# How can I fix this. (long)



## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I know, I know... I have a million questions on here!









Ok, so my fiances brother is renting out the basement until he goes to Air Force boot camp this summer. He often has his girlfriend over. Drake is now crated in the living room instead of our room. He is completely fine with this new arrangement and sleeps soundly all night until....

Warning (TMI)- I am pregnant, I pee at least twice through out the night now. Well, I happened to have to go at 4:30 am this morning. I could not hold it, I was literally turning blue in the face. But, I knew if I left the bedroom Drake would wake up and STAY up. 

So, I get up. I can't hold it any longer. Well we have wooden floors that are loud and a bedroom door that is also loud when opening. I go to the restroom and what do ya know, Drake wakes up and is pounding against the crate door with his paws. He begins to whine and bark a little. Of course, now that he is awake I have to let him out to pee.

I also do not want to wake up everyone in the household with him going crazy in the crate at 4:30 am.

We get back inside and he wants to PLAY! I certainly cannot put him back in his crate and have him barking and yelping for an hour this early in the morning.

So, my problem is I am up normally at 5am. If I had it my way I'd sleep until 8am then go into work at noon. This is becoming a routine now. It doesn't help that my fiance has to be at work at 6am so he is up and around as well waking Drake up and I have to deal with him after he leaves. It wouldn't bother me to crate him. I can sleep through his barks and whines it is just the other members of the household now.

Point of my long dilemma is I need to sleep because I am now 7 months preggo. It will be getting harder from here when it comes to fatigue. I am barely keeping my eyes open at work right now.

Do I just crate him back up at 5am and let him bark out when others try to sleep? 

This is a tough one for me because I tend to put others before me. It's just my soft side!









Drake normally eats by 8am. 7:30 am the earliest btw. No reason for him to be up and running about at 5 am! Eek!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You are PREGNANT!! Put yourself first!!!!

I would ignore him. He'll figure it out if you don't even glance his way. It won't last long.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

lol, yes I know I need to ignore it AND put myself first dang it! 

Ok, so when I get up to go to the bathroom at an odd hour of the night like 3 am and Drake wakes up being obnoxious in his crate I just go to the restroom and right back to bed? Just ignore him in hopes he will fall back to sleep withouth a peep again after a little episode? Even if he has to pee? I am sure he can hold it, I just feel bad! 

I will attempt to ignore him in hopes he will quiet down soon after.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I would ignore him. If you give him even the slightest glance you are inviting him. I did with my pup and she figured it out.

There is a rule of thumb on how long a pup can hold it but I can't remember what it is. It's so many hours for so many months old. I'm sure one of the breeders and vet ppl could answer that for you.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Thing is he cant see me when I walk from my room to the bathroom, so we aren't exchanging looks. He just knows someone is awake from the sound of footsteps or the toilet flushing. 

I am guessing if I go right back to bed and let it go he will quiet down eventually. He is just so dang loud! haha. Sounds like he throws his whole body around in that crate and bashing himself against the crate door.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

If you need to get up during the night have a filled Kong standing by. After your bathroom trip simply toss the Kong in the crate (if Drake has woken up) and he'll be a happy pup.


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## rucker105 (May 19, 2008)

I would just ignore him and get back to bed. He should get the picture eventually. Probably better to teach him that he doesnt get to come out or get attention every time you are up in the night, since you will be up even more in a couple months with the baby.

So is he in the bedroom with you or in another room? If he's already outside the bedroom, could you move his crate further from ear shot of you?


Good luck!


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I am liking the Kong trick. I also just bought him a Chilly Bone. You soak it with water then freeze it (vanilla flavor). I can even pop that in his crate.







See, I never think of these clever ideas haha!

We moved his crate in the living room area last week because during the day it is more well lit and more noises for him. His crate is too big to haul back and forth. I wish I could move him further but there really isn't another spot to put him that is out of earshot of us coming and going. 










I will give the Kong and Chilly bone a try though!


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## sleachy (Aug 10, 2001)

If I had to get up in the middle of the night to pee, I would ignore him. If I got up at a more normal hour and let him out to pee too, I would give him a kong in his crate when I went back to bed.

I don't know what kind of crate you are using or what kind of floor it is sitting on but if you put a carpet or extra padding under the crate, it might quiet down his thrashing sounds.


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## Alto (Nov 18, 2008)

What does Drake do when he's crated during the day? if you aren't crating him during the day <u>when you are home</u>, then start practising so that he learns that for attention or _Out_, he needs to be calm.
Once he's learned this, it will be alot easier for him to learn that this also applies from midnite - 7am (or whenever your 'night' is).

Once he knows that crate time = calm time, your life before/after baby will be alot simpler: if you don't get this under control now, imagine what it could be like should your baby be colicky & Drake yells everytime someone gets up









Are you doing training classes yet? I'd defintely do one before baby!
Ideally both you & Marshal should do separate classes with Drake (he won't complain!).

I think you go to work at noon, Marshall goes to work at 6am sooooo
he shoud be letting D out for pee break, doing some fetch, then training, then back to bed (crate or in with you whichever works best for everyone - looking ahead to when baby makes 4); then you start your day at 8am & take it from there... 
Given the pregnancy, I'd probably opt for Drake to go back in his crate with a frozen kong etc, then you let him out after you've been up for at least 15min ie he doesn't associate house noises with _Oh Boy! I'm outta here & it's FUN time_; instead he learns that his day doesn't start until *after* you've gone to the loo,maybe had your shower etc.

You might also consider having 2 crates, pick up a second one off craigslist etc for the bedroom.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

His crate is a plastic one and it sits on a wood floor. Good call on placing a rug or carpet under it.

Alto:
Drake naps in his crate during the day. He will just walk in it and fall asleep with the door open. He loves his crate just in the morning he wants out and he wants out NOW, lol.

We are looking at a couple differet places as far as training goes. We haven't decided which place to choose. Going to go check out one next week (free session) and observe. I have been doing one on one training with Drake at home alone while Marshal is at work. So, maybe I can count that as a seperate class.









Thanks for the tips, I am gonna give these a try. He needs to learn that he will come out on my terms not his.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Good news!

I got to sleep until 7am today!!!!!! yay! success.

Even after I woke up to use the restroom at 5 am and walking around in the kitchen to get coffee started for Marshal before he heads to work. Drake sat in his crate, whined a little. I ignored it completely. I went back to bed. Marshal let him out and gated him in the kitchen like we do when we leave the house. He did awesome. I woke up at 7, took him potty. He went pee and poo. Now, he is laying in his crate all on his own being a good boy. Such a relief today. 

Thanks for the advice. Oh, and I did use his Chilly Bone for a distraction! He just loves that thing, wish it would stay frozen longer though.


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## Alto (Nov 18, 2008)

> Quoterake naps in his crate during the day. He will just walk in it and fall asleep with the door open.


Except this is crate on his terms, not yours, so he still needs to learn that there are times when you will place him in his crate (<u>always</u> with something good in the beginning) at your convenience & you'll close the door.



> Quote:
> We are looking at a couple differet places as far as training goes. We haven't decided which place to choose. Going to go check out one next week (free session) and observe. I have been doing one on one training with Drake at home alone while Marshal is at work. So, maybe I can count that as a seperate class.


1on1 training is great but you still want classess for all the social aspects & training-with-distraction: you want Drake to listen equally well to both you & Marshal in all situations & formal classes are a good way to create that bond/expectation; hopefully you'll make some doggy friends as well
















for getting to sleep in. 
I'd get at least 3 Chilly Bones


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