# Our dog wakes and barks at 5am every morning - help!



## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

This has been going on almost since we first got her (coming up to 3 months now). She settles really well at night now and can sleep through from when we go to bed, which is sometimes as early as 9pm. However she wakes around 5am EVERY morning! Sometimes we are able to shout downstairs to her to go back to bed, but sometimes this just doesnt work and she quickly starts barking again. We have tried ignoring her but she won't stop and obviously we worry she will wake the neighbours. Sometimes when we go down to her she is still in her bed and doesnt even bother to get up to greet us. Usually if we go down, walk through the kitchen where she sleeps and through to the sitting room she will just go back to sleep! So she doesnt want the loo, doesnt want food and isnt even bothered about attention. What else could she possibly be wanting at that time in the morning??! 

We wondered whether our neighbours were working early shifts and this was waking her, but doesnt seem to be the case. It is still pitch black at that time in the morning so the light isnt waking her. 

We have tried going to bed later to see if this makes a difference - it doesn't.
We have tried giving her her dinner later (we usually give it around 6.30 after her evening walk) - no difference.
We have tried keeping her awake all evening instead of letting her sleep to tire her out, and even taking her for a walk late in the evening (which she hates!) - alas, no difference.

I read somewhere that dogs have no concept of time (although I'm sceptical of this!) - could it just be her body clock waking her? What else could it be? And more importantly what else can we do?

Advice would be hugely appreciated, as we are getting very tired!!:confused5:


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## Kivasmum (Aug 4, 2011)

Am I right in thinking she is a rescue dog? Could just be that that was her routine?


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## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

Kivasmum said:


> Am I right in thinking she is a rescue dog? Could just be that that was her routine?


Yes she is a rescue dog, in kennels, then a foster home before coming to us. So, if that was her routine at some point before we got her would she really still stick to it? And if that's the case will she ALWAYS stick to it? Or.....?


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## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

Does anyone have any ideas ... pleeeease?


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## shirleystarr (Mar 22, 2009)

Not sure what to tell you really I wonder if you could contact the kennels and the foster home and see if she woke up at that time 
If not I thinks its some noise outside maybe waking her up


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## BenBoy (Aug 31, 2013)

Ben is a little devil in the mornings, we normally get up around 6-6.30am and he is usually crying about 5.30am. Hubby bangs his foot on the floor which normally makes him stop...for abit 

Hubby said we should take him out before his bedtime for a walk but I told him this wont make any difference. I think with Ben, he just wants his breakfast. I have been thinking about walking him first then feeding him. As normally we get up, feed up straight away, wait for 30-45 mins then walk him so I might try the other way around. 

At the weekends, he is the same so I get up, let him out and feed him then put him back to bed which normally gives us another hour or so before he starts whining again. I think he just does want company and he will gladly curl up on the sofa with me and go back to sleep!


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

Missy barks in the mornings - I go down to let ther out and she runs to the sofa and goes back to sleep - I think she is just wakes up and wants to check we are still around - luckily she doesn't bark until after 7am so I'm not to bothered.

I would try a crate with a thick balnket over the top to block out light and muffle sounds and see how that goes.
And maybe a really sweaty t-shirt of yours so she feels that you are still there


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## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

Fleur said:


> Missy barks in the mornings - I go down to let ther out and she runs to the sofa and goes back to sleep - I think she is just wakes up and wants to check we are still around - luckily she doesn't bark until after 7am so I'm not to bothered.
> 
> I would try a crate with a thick balnket over the top to block out light and muffle sounds and see how that goes.
> And maybe a really sweaty t-shirt of yours so she feels that you are still there


I have wondered whether she is just checking we are still there! When we had a crate she wasn't interested in sleeping in it. Sweaty t-shirt shouldn't be too much of a problem though!


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## Strawberryearth (Apr 5, 2012)

Betty can go through phases where she wakes up early. Sometimes she wants to go outside and I think that us letting her go outside and then (depending on the time) come up to bed for a cuddle has led her to think that ruffing will get her up for a cuddle sooner. 

She only comes up for a cuddle if;
She has ruffed for a wee and it is past 6.30am (let out for a wee then gets a cuddle)
Either myself or OH has gotten up for some reason and woken her up, after 6.30am. 
It is the weekend and we want a lie in, she will often wake earlier than we want to get up with no prompting so if we let her up for a cuddle at 7am she will happily sleep until we get up. 

If it is 4.30am and she ruffs, we will let her out for a wee but she doesn't get to come upstairs. 

So if the habit of waking at 5.30am is there, it isn't necessarily permanent but might need a bit of training out. You say that she just stays in her bed and doesn't get up when you go down, have you tried putting her out for a wee anyway? Just to double check, then when she comes back in a biscuit in her bed while you go back upstairs (just in case the waking is hunger related)- although giving her a biscuit for ruffing might be counter productive, if you make sure she does something else first (like go out for a wee) then the association won't necessarily be made. 

She could, as someone else mentioned, just want to check you are still there. Maybe wants some attention? When I rehomed a dog in summer (no longer with me) she used to cry for attention really early (similar time you mentioned) and I would go down and let her out for a wee and then let her settle again. It soon got later and later until it got to the point that she could go and wee then come up for a 30min cuddle before we had to get up and dressed.

There could also be something disturbing her at that time, a neighbour getting up, someone putting their cat out/letting it in....anything really. You could try making her bed a nice cozy den, away from windows and doors and general noise/traffic (Betty has one behind the sofa) and see if that helps.


