# Advice Needed... sleeping and barking questions!



## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

Hi guys,

Zeplin is 5.5 monthsold. When he first came home from his foster home he was a great sleeper, provided he slept in his crate in my bedroom. He would wait quietly until one of us woke up aroun 6:30- 7:30. We would them take him out and he would be out of the carte for the rest of the day until bed time.

Well here is what is happening- he has been waking earlier and earlier- sometimes around 4:45- 5:30. He will start barking and will not stop. I figure he has to go to the bathroom- so I get up with the crate and bring him down. I will try to go back to bed- put the gate up at the stairrs to upstairs-as he is not allowed upstairs when we are not with him. He will bark at the bottom of the stairs forever and a day. So then I tried to bring him back up in his crate with us- he barked in his crate forever. My husband works the night shift and is a walking zombie going on 2-3 hours sleep with all the barking. I have tried to crate him downstairs so that he is further away from the bedrooms- ours and the kids- as well.

I was thinking that I might have to train him to sleep downstairs now?! I just do not know what to do- with school starting and me going back to work- I want to make sure that the kids and my husband get enough sleep- as he is responsible for the kids during the day and the kids willbe terrible in school with lack of sleep.

Oh- I also tried making him stay up later- but that did not seem to help. He does nap during the day- but we have been home a lot for the past 2-3 weeks so he is not over sleeping- as there is so much hustle and bustle with three kids, 2 adults and friends over the house.

Any advice... we are all tired!

Barking issue- Zeplin will bark at all people walking by our front door or when he sees a dog being walked. This is also a new behavior. How do you stop this? I have been closing the door, but I know that is not necessarily helping him learn. He does not do this so much when we are out walking though.

He is great and is wee wee pad trained, has stopped nipping and follows pretty much all other directions- stay and sit. Any tips very much appreciated...


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

are you leaving him outside long enough? i remember when we had our pup he would wake up early togo outside. they sometimes need a bit more time outside to do their thing. maybe he's barking cuz he has to dohis business and diddn't have enough time when you took him out the first time. i think if he's sleeping upstairs with you in his crate, you need to continue doing that, leaving him downstairs might be confusing him.

maybe a good long walk before bedtime? i know when our dog would bark in the morning early, we would take him out of his crate and put him up in the bed with us, he went right back to sleep.


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

Can you tell him "no" when he wakes us too early and tell him it's not time to get up...go back to bed...we had to do this with our Izzy. She was starting to wake up too early and my DH got up with her a couple of times in a row and it became a habit. He complained to me that she was waking him up......I told him to tell her no and push her away...she stopped waking up early after a couple of nights......


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I think at that young age, once they're up - they're up.


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## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

I do tell him that it is still night night time. That is what we say to the boys when they are young- night night and we continued with Zeplin. I try to keep the crate as dark as possible too- I cover it and leave a little opening for him to see us. I then tried to cover it fully so that he cannot see us- either way - the barking continued in the morning.

As for needing more time to do his "stuff"- since he is wee wee pad trained- I can always see that he is done before I head back upstairs.

He is awake- it is like an infant- he is up, up and up! However-45- 60 minutes later- he is ready for his nap and I am exhausted - yet fully awake! :violin:


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

mom23boys said:


> He is awake- it is like an infant- he is up, up and up! However-45- 60 minutes later- he is ready for his nap and I am exhausted - yet fully awake! :violin:


Just like a child! If he was holding it prior to this, he should be able to hold it now unless he is drinking more late evening water or has a urinary infection. With school starting and a new schedule beginning are there any other changes that would make him wake so early? Does the neighbor pull their truck out early? or do you have a jogger out for their run before work going by? It might sound funny, but their seems to be something that's signaling to him it's time to be up. If you think he really doesn't have to potty, I would stand firm and tell him to hush until your usual waking time. This would of course require patience from everyone for a few days until he gets the message. I knkow you're worried about the family getting enough sleep but taking him out and moving his crate around in the mornings may just be giving him the idea that he has options.


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## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

good buddy said:


> Just like a child! If he was holding it prior to this, he should be able to hold it now unless he is drinking more late evening water or has a urinary infection. With school starting and a new schedule beginning are there any other changes that would make him wake so early? Does the neighbor pull their truck out early? or do you have a jogger out for their run before work going by? It might sound funny, but their seems to be something that's signaling to him it's time to be up. If you think he really doesn't have to potty, I would stand firm and tell him to hush until your usual waking time. This would of course require patience from everyone for a few days until he gets the message. I knkow you're worried about the family getting enough sleep but taking him out and moving his crate around in the mornings may just be giving him the idea that he has options.


Good point!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Have you tried putting your hand in the crate? Sometimes your smell will calm them down. However, you have taught him now that when he barks you get up and take him to other places. This is why he is barking so much. You need to ignore him completely, even if it is loud, and it can take more than a night or two. Get some earplugs for you and hubby. No, I'm not kidding. They really do help to muffle the noise and can help give you a few more hours of sleep until he learns to stop doing it. Good luck!


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

Lina said:


> Get some earplugs for you and hubby. No, I'm not kidding. They really do help to muffle the noise and can help give you a few more hours of sleep until he learns to stop doing it. Good luck!


I was also going to suggest that. I bought my DH several sets of earplugs when we brought Todd home. 
I figured since he had to get up to work in the morning and I didn't at least one of us should get some sleep. 
It worked great and now Todd sleeps in until between 7 and 8am most mornings.


