My 8 month old puppy wakes us at 5 a.m.

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Sheri

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I have three shelties as some of you know. Two are adults and know the routine, then there's MAGGIE!

I adore my little puppy, she is pretty well behaved and learns a lot from her big sisters but she likes to get up at 5 a.m. every day. She barks like crazy until we come down and set her free. I have her in an x-pen at night. She goes in and lays in her bed (inside the pen) willingly each night and is an angel the entire night until this 5 a.m. wake up call. Any ideas? I have tried leaving her free but she still barks at the steps and I tried penning her in her actual bed, neither seems to work.

Here's a picture of her, can't you just see the trouble-making look in her eyes? http://www.sherizona.com/maggie7months3.jpg

She doesn't seem to need to be let out, she just wants to play. Is this a puppy thing, am I doing something wrong or should I just start to appreciate the early jump on the day?
 
The first thought that springs to mind, and others can correct me if I'm wrong, is to ignore her. She knows when she barks, you come to see her. You've determined she's not asking to go out, just for attention. The 5:00 Sheltie Alarm Clock should set to a later time after a few days of you not responding to her beck (or should that be bark) and call.

Shelties are smart critters. If they learn that behavior x will get them y, they'll keep doing behavior x until it no longer works.
 
I agree with Silaria...ignore her. She has learned that if she barks, she gets what she wants!

If it becomes too much to handle (or doesn't seem to help) you can try to slowly wean her off getting up at 5. When my girl was a puppy we started getting up to let her out later and later. So for a few days, try to push her to 5:15. Then until 5:30, etc...

It helped to keep me on track when I was tired and frustrated in the mornings.
 
I am sure you are both right! I let her bark for a good 15 minutes but perhaps I should just let her go longer. Maybe I'll hop in the shower, I can't hear her barking then. :lol: I suppose the trick is to just leave her down there barking until I decide it's time to come downstairs. Initially it was because she really had to go and didn't want to mess her bed, but I know she can hold it now. All she does when I 'free' her is runs over to play with the big girls.
 
Marlowe wasn't quite as bad but he used to whine and cry at ~6:30 and he would keep it up until I let him out of his crate. After he was old enough for me to be sure he didn't really need to go, I started ignoring him. This would work...for about half an hour. Then he would start up again! :rolleyes2: I know I should probably have continued to ignore him but, frankly, I would already be wide awake.

I've had success covering his crate with a blanket. There is not a peep until I lift the blanket in the morning. Now I can sleep in until 9 on the weekends :yes: I don't know why it works but I'm grateful.
 
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Sheri said:
I have three shelties as some of you know. Two are adults and know the routine, then there's MAGGIE!

I adore my little puppy, she is pretty well behaved and learns a lot from her big sisters but she likes to get up at 5 a.m. every day. She barks like crazy until we come down and set her free. I have her in an x-pen at night. She goes in and lays in her bed (inside the pen) willingly each night and is an angel the entire night until this 5 a.m. wake up call. Any ideas? I have tried leaving her free but she still barks at the steps and I tried penning her in her actual bed, neither seems to work.

Here's a picture of her, can't you just see the trouble-making look in her eyes? http://www.sherizona.com/maggie7months3.jpg

She doesn't seem to need to be let out, she just wants to play. Is this a puppy thing, am I doing something wrong or should I just start to appreciate the early jump on the day?
Click to expand...

I'm going to say ignore her....but first I would potty her,then put her back in her x-pen.Go back to bed.

I have been here in this very same boat...believe me it gets old.Trapp was my manipulater..he knew I would come running,and it was'nt just at 5am..it was 2-3-4am.Well that crap got old..very quickly when I realized that after I took him potty,he wanted to play,and start his day.NOT!

Jasper only would wake at 5am,but always went back to bed,and slept for another hour or so.

Mia is my early riser.It does'nt matter what time I put her in for the night,she is awake at 4:30- She goes out to potty,along with the others,as when one wakes the others are up & ready to go to.

I have a pretty strict routine here,they potty,then back to crates,or on the sunporch,or back on the bed.(depends on the dogs) till 6-7am.no one gets fed before 7am.
 
Aww thank you, she gets a lot of complements when we take her out. I have a sleeping Maggie pic somewhere that would melt hearts!

I will try these suggestions, I'm hoping one of them will finally do the trick :)
 
Ignore her.

She is a smart girl. In the past when she barked, she gets let out. She wins :lol:

She may be persistent for awhile....but eventually she will learn that barking in her crate, does not equate to getting out of her crate.
 
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