# Despairing with pup's 5am waking



## kam200

Hi everyone, we've had our nearly 11wk old lhasa apso Poppy for 2.5weeks now. House training is going really well, we're getting there with the puppy mouthing, we start puppy classes this week aswell which is great but we have a night-time issue thats really bothering us. I feel at the end of my tether with the lack of sleep and it's getting me down

For the first 4 nights she went to sleep in her crate around 11ish, a little whimper and then slept til around 7 which is great. The past 2weeks though she's been waking up around 4.45am howling, whining and barking. I don't know whether to ignore her or go and let her out for a wee but I can say her whining lasts the same amount of time whether I ignore her or get up and take her out into the garden.

If I do take her out she has a very little wee and then screams blue murder when I put her back in her crate as it's obviously 5am and I'd like a bit more sleep. Poppy's in the kitchen in her crate and this room has a doorway not a door so the sound travels up the stairs and wakes my 2 children (4 and 2) and my partner up also.

She normally goes back to sleep at about 5.30am but wakes up about an hour later whining again. I get up with her at this point as I think she's been in her crate long enough at this point (bedtime's about 11.30ish.)

I don't know if this will improve when she can go out on walks from Friday? Also she's been napping from about 7.30-9pm which is too late I realise but I just can't keep her awake.

I'd just like to know people's opinions and experiences and whether you think I'm being unrealistic..
Thanks alot
Kayleigh


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## Guest

I don't actually think that 5.30 is unreasonable for a young puppy! Maybe that is the time when she wakes because of her little bladder and feels the need for the toilet! 

Dunno what other think!


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## kam200

I'd be fine if it was just the toilet she needed but it doesn't seem to be just a wee she wants as when I take her out in the garden she has a very small one and then goes to have a look to see if our outdoor rabbits are awake! 

She then protests at being put back in her crate which makes me think that she wants to start her day then. Her whines start at about 4.45am aswell which is just an unmanageable time for me to start my day.
Thanks
Kayleigh


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## kam200

Anyone got an opinion or some advice?!


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## newfiesmum

kam200 said:


> Anyone got an opinion or some advice?!


Not really. Babies sometimes wake at 5.30 or so because it is morning to them; puppies are no different. It would be good to stop the evening nap, but at the same time puppies need their sleep and to wake them up will make them very grumpy and insecure.

The best I can offer is that you go to bed an hour earlier, then you won't feel so tired when the pup wakes you up.

Have you tried putting a radio close by, with the sound low? I think she has decided it is morning and there is not a lot you can do about it at the moment. As you say, when she can go for walks, she may be more tired and sleep longer.


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## kirksandallchins

For the first few weeks or even months you expect to be woken up in the middle of the night with a new puppy - her not waking until 5.00 is pretty good

When my dogs were young and woke in the early hours, they were usually quite playful after doing their business in the garden - playing with them for 10-15 minutes usually helped tire them out, but had the opposite effect on me and woke me up


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## Dogless

For the middle of the night toilet stops you could take her out on a lead so that she does not run about and play and give her no verbal or physical attention bar the toilet cue that you use and praise when she has gone. Then lead her back into the house and pop her back in her crate still without interaction.

In terms of her waking time in the morning - sounds quite reasonable for a young pup; Kilo varies between 0550 and 0630 now.


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## Amy-manycats

Sleeping through the night is one thing I have had TERRIBLE trouble with my pup. The things that have been suggested and helped have been-

Breakfast preferably something warm and smushy. It is a long time for a little tum overnight, if it is all prepped the night before with just the kettle to switch on you don't even need to do much more than a squint to do this. :thumbup:

No talking at all apart from to praise the wee in the garden. This included me to OH including a wisper of are you awake.

A regular alarm time, the alarm signals it is ok to get up. All interaction only happens after the alarm (the dog should hear the alarm)

A chew or quiet toy to keep the pup occupied (when older and not needing the early breky)

Studious ignoring despite the howling! Obviously only do this when you are 100% that all needs have been met.

Other things to consider are any noises which might be waking her in the first place and light/vision. would covering the crate make anything better.

Consistency. Jess was sooo persistant she is 7 months and we still have days when she starts at 3am  Thankfully rare now.

I hope some of this helps. Jess has been an amazingly easy springer in so many ways but this was THE real biggy for us so I can sympathise. its still early days and you could well have no problem this time next week.


