Waking Too Early

[Guest KatyC]

Hello all,

 

I know I have posted this before or something similiar. But we are still having trouble with Peggy waking up very early in the morning wanting her breakfast.

As soon as she has had a breakfast and p and p she will happily go back to bed and back to sleep.

But she gets up and starts mooching around and pacing and or playing loudly, doing little barks and whinging at about 4.30 if not earlier now!

 

We have tried ignoring her, she whined for an house solidly.

We have tried shutting her in our bedroom, so that she only has a very small space, she whined loudly and constantly.

 

The thing is when we do ignore her and be consistent with it, because she is moving around and jumping about she needs a wee. So if we don't get up to let her out after about 10 minutes or so, she will have an accident and then I just end up getting up to clear it up anyway!

 

Any advice. It doesn't bother me as much, but my boyfriend is being driven crazy by it. It's juts meaning we are both lacking in sleep as well.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Katy

 

Also, I know it's in the wrong place... has anyone elses grey got very bald thighs and other patches on there legs etc? the vet told us it could be her thyroid but might just be that it hasnt grown back from when she was in the kennels, so we should wait a bit to see. And the blood test for thyroid was £80! Which I don't mind spending but he seemed to say wait and see.

Any got any advice for this too?

[krissy]

Summit is off the track 5 years and his butt is still bald as a vultures head. Nothing wrong with his thyroid (for a greyhound... he's low by other breed's standards). I'm on my phone but I'll post a pic tonight when I get home.

[macoduck]

I think it may have been JillsFullHouse who came up with this plan.

Since she is waking you at 4:30, set your alarm clock for 4:30. Get her up, let her potty, no treats.

Each day set your alarm clock for a wee bit later in the morning until you finally get to your regular wake up time.

By then she should associate hearing the alarm and knowing it's time to get up.

 

I wouldn't rush into doing any tests for the bald thighs if she is otherwise healthy.

[Guest june]

The alarm works great. Mine have even figured out my three snooze alarms and won't come bother me , if I don't get up, until the last one goes off!

[Hawthorn]

Do you give her a small meal/snack at bedtime?

[a_daerr]

Yep, I'm a big fan of Judy's (JillysFullHouse) technique. Over 7-10 days, start pushing back your wake-up time by a half hour. After a period of time, she'll start making the connection that she gets up when your alarm goes off. If she's being crated at night, that makes things a lot easier. That way, you can ignore any whining without fear that she's going to have an accident in the house. I've even heard of people using a squirt bottle for the dogs that carry on for hours on end. If she's not being crated though, don't do the squirt bottle. That could cause her to stop giving you signals when she needs to go outside, which results in a dog that just slinks off and pees whenever she feels like it.

 

As for the bald butts, totally normal. Henry has a bald butt and minimal fur on his belly. We did a thyroid at one point (trying to diagnose his seizures) and it was well within the healthy range for a greyhound. Some people here recommend using 3g of melatonin a day to help with alopecia in greyhounds. It's pretty cost effective if you wanted to give it a try. I bought a 120 day supply at the grocery store for $5. Unfortunately, we've only been using it a week, so I can't comment on its effectiveness just yet. But yeah, if she's otherwise healthy, I wouldn't rush into any testing just yet. Who knows, maybe someday you can enter her in a "shiney hiney" contest.

[Guest KatyC]

Okay thanks guys. We will try the alrm technique then. Ouch! Setting the alarm for 4.20am seems so harsh! Will give it a go over the next few weeks and see how it goes.

 

Thanks about the bald bottom advice too!

Her thighs look like a pink speckled egg due to her brindling! I think it's quite cute!

I have noticed that she seem to be able to lick her own her out a bit as well though, for example if she licks a patch for a while it will get bald! I try and stop her but somethimes I can hear her slurping away in the night.

 

I just wanted to add, that she is hardly a spook at all now she's gained so much confidence and seems quite content. She always lays on our feet by the sofa in the lounge if we are in. She lays on the sofa in her room and when Jay was out on Saturday night she got up on the lounge sofa for a snuggle which was lovely. She has come on so much in the last month. Is definately my baby girl now - I love her so much!

 

Katy

[fsugrad]

Hi Katy,

Just wanted to say that I hope the alarm trick works for you. Let us know. I know how annoying that is because Dakota was doing the same to us until we started enclosing him in our room at night. That worked like a charm for him. Now he waits for the alarm to go off. Unfortunately, he won't let me hit the snooze button, though! This morning the alarm went off at 6:35 a.m. and as soon as it did, he ran over to my side of the bed and I got a cold wet nose poked in my eye--gee thanks, Dakota-- to make sure I got up right away to let him out and make his breakfast!

