#1
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Barking nonstop at 4am - HELP!
Hello,
I've got a 12 week old female puppy and a 3.5 year old male and need some help with the puppy. We've had her for almost 4 weeks now, and for the past 2 weeks or so she's been pretty good about sleeping about 6 hours per night. We put her outside before bed at around 10/10:30 pm and she pees, and she wakes us up at around 4/4:30 am and we take her out for a pee. (Previously she was waking us up every 45 minutes or so - see another thread I posted on Crating - to ignore or not to ignore - thankfully we've had some progress!) For the past week or so, after we've taken her out at 4am and returned her to her crate, she tends to start barking within about 15 minutes and is nearly non-stop until I finally get up for work, around 5:30 am. What do I do to stop her barking and get her settled? Ignoring her seems to work when she's tired and ready for bed, but when she feels that she's had enough of the crate and/or is ready for the day, she just won't stop barking - I've ignored it for over an hour most mornings. I'm really tired and was feeling quite frustrated this morning, but managed to hold it in and breathe. I feel like crying. My husband has been getting up for work around 4:15 am or so and heads straight to the shower and ignores her (he's not purposely giving attention or trying to rile her up) - she continues to bark even after he's left for work (about an hour later). I think she barks incessantly when she knows someone is in the house and is hoping for a "rescue". Occassionally during the day when she's been crated for 30 minutes to an hour she's been known to just bark more or less non-stop too (when she's not as tired and when people are home). HELP....I need sleep! |
#2
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I'm not a dog person, really, so I don't have much authority when it comes to training them, but out of curiosity, what breed is she? Where did she come from? What were her previous owners like? How big was the litter? Maybe some history would help the other dog-person members advise you.
Does she stop immediately after being freed from her crate? I'm wondering if some dogs are simply not meant to be trained via crate. I know many well-behaved dogs that were not. Do you work as well? I'm willing to be that if there is someone home all the time, maybe she doesn't need to be crated more than the 6 hours at night. Why not setting her up with a comfy dog bed on the floor near your bed for the hours between when she pees at 4am and when you get up to start your day?
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-Danaë |
#3
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How about giving her a kong or something to keep her occupied for that last hour? from 4:30 -5:30 am. As for the crate trying it for an hour at a time is a good idea and then extend it as well.
You could try alternating feeding her in there so that she learns to associate it with a happy place to be! Sounds like your on the right track! it will get better!
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Tabitha April 10, 1995 - August 23, 2013 Bomber April 10, 1995 - July 12, 2010 Winston Nov 15, 1999 - September 15, 2011 Sophie Aug 30, 2011 "UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED" He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. -Unknown |
#4
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We had a similar problem with our puppy.
I'm not saying it was the best solution but we moved his crate upstairs at night so he was in our bedroom with us. That solved the barking. Even though he was downstairs in a crate beside his sister - he still wanted to be with us. Current issue is now puppies are in the bedroom and wake up around 6am every morning. On weekends, I get up bring them out to pee, feed them and give them something to chew in their downstairs crates and everyone is quiet until we get up around 8. Occasionally one puppy will bark and get the other going, but that usually only lasts 10 minutes tops..then he realizes no one is coming to get him and he settles down. |
#5
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You seem to be doing a great job! Crating is.very useful for those times like when people are visiting and puppy needs some time away from the crowd or when puppy is in hospital to get spayed or neutered.
I second.the suggestion of giving her a kong to play with. I put my dog's crate beside my bed during the first little while. I would throw treats into her crate so she would associate good things with the crate. I also fed her in her crate. Try moving the crate to beside your bed and cover it. I usually put my fingers through the crate to let her k.ow im there but only when she was calm. It'll come...hopefully soon. She will learn that no one will come to her rescue. Maybe also put an old shirt of yours or your husband's in the crate.
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Give a dog food and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. That is the principal difference between a dog and man. (Mark Twain) |
#6
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Just wanted to add that with the Kong, (Just in case people don't know) you can stuff it with great treats and/or spreads - I know lotsa people that stuff em with peanut butter...keeps the doogers way busier.
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#7
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Freezing it is even more stimulating - great advice
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In rescuing animals I lost my mind but found my soul ~ anonymous ~ |
#8
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Thanks everyone for the great tips and suggestions. For the most part we've been ignoring the puppy when she barks and she's been settling back down after the 4 am bathroom trip (for the most part). Here's hoping it continues!
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