have one left on to leave him alone.

Hope its all settled now.

 

[magzg]

Hi Poppy, following me posting my last message, I moved my pups crate to another part of the room and the problem stopped. My pups now 11 months and I still use the crate during the day while I am out but no longer use it at night, as my pups quite happy to sleep on my bed. I was told by a friend to move the crate to another part of the room as she had the same problem with her dog and she found this solved the problem. I would try this along and even try the clock. I leave a radio on during the day while I am out and my pups quite happy. Hope things settle soon. Magz

 

[poppy2714]

I will give this a go, thank you!