[Sambuca]

I've never used the alarm trick, but I've trained my dogs and all the fosters I've had to sleep at least until noon and not to care about my alarm clock. (I'm a huge snooze button fan.) I now feed dinner around bed time, then go for a walk. When we come in we go upstairs to bed. I do go to bed later than most people so other dogs may not sleep as late, but they'll sleep later than normal. It's also great because I don't need to get home at a "normal" dinner time to feed the dogs.

[Guest EvanstonGrey]

Not too much advice on the early wake up calls, other than another endorsement for the alarm clock trick.

Melatonin worked for both of my hounds and now they've got little fluff butts! Takes a while, but give it a go!

[JJNg]

Do you give her a small meal/snack at bedtime?

 

This was my thought too, or perhaps push back dinner by an hour or two? If she's really waking up because she's getting hungry at 4:30, she might be more likely to sleep later if she has a fuller stomach at night.

[Guest KatyC]

Hi Katy,

Just wanted to say that I hope the alarm trick works for you. Let us know. I know how annoying that is because Dakota was doing the same to us until we started enclosing him in our room at night. That worked like a charm for him. Now he waits for the alarm to go off. Unfortunately, he won't let me hit the snooze button, though! This morning the alarm went off at 6:35 a.m. and as soon as it did, he ran over to my side of the bed and I got a cold wet nose poked in my eye--gee thanks, Dakota-- to make sure I got up right away to let him out and make his breakfast!

 

We tried shutting in our room this morning when she woke at 1.30am having wee'd in her room (!! not fun), and I tried pretend heavy breathing snoring for a while every time she paced around (every couple of hours or so). It worked for a bit. But even if she isn't crying i can hear her circling around the tiny space in our room! I wish it worked like it has for you.

 

We managed to get to 5.45 before feeding her today. But I am tired cleaning up wee at 1.30am did not go down well with my sleepy head!

We didn't go to bed until midnight, gave her a snack before bed, then she wees at 1.30am!! I think she must know that I have been moaning about her on here!

 

Will try the alarm from tonight.

 

.... must stay awake...must stay awake!

 

good idea about feeding later guys! Thanks! She suually gets her dinner between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. so tonight I will go for 8.30 - 9pm (wow that's going to be fun - she'll be standing on my feet the whole evening!). I might try feeding a little more food too incase we aren't feeding her enough.

 

It might do the trick.

 

She had nearly a two hour walk after work yesterday as well along with her morning 20 minute walk - so that obviously does nothing to help.

 

[a_daerr]

I'd just crate her at night- next to your bed if possible. You don't have to do it forever, just until she understands that she's expected to hold it at night.

Even when Truman was housetrained and not crated during the day, I had to crate him at night. Otherwise, he'd get bored and slink down to the basement to pee.

[fsugrad]

I'd just crate her at night- next to your bed if possible. You don't have to do it forever, just until she understands that she's expected to hold it at night.

Even when Truman was housetrained and not crated during the day, I had to crate him at night. Otherwise, he'd get bored and slink down to the basement to pee.

I agree that a lot of it seems to be boredom. Dakota was not having pee accidents in the house in the middle of the night, but he'd start pacing all around....you'd hear his toenails going click, click, click on the hardwood floor and it was impossible to sleep with him pacing around. His bed was always in our room but we had the door wide open so he'd wake up and start pacing. Once we started putting a plywood barrier in front of our bedroom door, it seems to have taught him that all there is to do at night is sleep, and he stays put til the alarm goes off.

[Guest KatyC]

We haven't got a crate - may have to invest or try and borrow one. If she'll get in it that is!

It's another option though so thanks

Yeah I'm sure she only pees because she's been jumping around and getting excited!

I can't get to angry because she has such a cute face!

[Guest Firedancer]

We had the same issue with Dancer. She would get up at 2:00 am and whine until I fed her. She would pace and pee. I thought I was going to lose my mind! I finally decided after taking her out to pee to put her in her crate which she didn't care for at all, but that's all it took. The next night she didn't wake us up until 4:00. Now it's like clockwork at 4:00. I can put her off until around 5:00 for breakfast now which works for me.