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## Lizz1155 (Jun 16, 2013)

Crating a dog overnight does tend to encourage them to sleep in longer, because they learn that nothing exciting is going to happen until someone gets up and lets them out. Also you can chuck a blanket over the crate to block out light and some noise.

Alternatively, maybe consider getting a very comfy dog-bed for your bedroom and bring the dog up to your room when it barks at 5am? Normally dogs settle a lot better when they have company - you might be able to get an extra hour or so in bed.


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

Maybe take her out a bit later, maybe 10pm.

Also, is her room dark still in the mornings? Are there heavy curtains drawn? Is she in a crate and is that covered over?

Just some ideas.


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## Labrador Laura (Sep 12, 2010)

Zab started barking at 6am about 2weeks ago, but he started this due to the clocks going back an hour and to him it was 7am 

Friday was my only day off I've had in 2weeks and he started barking at 6am wasn't happy waking up at that time ! Pass two nights though he's been quiet so hoping he's fallen back into our routine.


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## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

So, for the last week or so she has woken slightly later, but still around 6am. This might be due to her being a bit down post-op (dew claws and spayed). 

So can anyone tell me, is it true (as I heard) that dogs have no concept of time???


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## Hachiko (Sep 15, 2013)

Hachi used to be really bad for the first week or two when we got him, now we don't hear a whisper. 

Why don't you try sleeping in the same room for a week or so, and gradually move on from there.


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## ellenlouisepascoe (Jul 12, 2013)

Mine have absolutely no concept of time but my Mams lab Bree seems to know when it's 7am and on queue will start barking / howling till my Mam is awake 

My two will sleep till we get up  We accredit this to the fact we work shifts and they never get " used" to being up at a certain time, sometimes they will get up in the dark, other times they'll get up in the light and we always alter what time we go to bed depending on what shift we are in. In fact I slept till 11am on Sunday and neither of them stirred till I got up


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## Hachiko (Sep 15, 2013)

Doggy Mummy said:


> So, for the last week or so she has woken slightly later, but still around 6am. This might be due to her being a bit down post-op (dew claws and spayed).
> 
> So can anyone tell me, is it true (as I heard) that dogs have no concept of time???


Mm that's what my neighbor said to me. However i don't think its true for our dog. My mum usually comes home at around 7. Around 6:50 Hachi, what ever he is doing will stop, and jump up on the Sofa and onto the windowsill and wait.


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## furrytails (Nov 5, 2013)

we had a similar problem and put the radio on quiety (so as not to keep us awake ) and it did the trick.

Might not work but its simple to try


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## Doggy Mummy (Sep 3, 2013)

Hachiko said:


> Hachi used to be really bad for the first week or two when we got him, now we don't hear a whisper.
> 
> Why don't you try sleeping in the same room for a week or so, and gradually move on from there.


Hachiko, we did that when we first had her and it stopped her barking through the night, but this morning wakening seemed to start after a month or so!

Furrytails, we tried the radio, made no difference!

I guess our little girl just gets exited knowing its _nearly _get-up-o'clock.


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## horseridingjo (Dec 6, 2013)

Hi everyone,
We have a very playful 5 month old Border Collie and four young children. He has settled in relatively well until a few days ago he has started barking anytime from 3am. I have tried leaving him but he just barks constantly and in the end my two boys who are light sleepers end up awake so then they are up and ready to go so cannot ignore the dog any further. 
He is crated in the front room at night, as from day one and after reading other comments I have started covering his crate with a large towel and putting on white noise from my phone all night. He had chews available and I have only moved his night feed back to 7pm instead of 5pm which he was used to. His morning feed is at 7am, regardless of his wake up time. 
We play fetch in the mornings and at night but due to school runs and work he is penned outside in the garden with a kennel and large run of the garden for most of the day with water and a bone. 
Apart from not enough walks, as it's mainly down to me as husband isn't too keen, I can't always get him out as very dark and rural this time of winter for a lone woman to be walking too late. This hasn't changed as always been the same situation so does anyone have any suggestions to keep him quiet until around 6am at least? I know it's a big ask but nothing else seems to be helping this early morning riding problem.
Thanks


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## Phoolf (Jun 13, 2012)

horseridingjo said:


> Hi everyone,
> We have a very playful 5 month old Border Collie and four young children. He has settled in relatively well until a few days ago he has started barking anytime from 3am. I have tried leaving him but he just barks constantly and in the end my two boys who are light sleepers end up awake so then they are up and ready to go so cannot ignore the dog any further.
> He is crated in the front room at night, as from day one and after reading other comments I have started covering his crate with a large towel and putting on white noise from my phone all night. He had chews available and I have only moved his night feed back to 7pm instead of 5pm which he was used to. His morning feed is at 7am, regardless of his wake up time.
> We play fetch in the mornings and at night but due to school runs and work he is penned outside in the garden with a kennel and large run of the garden for most of the day with water and a bone.
> ...


Depends on your husband really but you could move the crate into your bedroom or as someone suggested here originally put something in your dogs crate that smells of you for comfort


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Doggy Mummy said:


> Yes she is a rescue dog, in kennels, then a foster home before coming to us. So, if that was her routine at some point before we got her would she really still stick to it? And if that's the case will she ALWAYS stick to it? Or.....?


Yes very possibly. One of my dogs, though not a rescue a former show dog, used to wake up and bark at 5 am every morning unless my grandson was staying and sleeping on the sofa. I concluded that she was just feeling a bit lost and lonely and wanted to know someone was in the house. I have had her two years now and she has only recently started sleeping later, but I moved to a bungalow so she can see me all the time.

I am not suggesting you move, but you might try sleeping downstairs with her for a few nights or having her in your own room.


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