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## kimdelyse

Flo's 5 months old, and he too is crated downstairs in the dining room (Flo's playroom) overnight. He *was* doing 10pm-6am and but like you a few weeks ago this went out the window for some reason! I'm an advocate of leaving them to bark, but when 6am turned to 5am, 4am, then *also 1am* we began coming down, taking him to pee (no talking or eye contact - I know, I'm a meany!) then back in the crate.

We found it easier to kip downstairs in the lounge til he grows out of it, and have managed to borrow a fold out foam couch from my Mum. If we hear a whimper we can say "ah!!" and he quiets before a bark develops. He seems to sense us because we don't hear a sound out of him and he's dry to boot.

I know we'd all sleep better if we let him in the bedroom but that's not right for us - we agreed before we got him that some things must remain sacred! Don't get me wrong camping out in the lounge is barely ideal but I know that's temporary.

Are you increasing the exercise as your pup gets older? We realised a month or so ago that Flo was still getting the much the same as when he first went out, when he's actually now capable of much more. We also take his water up before bed - I was advised this on the forum and thought it seemed mean but it does help and he's fine.


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## the melster

We have a 12 weeks old pup at the moment and if we wake up before him it's a bit like winning the lottery sometimes! He is still getting up in the night to go outside about 3 - 4 times a week. If he cries in the night we take him out on the lead and don't interact with him too much. He then goes straight back in his crate and when he cried he was left until we got up. He doesn't cry any more and goes straight back to sleep or plays quietly. It's hard to leave them crying but once you have ruled out a toilet trip it is the only way unfortunately. Good luck.


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## lozb

Baxter's last trip outside is usually 11pm.... and he's just turned one.... 
and he still wakes me up with a 'talk' at about 5-6am to go pee outside.
Which I don't mind so much when I've actually gone to bed at 11... unlike tonight 
So, what I'm saying is, maybe when you need to pee... you need to pee?
xxx


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## kam200

Hi everybody, thanks for your replies!:thumbup:
So it seems she's doing okay for age and I'm not alone with the sleeping through the night issues.

I think when I hear her I'll take her out into the garden for a wee use our wee wee command word and praise when she does her business but no excitement and then back to crate for an hour or so. Hopefully this evening napping will phase out pretty soon as I think its a big factor, she just will not wake up though when she decides she's tired

Hoping when she can go out for walks from Friday will provide an outlet for some of her energy before bed aswell. Any ideas how many mins small breed pups need at this age?

And here's a piccie of the little tinker!


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## kam200

Well poppy has been in the sitting room in her crate for the past 2 nights and she has slept through until 7.30ish with no crying and she has been dry through the night also. I don't know if its because the sitting room is a much warmer room or whether she feels more comfortable in there as that's where we spend most of our time but she's settled beautifully and I'm very happy! Its amazing what a good nights sleep does for you! :thumbup:


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## Rolosmum

Walking is supposed to be for around 5 mins per month of pups age, so a 3month old pup 15mins, there seems to be a variety of opinions on whether this is just for on lead walking or off lead too, as off lead a dog goes more at its own pace.

That said we limit our springer to approx 5 mins per month of age although most of it outdoors is off lead (some long line dropped behind him), but he would just go and go so needs to be limited to protect him and stop a huge build up of stamina that cant be managed later.


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## Piglet1

My puppy is now 10 months. He sleeps in a crate downstairs. We generally get about 3 perfect nights when he sleeps from 10.30pm to gone 7pm but every so often he will wake at some point in the night and we do then let him sleep on our bed for the rest of the night.
At first, I used to go down and let him out for a wee then put him back in his crate- I was often up 2 or 3 times a night but this soon settled.
Sometimes he might just get a bit cold or have gone to sleep too early in the evening. 
We can't work out a pattern or predict when he will wake but as we get about 50% nights when he behave sperfectly, I don't think we can complain


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## canuckjill

Its just like having a baby it seems to take forever and the next thing you know they are all grown up and you wonder where the time went....It will pass....


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## Usher19

I have a similar problem with my little jug. She has been waking up between 2-3am for the toilet and then again between 5-6am. She then decides that it is time to get up after the second toilet break. My husband and I take her to her toilet area and then bring her straight back to her bed. Sometimes if we are lucky she goes back to bed. The 2-3am toilets she normally goes back to sleep but the 5-6am after she has been put back in her bed she decides to get up and starts whining and barking at us. Playing dead/asleep doesn't work as she knows we are awake. What can we do to encourage her to either go back to bed or sleep in longer?


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## LoopyL

Give her a filled kong to keep her busy & cover with a blanket as she may be feeling the colder mornings


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