loudly protesting every morning to wake us up

[Shamas mom]

This is part vent, part putting it down to try and figure it out, part open to suggestion. I'm hesitant to mention it to the trainer, because She will tell me to ignore her, and not let her out unless she's quiet. If she learns that yelling in the morning wakes us up to let her out, she'll yell every morning for life.

So here goes

Trixie has begun waking us up by fussing every morning. It began....about the time we swapped her to her plastic crate, but also at that time we slept in until 930and she was late getting out to pee. We woke to her crying, and she was in a rush to get out. The next day, she cried, and hubby let her out. The pattern begins. I keep telling him not to reward behaviors we don't like...and he keeps ignoring me. Now, if he doesn't get up to let her up, she degrades into a tantrum. And I'm done with it. I'm fed up with waking up every morning to a screaming toddler. Before this started, he was always up earlier, and downstairs...so if she fussed, I'd pretend to roll over in my sleep.....then "wake up" a few minutes later. It didn't degrade into a tantrum because she knew full well that I only let quiet dogs pass through doors

I'm trying to figure out what time she STARTS to fuss....because I'm considering setting an alarm 5minutes prior. And letting her out while she's quiet. I think it was about 6 this morning. Which makes sense.....because he's had a 6am alarm for a long time but I didn't hear it go off the last few days

 

[Atemas]

We woke to her crying, and she was in a rush to get out.

Oh bless her - she must have been desperate. I don’t really understand why you liken her to a screaming toddler.

I don’t think I have any suggestions except to say what we do here. Red never needs to fuss about anything as we have set routines (not everyone’s cup of tea but works for us). That means we are up at the same time each day and the first thing I do, is take her outside. Then it’s breakfast for her, a little rest whilst we have coffee and get ready, then she has her first walk of the day. I feel once her needs have been met - toilet/feeding/exercising, then she is set for relaxation for several hours whilst we get on

I find it strange that your trainer would say ignore her so not surprised you wouldn’t want to mention it to her. I don’t think dogs make a fuss to be difficult - there’s usually a good reason

 

[Candy]

Oh bless her - she must have been desperate. I don’t really understand why you liken her to a screaming toddler.

I don’t think I have any suggestions except to say what we do here. Red never needs to fuss about anything as we have set routines (not everyone’s cup of tea but works for us). That means we are up at the same time each day and the first thing I do, is take her outside. Then it’s breakfast for her, a little rest whilst we have coffee and get ready, then she has her first walk of the day. I feel once her needs have been met - toilet/feeding/exercising, then she is set for relaxation for several hours whilst we get on

I find it strange that your trainer would say ignore her so not surprised you wouldn’t want to mention it to her. I don’t think dogs make a fuss to be difficult - there’s usually a good reason

I also have a fairly set routine which Joy is very used to and I tend to stick with it even when we go away. I think Joy feels very safe with this and doesn't have to worry about when she'll be let out, or what happens next, or, well anything really. She likes her routine, I think and it makes life easier all round.

 

[kateincornwall]

I agree with @Atemas and @Candy . We also have a routine , Reuben is usually ready for a wee at 7ish , after which he has his breakfast , out again and then if I feel like it in awful weather , I can take my toast and coffee back to bed , he happily joins me I truly dont think that dogs make a fuss for no good reason and so would never leave them to cry or bark x

 

[Boogie]

We were taught that, whatever time the pups woke up, we don’t give them breakfast, but fed gave them at the same time every day (7.30am in our case) so that they didn’t start waking earlier and earlier for breakfast. Bed time is always the same too. In our case 10pm. But the rest of the day isn’t a set routine - apart from evening meal, which is always at five pm wherever we are.

When they did wake early, for whatever reason or none, I got up with them but made myself boring (usually snoozing on the sofa) until proper getting up time!

Doing this the early wakers (and there were a few!) didn’t keep it up for long.

 

[edzbird]

I'm trying to figure out what time she STARTS to fuss....because I'm considering setting an alarm 5minutes prior. And letting her out while she's quiet.

This sounds like a plan. Perhaps let her out with no fuss and put her back to bed until you are ready to get up proper, that way you will know she doesn't NEED to go and toilet. Hopefully you will be able to move the time back (or should that be forward lol) gradually until everyone is getting up at an appropriate time.

Ours have very lax routine, but there is one. It's different at the weekends an holidays too.

 

[Shamas mom]

Oh bless her - she must have been desperate. I don’t really understand why you liken her to a screaming toddler.

I find it strange that your trainer would say ignore her so not surprised you wouldn’t want to mention it to her. I don’t think dogs make a fuss to be difficult - there’s usually a good reason

Because she sounds like one sometimes lol. Not the first day, when she was in need. But now that she's regularly using her newfound voice to try and get what she wants. She doesn't demand bark; rather, she sounds akin to a husky or a small child with her singsong howly noises, whistly thready whine, and general carrying on. She often manages a sound that mimics a mournful "mooom" during her protests.



I know she's not fussing to be difficult---she's fussing because she's awake and wants us to be too. Because every morning is met with hugs and kissses and she wants to give her kisses then have a drink of water and go pee. And after that she gets a treat, and goes back in while I shower and make breakfast and get ready. And I let her back out to play, and have breakfast, and pee again. I think morning is her favorite time of day, and we're taking too long in her opinion to get on with the business of waking up

She's shaping up to be a drama queen on Angel's level lol( Angel has put on a drama act that actually brought people to feel sorry for her---because her mum was in the store but not in line of sight She also cries and howls if she can't say hello, and if she doesn't get her way-though she's actually pretty obedient, just very vocal.) .

 

[Shamas mom]

Just an update...an answer to what the issue was.

Separation. She couldn't bear to be separated from us once she woke up.

We recently redid our floors, and when it was being done we slept in the living room on the floor....Trixie spent the night alternatively cuddling each of us.

After the job was completed, I moved only essential items back into the room, puppy proofing it, and started leaving her uncrated.

Since then she does not scream in morning.

She doesn't sleep on the bed, but she will get on it twice a night to check on us. In morning she pushes her whole body along me and sleeps til 7(an hour past hubby's alarm)