# Will these sleeping habits change?



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We've had Joey for six months now. He's six years old.

He has not slept a full night so far. He wakes up around 2AM. We had thought this was because he needed to roam around, then go back to sleep (he did that with his former owners).

Now we think it's because he has to go out (his last going out is around 7:30PM).

So he wakes us up at 2AM, I take him out, then feed him, then we go back to sleep. Husband's retired; I still work (wake up at 4:30).

This morning he woke us up at 1AM. I took him out, then fed him, then we went back to sleep. He woke us up again at 3AM. We told him to relax a few times, then he went back to sleep.

We love Joey to pieces, but it would be nice if we could get a good night's sleep.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Sounds like he's got you well-trained to give him a midnight snack. Why are you feeding him in the middle of the night? He's getting rewarded for waking you up. If he legitimately needs to go to the bathroom, it's up, outside to pee, _no roaming around_, then back inside into a dark room to go back to sleep. Maybe put him on a leash so he can't be rewarded by wandering around and sniffing. He goes out, he answers nature's call, he comes back in and back to sleep. I would also try to take him out around 9:30 or 10pm instead of 7:30pm if possible. 

I think this regimen will greatly reduce the waking you up at night over a little while, once he figures out what's going on. If it doesn't, he may need to see a vet if he physically can't hold it at night.


----------



## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Cheerful1 said:


> We've had Joey for six months now. He's six years old.
> 
> He has not slept a full night so far. He wakes up around 2AM. We had thought this was because he needed to roam around, then go back to sleep (he did that with his former owners).
> 
> ...


I agree with Emoore, he's got you well trained and now it is becoming a habit.
When my girl, Kiya, started having seizures and was put on meds she started waking up several different time during the night. I felt bad for her and felt the meds were the culprit. After a while I was starting to loose it, I have to be up for work at 5am and didn't have a solid nights sleep in a long time. I went to my vet in tears, he gave me the best advise I ever got "practice tuff love, tell her NO, roll over and go back to sleep". 
Thats what I did and it worked like a charm.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

I agree, he does have us well trained.

We go to bed at 8:00 because I have to get up early, so 7:30 is the latest we can wait.

We tried just taking him out and going back to bed. He wakes up an hour later.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

your might have to go in the middle of the night.
if my dog woke me up at 2:00 am to go out i would take him
but i wouldn't feed him. feeding at that time could be encouraging
your dog to wake you up so he can eat. your dog goes out
at 7:00 pm for last call. if my dog goes out at 7:00 pm he's going out
again before i go to bed (10:00 pm to midnight). what time do you
get up in the am??


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

doggiedad said:


> what time do you
> get up in the am??


She said in her OP she gets up at 4:30. 

You know, your other option would be to have him sleep in another room for a week or two so he can't wake you up, and gets out of the habit of going out at night. I'd only do this if his housebreaking is reliable, of course.


----------



## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Cheerful1 said:


> I agree, he does have us well trained.
> 
> We go to bed at 8:00 because I have to get up early, so 7:30 is the latest we can wait.
> 
> *We tried just taking him out and going back to bed. He wakes up an hour later*.


Just say "NO", he's playing you. I wouldn't take him out until its time for you to wake up. I go to bed at 10pm wake up at 5am. Kiya will start asking to go out anywhere between 8-9:30 pm just to get her cookie, I try to wait until 9:30. On weekends I like to sleep a little later. Lakota used to wake me up at 5am on weekends until it started staying darker later in the morning, now we ususally get up around 7am on weekends.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for these suggestions. Just spoke to my husband, and we will start the "tough love". For the time being, we will bring him out if he wakes up at 2AM, but no treats or meals, then back to bed. 

The hard part will be ignoring the whines, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I wish I knew the difference between his actual hunger, and just wanting to eat all the time.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

No dog needs to eat at 2am.


----------



## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

when he does go out at 2am, go watch him.
see how much he pees. 
a lot of pee would be ok, a little bit/few dribbles would equate to he's playing you.

he's a big dog i assume (not a chi or anything tiny), and his bladder is big enough for him to last the entire night.
it's possible he could have a urinary problem, have you verified he's ok with a vet?


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Emoore said:


> No dog needs to eat at 2am.


Ditto. Geepers. I'd never have a dog if they had go pee and eat at 2am!
As I live and breathe we have a 9lb. Doxie female who can't wait past about 7-8am (we have pee pads down in case we oversleep on a weekend) but we let her out for the last time at 10-11pm.

A full grown GSD should be able to wait from 8-9pm to 4am with no issues!

Is he neutered? You might need to have him checked for a UTI if he generally cannot wait all night to pee. 

The only times mine have been up during the night like that is when they've been sick with diarrhea or something.

Also you might try crating him, in another room if necessary and he can tolerate it. That would solve the wandering and wanting to bug you in the wee hours.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Joey does a good amount of pee at 2AM, but I think he can hold it longer.

My husband normally walks him at 5:30AM, after dropping me off at the train station. 

What we did recently was give him a treat after his 7:30PM outing. I think we got him started on some bad habits, but we'll fix it.

I'd like to get him back to a 4:30AM feeding, when we get up.

His evening feeding is around 4PM.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Joey woke up at 1AM. Took him outside for a quick business, then brought him right back upstairs. He whined for a while; we ignored him and he then settled down. Woke up whining again at 3AM. Again we ignored him and he settled down. Woke up with us at 4:30 when the alarm went off.

Small progress, but it is a step in the right direction.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Joey still wakes up anytime between 2 and 4:20 (when the alarm goes off). I let him out in the backyard, he does his business, we go back upstairs to bed. No more eating before his normal breakfast time.

Occasionally he will whine and come over to me or my husband. We tell him "relax", and he goes back to bed.


----------



## TrentL (May 10, 2011)

Great news! Good read too for people like who are looking to get a dog, and trying to brush up on our knowledge.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

This forum is invaluable to us. Joey's our first dog. 

When I come home from work, I share forum stories with my husband.


----------



## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

If he doesn't get any better in a week or so, I would definitely run him to the vet and get him checked out. 

Does it get to hot in your bedroom? My dogs will get restless if it gets to hot.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

As things evolved, we've changed Joey's feeding times.

We now feed him around 8PM, before we go to bed. He now sleeps all night until we get up at 4:30AM.

The worst that happens now is he'll occasionally wake up at 2:30AM to poop.

We'll give him something small in the morning, then he'll get a meal in the afternoon. We keep tabs on his weight.

Once I retire and don't have to get up at that ungodly hour, the times will change again.


----------



## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

It's almost like someone flipped a switch!

Joey's been sleeping all the way through the night.

We now feed him at 4:30 AM, when we get up; his second meal mid-afternoon.

I know we made mistakes along the way as far as feeding, taking him out, etc., but we've learned from that.


----------



## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

glad things worked out and you get to sleep most nights undisturbed.


----------

