Dog waking me up at early morning, just to tell me she'd waken up

[corgiinabberyhilll]

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Hi all, my dog is around 1 year old now.

When she was around 6/7 months old, she'd come to the bedside and whine in the morning, then i know that was the time she needed to pee. She used to wake up at a regular time (close to my waking time anyways), and she really needed to pee at the time. So I had been okay about it.

But then recently, she is getting up earlier and earlier, like 5/6 am, there are several occasions that I couldn't leave the house immediately to accommodate her 'pee', and she just went back to sleep. That just made me wonder if I have been encouraging her to wake me up whenever she wants.

Is there anyway to stop this from happening apart from taking her out for a longer walk at night ?


Thanks x

 

[JudyN]

So normally, when she wakes early, you let her out to pee, but sometimes she goes back to sleep before you've let her out? If you don't think she needs a pee, I'd ask her to settle down on her bed - if she normally sleeps somewhere else, maybe put a bed in your room as she may settle better while close to you. If she's insistent on going outside, take her out on a lead, wait for her to pee, and bring her back to bed. Be really boring - don't talk to her or even make eye contact, you want her to know that all she's gaining by this is an empty bladder.

Good luck - curing dogs of early rising isn't easy.

 

[JoanneF]

There are a couple of things you could try.

A lot of dogs wake up hungry, so a simple bed time biscuit often fixes this.

If not, the second thing is to train her a ”settle down” in daytime. It won't stop her waking you but it will let you settle her back down easily.

Are you sure she doesn't need out though? You know how sometimes you need the loo and you can wait but you are not entirely comfortable?

 

[Hemlock]

I'd take her out for a pee, then back to bed and give her a biscuit in case she's hungry. She's still a pup, and she's still growing, so might get very hungry (remember when you were a teen?). And it really isn't good for them to have to wait it out for a pee. One of our many owner responsibilities is to put their needs before ours.

 

[corgiinabberyhilll]

So normally, when she wakes early, you let her out to pee, but sometimes she goes back to sleep before you've let her out? If you don't think she needs a pee, I'd ask her to settle down on her bed - if she normally sleeps somewhere else, maybe put a bed in your room as she may settle better while close to you. If she's insistent on going outside, take her out on a lead, wait for her to pee, and bring her back to bed. Be really boring - don't talk to her or even make eye contact, you want her to know that all she's gaining by this is an empty bladder.

Good luck - curing dogs of early rising isn't easy.

thanks - i'd definitely try the 'be boring' part, as when she wakes me up, she is always so happy and wagging her tail - the happiest time of the day

 

[corgiinabberyhilll]

There are a couple of things you could try.

A lot of dogs wake up hungry, so a simple bed time biscuit often fixes this.

If not, the second thing is to train her a ”settle down” in daytime. It won't stop her waking you but it will let you settle her back down easily.

Are you sure she doesn't need out though? You know how sometimes you need the loo and you can wait but you are not entirely comfortable?

thank you for the video

there are several times that we brought her out at 3am, didnt do anything. Then went back home and she did the same thing at 5 but then nth happened again

so im just not sure if she is like 1) hey i need to pee, or 2) hey i can't sleep. I am still trying to figure that out

 

[corgiinabberyhilll]

I'd take her out for a pee, then back to bed and give her a biscuit in case she's hungry. She's still a pup, and she's still growing, so might get very hungry (remember when you were a teen?). And it really isn't good for them to have to wait it out for a pee. One of our many owner responsibilities is to put their needs before ours.

yes sure i do agree and always happy to take her out for pee

it is just sometimes when i take her out, she does nothing but sits on the grass; and then it happens again an hour or 2 later. So I am trying to figure out if this is a pee-problem, or something else i need to be concerned

I'd say it is happening at least 4 times/ week, she'd whine until one of us leaves the bed in the middle of the night, and 50/50 for peeing/ pooping

 

[JudyN]

For what it's worth, Jasper used to ask to go out a couple of times a night and would rush down the garden barking at 'monsters'. He took ages to come back in and as at the time he could redirect on me if frustrated, I was reluctant to take him out on lead. Eventually I set up a fence so he could only get out into a small area up the side of the house. After complaining and sulking for just a couple of nights, he stopped bothering to wake up.

 

[Jan Woodhall]

thanks - i'd definitely try the 'be boring' part, as when she wakes me up, she is always so happy and wagging her tail - the happiest time of the day

Robin will wake early on VERY rare occasions. I have spent the night at his side downstairs x 2 in the past 4 months we have been together, he would not settle so I assumed he was either not very well, or not happy. This was fine he slept on both occasions and the following night was no problem at all. So I would just ensure you rule out every thing you can, animals don't do things for no reason, it is up to us to find the reason, and that is not the reason our egos tell us it is! Best of luck, listen to your pup, clearly requires something

 

[jeandecker76]

thanks - i'd definitely try the 'be boring' part, as when she wakes me up, she is always so happy and wagging her tail - the happiest time of the day

Were you able to be the boring one?

 

[Hal]

Like the idea of deliberately being boring. My wife and I are going to practice this together