# Resetting his "clock"? Dog gets up at 4am!



## cla517 (Jun 19, 2013)

Is there a method for resetting a dog's internal clock? Here's the deal. My 8 month old GSD wakes up to go out and poop at 4am every day. Is there a way to get him to at least 5am??

He is fed twice a day. Once in the morning and once around 5-6pm. He doesn't poop after his dinner, but wakes us up at 4am to go out every day. 

Please let me know if there is a way to get him to at least wait until 5am! Thanks!


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

My dog poops when I wake up, shes in a crate. Is your 8 month old loose? Ive never tried that yet because I know shed tear something up.
An 8 month can hold it. The dog isnt waking you because it has to poop, its waking you because you wake up and let it out.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Have you tried feeding his dinner earlier so he has more time to go before bedtime? Exercise encourages things to move along as well 

Another trick is stretching the schedule slowly. So if the dog wakes up at 4 AM on Sunday then don't get up until 4:10 for two days, then 4:15 for two days, then 4:30, etc gradually increasing the time until the alarm goes off at the proper time


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Feed earlier, and get the poop that night, or crate him when he wakes you up at 4 to make him hold it and let him out at 5.. Keep doing that and you'll solve your issue


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

volcano said:


> The dog isnt waking you because it has to poop, its waking you because you wake up and let it out.


Agree 100%. In your case I would crate the dog next to my bed and not let him out or respond to him before 6.00 AM to start with. You may lose some hours of sleep as he will probably try harder to get you up.
Your feeding times are good. He just has you well trained 
So far all my pups over the years have made it through the night (11.00 PM - 6.30 AM) without having to go out from the time they were about twelve weeks old. But I keep them next to in a crate until they are at least 4 months old to prevent them from getting restless and getting their system going.


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