So, I've got a bit of an issue with Mags. Up until now I have been very lucky with her night time routine. She goes into her crate at 10pm, then out once at 2am, and then not again until I wake up around 8.30. She holds it through out with no accidents. She was quiet through the night until she heard me get up, at which point she'd start barking lots. I purposefully waited outside her room for her to be quiet for a few moments before I went in in the hope of not reinforcing the barking.
However, the last 3 mornings she has started barking at 7am. I know a lot of puppies (including her litter mates) wake at 6am, so I have been very lucky, but I have some health issues, and not sleeping that extra few hours, is the difference between me surviving and managing Maggie and me really struggling and relapsing. The last few days have been so, so much harder than the past 4 weeks.
So, what do I do? The trainer at her puppy class said that I should go down and let her outside for a wee, and then put her straight back to into the crate and then simply ignore - saying that eventually she'll get the message. I tried this the second morning and she barked for an hour straight
I hated every second of it, and obviously got no sleep anyway. The trainer said that as long as it's 'annoyed barking' and not 'distressed crying' that it is fine to leave her... but then I am not confident that I could tell the different anyway.
What would you do?
However, the last 3 mornings she has started barking at 7am. I know a lot of puppies (including her litter mates) wake at 6am, so I have been very lucky, but I have some health issues, and not sleeping that extra few hours, is the difference between me surviving and managing Maggie and me really struggling and relapsing. The last few days have been so, so much harder than the past 4 weeks.
So, what do I do? The trainer at her puppy class said that I should go down and let her outside for a wee, and then put her straight back to into the crate and then simply ignore - saying that eventually she'll get the message. I tried this the second morning and she barked for an hour straight
What would you do?