[Guest KatyC]

Well as we don't have a crate, last night we tried gating her into her bedroom (A luxury dog bedroom! A sofa, and numerous beds and blankets!) Well we won't be doing that again! She woke at 3am and whined, cried and barked continously until we fed her at 5.45. I have probably only had 8 hours sleep so far this week :S

 

After she'd eaten she contentedly came and slept in our bedroom and nuzzled my hand hanging off the bed - it's like 2 different dogs!

 

Tonight we will put her back in our bedroom and try the alarm idea. Last hope - better work! I don't mind getting up at 5 to feed her - but 3.30! That's crazy!!

 

If I'd known that this would happen, I think we would have just fed her once a day in the evening from the beginning. But it's too late now!!

[Feisty49]

I don't know if anything is too late when it comes to training, and I seriously mean I don't know, but it never hurts to try something new.

 

If that makes you uncomfortable, my suggestion is to feed her two meals, with breakfast being less food than being fed now, making up the reduction in her supper, and feeding her supper late.. like really late. It will be difficult. My girl starts giving me big-brown-I'm-hungry eyes an hour before her 4 PM supper time, and comes up and noses my elbow and hands. It hurts me, but I ignore her and she returns to her bed with a huge sigh. I know if I had to, I could ignore her obviously wanting supper for hours if it were necessary and for this human, not being woken in the middle of the night is necessary, other than emergencies obviously.

 

BTW, what does she eat? Is it enough calories to keep her from getting hungry too soon?

Edited April 11, 2013 by Feisty49

[Guest KatyC]

I don't know if anything is too late when it comes to training, and I seriously mean I don't know, but it never hurts to try something new.

 

If that makes you uncomfortable, my suggestion is to feed her two meals, with breakfast being less food than being fed now, making up the reduction in her supper, and feeding her supper late.. like really late. It will be difficult. My girl starts giving me big-brown-I'm-hungry eyes an hour before her 4 PM supper time, and comes up and noses my elbow and hands. It hurts me, but I ignore her and she returns to her bed with a huge sigh. I know if I had to, I could ignore her obviously wanting supper for hours if it were necessary and for this human, not being woken in the middle of the night is necessary, other than emergencies obviously.

 

BTW, what does she eat? Is it enough calories to keep her from getting hungry too soon?

 

 

Thanks, do you mean like 10pm at night or something like that?

 

We have been trying 8pm and that hasn't worked, but maybe just before bed might work. It is worth a try

She has dry food soaked in water as she rarely drinks any water. We feed Burns Lamb and Rice, which is a high quality dry dog food. She has a good amount, but always eats it within minutes! She has a couple of dollops of plain yoghurt on it too, to prevent zee gas!

 

Do you think we need to start adding some tinned food aswell.

 

she also gets treats, maybe 5 dog biscuits a day and a dentastick - sometimes she gets to chew on a rawhide bone for an hour or so.

 

She's not a big dog, very slinky, but it probably wouldn't do her any harm to put on a few pounds if we feed her more for a bit.

I think she weighed 25kg when we went to the vets the other week.

 

Thanks for all your help everyone.

[Guest KatyC]

Fed at 10pm and added some tinned food too, shut her in our room again and she slept until 5.15am!

Yay!

Thanks!!

[fsugrad]

Fed at 10pm and added some tinned food too, shut her in our room again and she slept until 5.15am!

Yay!

Thanks!!

OK, that's a lot better. Yay! Keep it up, Peggy! For what it's worth, I always mix a few tablespoons of canned food into our hounds' kibble.

[Guest june]

Fed at 10pm and added some tinned food too, shut her in our room again and she slept until 5.15am!

Yay!

Thanks!!

Glad to hear you are getting some sleep! My girls get fed between 5-6pm, but then at bedtime get a large milkbone for a snack. Easy for me and they love it.

[Feisty49]

Awesome that you got to sleep in a later. Did she give you a difficult time waiting for supper till 10 PM? If it was a problem, I'd leave her on the 10 PM time for a while (at least a week) and then jiggle things around a little, such as feeding her earlier in 10-minute increments every few days. If she continues to sleep until 5:15 or later, then you're good to go. If she wakes earlier, then return to the previous feeding time and see if that works.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Feisty49

[gr8mama]

Consider giving her a 3 Mg. tablet of Melatonin a half hour before bedtime. It should help her sleep through the night AND give her a fuzzy butt. I had never used Melatonin until my 13 1/2 year old boy couldn't climb steps to the bedroom anymore. He was sleeping on the first floor all by himself with the rest of the pack upstairs. When he'd wake up in the middle of the night, he'd get confused with no one around and start barking. As soon as we started the Melatonin, he slept right through the night.