[tracyree]

I'm ready to start actively training Ernie to sleep later. He wakes at 4:30 (we adopted him 3 weeks ago). He whines or barks until I get up. I ignored him this morning and he peed on the carpet)

So my plan is set the alarm for 4:15 and get up and take him out. Then back to bed (hope!!!). Then 10
Minutes later after a few days.... Over and over until we are where I want him

Do I feed him when we get up that early or wait till up for good?
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[cos]

He's whining because he has to pee. His body likely wakes him and tells him he has to pee, and it likely happens around that time. I'd take him out and then go back to bed and ignore him and tell him to lay down.

Cosmo used to whine at the door just to move around and play and things but I ignored his whining after I knew he didn't have to potty and now he will sleep in until 1pm if I want him to!

Feed him when you're up for good to avoid him being hungry mid day. 4am is awfully early and it's a long time to wait until dinner. Cosmo usually gets fed after his morning walk, so around 10 or 11am.

 

[tracyree]

Thank you so much! I'm so sleep deprived I can't make good decisions. Lol
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[cos]

No problem glad I could help!

I used to get so irritated at Cosmo's annoying ear piercing whine that he makes while I was trying to sleep. I just continued to tell him to lay down and ignored him and now he sleeps like a dream

 

[tracyree]

It's so hard as I have a special needs child that I have to sleep with in order to get sleep. I don't want him waking her up, so can't just ignore him.
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[cos]

It's so hard as I have a special needs child that I have to sleep with in order to get sleep. I don't want him waking her up, so can't just ignore him.
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Look into crate training and crate him outside of the room like in the livingroom. You just have to set an alarm and wake up at 4 to take him out to pee because his cries won't remind you.

 

[tracyree]

Ugh. I can't believe I have to set my alarm for 4:15

I do need to crate train him. Right now he screams when we crate him to leave. I can hear him from outside.
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[tracyree]

If I do this with him in our bedroom and get him sleeping later, will I have to start all
Over when I get him crate trained and sleeping in dining room? If I crate him in dining room and get up with him at 4, he'll scream when I put him back and wake up house. I need to get him crate trained first.
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[cos]

Welcome to dog ownership.

You have to put in the time and effort if you want the results you're looking for. It will be exhausting and trying but unless you want him to where he can sleep on his own without waking you or your child that's what it will be. I would suggest putting his crate somewhere that you will be minimally disturbed by his screaming like a room across the house

I remember sitting in bed at 4am crying because Cosmo wouldn't be quiet and I was so tired I couldn't even think straight but now he will sleep in as long as I'm sleeping.

 

[tracyree]

So the reason I wasn't crating him where I can't hear him was I thought it would create more or a problem with barking. If not, I can crate him downstairs where we won't hear him. I just thought I needed to get him crate trained first?
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[tracyree]

(He's happy in the crate if I'm right next to it)
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[cos]

So the reason I wasn't crating him where I can't hear him was I thought it would create more or a problem with barking. If not, I can crate him downstairs where we won't hear him. I just thought I needed to get him crate trained first?
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First step is getting the crate to be a positive thing. Feed him in there, give him special treats that he can only eat in there, etc. once he sees it as positive, leaving him in there and ignoring the cries is an important step so he realizes that crying doesn't get his way. Like when you're training a child to sleep in their own bed, you just keep putting them in their bed no matter how much they cry or else they'll never learn.

Here's a really good how to video by a PR YouTube trainer named Gone To The Snow Dogs!

http://youtu.be/3uOmweA_iCE

 

[cos]

It's just important to know that since your dog has a history of waking up at 4 wanting to potty, you have to get up while you're working on sleeping through the night in the crate. I would also suggest making him go right before bed so his bladder isn't full before he goes in.

Adult dogs can hold it through the night if they're healthy. It may be he does this because he knows you will get up and take him outside. Cosmo would do this as well and I would tell him to lay down and he would. Then we would wake up at 9 every morning and go potty. It was better than 4!

 

[travelingswift]

How old is Ernie?

I would definitely recommend crate training. Definitely you want to make sure the crate is a happy place and not just the place he has to go whenever you leave. With our pups we usually have "nap time" which is mandatory crate time. They don't *have* to sleep, but they do need to rest quietly in the crate.

Our day would go in the following pattern:
Wake up and go straight outside to potty.
Back inside until morning walk.
Morning walk, have time to get a drink/find an interesting toy then into the crate for "nap time" (with toy...if really just starting crate training, then also feed breakfast in the crate so they WANT to go in) for 1-2 hours.
Out of crate, straight to potty (doesn't HAVE to potty, but goes outside for opportunity).
Back inside, free play for a couple hours.
Afternoon walk, after the walk back in the crate for another "nap time" with a toy (or stuffed kong)
Out of crate, straight to potty.
Free time play
Dinner (fed in crate)
Free time play
Out to potty around 10:30ish then straight to bed
- if a very young puppy then they get a potty walk between 3-5 AM depending on age and their bladder routine.


If your dog is REALLY fighting the crate training you can do very slow introduction where they are put in, and they cry it out as soon as they've stopped crying for 10 seconds -- you let them out. Repeat over and over for a days/weeks until it's 20 seconds, 30 seconds, etc until the dog learns that you want them quiet and relaxed. I've never had to go this route as all my dogs have taken to their crates quite easily but it is a method I hear works for those trickier cases.

 

[tracyree]

OK so I got up at four in the morning before he woke up and I took him outside He Took care of both of his businesses and was a bit restless after that but didn't all out bark. He'd start to get mouthy and I tell him to be quiet and that was it then up at six. I wish I had more faith this was going to work and I won't be getting up with him forever.

As for his age we don't really know somewhere between one and two. He's probably a miniature Daschund and Jack Russell
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[travelingswift]

Hmm 1 or 2 is definitely old enough that he should be able to sleep through the night without needing to do business. However it definitely sounds like that is the issue at the moment.

What time does he last go out before bed? (so currently how many hours is he going between outside trips)

If he's only holding it for 5-6 hours (i.e. he goes out at 10 and is up again at 4), then I think a trip to the vet is in order. It might be he has an infection or something else that is causing him to not be able to hold it longer.

If all is ruled well you could try making his morning meal his bigger meal with an afternoon/evening "snack" instead of dinner plus restricting his access to water after 8 PM ish. Essentially make it so that he is as "empty" as possible before bed.

Unless 6 AM is when YOU are getting up anyway, that's still awful early. I think crating him in a room you can't hear is the way to go. Continue with taking him out at 4 AM until you have pinpointed a solution so he doesn't need to go out at that time, but after he's done both businesses he's in the crate until your schedule says your up. He can cry all he wants, but he gets let out when you're starting your day, not when he wants to start his day.