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## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

Update- so this morning at 5:30- he was whining and barking. I sat up- Told him no and to go night night- well the barking remained for about 10 minutes. My tried a few times. He knows that I am the one that takes him out and downstairs. I told my dh to follow suit and tell him no and sure enough- he hung out quietly for another hour. At 6:30 he started again. I waited until he took a break from the barking and then i got up to take him downstairs. He did not go to the bathroom. He waited to be fed, ate and drank and then peed- so I know it was not a bathroom call. I guess i am going to have to be strict about telling him no and make sure he knows I mean business as well.

I also tried putting my hand in his crate- but that did not work.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will work on the consistancy and making him wait and listen to me as well!


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Pixie would do the same thing (her crate was next to our bed)-wake up around 4am. I'd take her to the potty and she'd go, but she wanted to be up. I ended up miserably tired all day. I read about the exercise pens and went out and bought one. It was the best $75.00 investment ever. I decided to try and keep her crate in the family room (pergo floor) hooked up to the crate, with her UGODOG potty in the ex pen, with a night light on. The first night she protested for about a half hour, then went to sleep. I didn't hear her until 6:30. She had pooped and peed on her potty, and getting 7 hours of sleep was like a gift. The second night-no protesting-she went right to sleep. Now about 2 weeks into this, I'm in the room watching tv and she walks into her crate around 9 pm and falls asleep on her own. When I go to bed I'll attach the other side of the ex pen to the crate and move her potty in there, turn her night light on and go to bed. Even on the weekends sometimes I'll sleep until 8am and I never hear a peep from her. She really seems to feel secure in her area, and knows I'll come to get her in the morning. Even when I need to get a drink and she comes out of her crate and sees me, I pick her up and give her a hug, she couldn't care less that I leave and goes back in her crate.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

My sisters dog is a barker...she shakes a can of coins and it stops him. After 2 weeks he hardly barked at all


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## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

I have to say I most definitely could not handle the barking. Some folks are okay with barking and that's their choice, but personally I would come to find my darling dog annoying as all heck.

That being said, when visiting dogs come over to stay for any period of time, they already know that my house is not a place where they can bark. Seriously. They are barkers at home, and yet they know it's just not okay when they are here (My mom's sheltie mix, and my SIL's cavalier). Both of their "parents" are fine with the barking so they do a ton at home.

What makes my house different? What do I do when they attempt to "bark for no good darn reason?"

As soon as they start barking I "growl" loudly-no bark, and snarl my lip. If they stop I say nicely "good no bark." If they really getting going with the barking, I either pick them up (if it's the cavalier or when Posh was a puppy) or get them to face me and grab their "cheeks" and growl again "no bark." Because I've stopped them and this has startled them they usually can't bark because they are too distracted by what I'm doing to them to bark too. At this point of quiet I again say nicely "good no bark." I can usually anticipate when they are going to start as they kind of tense up and "prepare" to bark, BEFORE they get bark I give a little growling "uh-uh" or "leave it" and it usually, and I say usually nips the behavior before it starts.

With the kennel barking I would actually give the crate a good shake and a growling "no bark" to get his attention and as soon as he's comfy and quiet tell him "good no bark" and get yourself some more sleep!


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Amy-I'm going to try the growl, no bark thing. Scooter is barking at people he can see through the front door. He sits at the side lights and watches. I HATE it! One of our neighbors has a dog that barks constantly when he's out, they live across the street 2 houses down and we can hear him and it makes me crazy!!! I've tried shaking a can and even putting him in the laundry room but it doesn't stop.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Jennifer, remember if Zeplin wins by getting out of his crate...you lose. He has to learn you are the Boss. It might be hard for a few night with him wanting out...and disrupt your sleep...but he will learn that his behavior does not get him out and learn to wait. If you don't win....you will be losing 'many' hours of sleep. I think you just have to ignore him for a few monrning to get to the better place.


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## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

Ann Scooter and Zeplin are so much alike. Our neighbors across the street have the two most well behaved dogs- Chesapeake Retrivers. They just hang out on the front lawn- no leashes and play for hours. There will be Zeplin- barking at them like a madman and they will not bark back. I am working on it- as aside for the barking to get out of the crate- this is the second most annoying offense! Otherwise- I have to say- he is not a barker. GL to you!


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## mom23boys (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks for everyones replies! Very much appreciated! :biggrin1:


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

WEll cosmo was and still is a barker .. There are so many theories and I have read so many books and got so many opinions .. 
He is older now and he barks much less . he no longer barks for his food .. He still barks when he is frustrated and he wants a treat so he sits by the pantry to let me know where the treats are kept ..
sometimes he barks due to frustration with his buddy meaning he has stolen his flossie ... Sometimes he barks for a good reason , someone at the door - one of them is locked out - . 
it is a work in progress - i say No bark as well and if he barks to alert me I say Good bark and good dog ..
I do not want it all to be negative information .. Some books say if you yell at them when they bark the dog thinks you are barking as part of the pack so this is really no the righ course of action - so you have to find what works for you .. 
Cosmo is very sensitive so it is a fine balance ..
As to barking at night once they got to a certain age and I thought he shpuld sleep later as he had to learn to hold it i would say No enough - go back to sleep .. Cosmo was getting me up at 5 and 6 am and I was exhausted


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