This is a copy of a post that I put on the visiters board, I am also posting it here to try to get as much advice as possible.

We have a Golden Retriever bitch aged about 18 months and she has gotten into the habit of waking up very early. She sleeps in a crate downstairs while we sleep upstairs. Until recently she has slept until about 6.30am and then she begins whining, but for the last two months she has been waking up at about 5am. It isnt anything to do with the heating coming on as this wasnt coming on until 6am and we have sinced changed that to 5am to see if she was cold. She isnt desperate to go to the toilet when we take her out. We have tried ignoring her, tiring her out the night before, taking her to the toilet more often, coming down and telling her to be quiet but nothing works. The only way to stop her whining is to go down to her and sleep the last hour and a half on the sofa.No neighbours are waking her as nobody else is up. Please help, I want to sleep again!!

As regards to the crate size it is the second biggest one available, the biggest was for dogs like great danes and yes it is locked. When we come down we dont interact with her, we dont even let her out of her crate, we just go down and lay straight down on the sofa. The milkman comes a lot earlier than she is waking up so it isnt him. She has always whined in the morning but as I said before she used to do it only about 10 -20 min before we would get up so we would ignore it and only go down once the alarm had gone off to try her to associate the alarm with us going down. We have tried ignoring her now but it seems as though she is quite happy to whine for an hour and a half until we come down!

This may not be much help but as a pup Hook had a similar problem, even if he wasnt squeeking he was doing the worlds loudest yawns. We now have a much bigger bedroom and so the dogs sleep in there with us (one in a crate)and we dont normally hear a peep from them until they hear us getting up.

We might have to have her up with us if this keeps on but there isnt any room in our bedroom, plus one reason we wanted her downstairs was for security (Even though she is a coward).

Just a question, but what time does she go to bed?

One of my puppy owners ahd this problem of pup waking at 4 or 5 am, and it turned out that they went to bed at 8 or 9pm, which meant she had already been quiet for 7 or 8 hours.

My lot rarely go to bed before 11pm, and then get me up about 6.30 -7am.  If I am up reallylate to say Midnight 1am they won't wake until an hour later.

It doesnt seem to matter what time she goes to bed, she generally goes to bed at about 10.30 although she starts sleeping at around 9pm as she isnt interested in playing after then. However, we have tried on a few occasions to keep her awake all evening until about midnight and it doesnt seem to make any difference.

Hook didnt start 'guarding' until he was about 2 years old and he will bark if he hears a noise when he is in the bedroom. Can be a bit anoying if it is a party of late night revelers! But if someone got in to the house after the initial bark he would lick them to death.

If she is big enough not to be chewing, perhaps you could do away with the crate and train her to sleep outside the bedroom door (I confess that I have never succeeded in this and Hook now spends some of the night on our bed and some in his. He also does a very good early morning litter tray cleaning service and spreads cat litter all over the bedroom!  

She is very defensive if she hears a noise outdoors and she probably still would be upstairs. I think we will try putting a sheet over her crate to see if that helps and then after a while if we still have problems we may have to bring her upstairs. Thank you everone for you help. I will let you know how I get on.

Have you tried leaving a radio on quietly.  It could be as simple as the birds getting up earlier if she is quite sound sensitive.  the sound of the radio would give background noice so blocking out whatever might be awakening her from outside.

I will try the radio as well although I dont think it is the birds as they dont seem to wake up until 6am but it might drown out any other noises she is hearing.

Just to let you know we tried the radio last night and it did NOT have the desired effect. She actually woke up at 4.30am this morning instead of 5am so I dont think we will try that again, although it was a good idea.

maybe there is light coming into the room at that time in the morning that could be waking him up.  My dog will wake up annoyingly early if there is evem the slightest bit of light coming into the room.
Altho she sleeps in our bed, i think that may well be a reason.  You could try leaving the crate door open and allow him to come up to your room if it is only an hour b4 u wake up, tho he might jus sneek up well b4 that,lol.

I think we will try putting a sheet over her crate to try and block out any light but we will have to get her used to having it over the crate before we leave her in it over night. I know for sure that if we left the crate door open she wouldnt even stay in there 5 minutes, she would much prefer our bed. lol

We are also having the same problem with our 17 month old beagle.  He used to sleep really well and we moved him to sleeping in his crate and that was fine.  For the last three weeks he has been a nightmare.  Last night was one of the worst with him barking and scratching every hour from 4:30 am onwards.  We have tried covering the crate, ignoring him (difficult due to the time), sleeping on the sofa for the last hour and keeping him awake all evening till about 11pm.  Nothing works for us either.  If you do find a solution can you please post it as there seems to be a few of us suffering from sleepless nights at the moment!

I remember getting up early to let my dog out of her crate when she was young, but now she is out of her crate she never wakes me up.  Although we never planned to let her upstairs, she sleeps on the landing (or in the boys room if she can).  Maybe your dog just wants to be with you and would settle down if not in his crate.  It doesn't mean on your bed if you don't want that.

Fiona

I realise this is basic dawgy stuff, but...never forget that they are 'pack' animals, and need to be with their 'family' and leaders.  (Am not sure quite what 'crate' matters are...

I have exactly the same problem with an 8 month old cocker spaniel and | am really tired and frustrated. I have tried leaving her in the kitchen out of the crate but she just chews the walls and furniture. i also have a 2 1/2 year old who is no bother I have tried putting them in the crate together and keeping them separate but it doesn't make any difference she still wakes early. i have also tried covering the crate to keep the light out. i have tried ignoring her but it doesn't seem to work. I have heard that using a baby monitor the other way so that one part is in your bedroom so you can verbalise a comand to the dog and the other where the dog sleeps i.e. kitchen without you having to shout so I am going to try it. I would appreciate any other advice anyone has

Just a suggestion.  If you don't want her in your bedroom why not put a stairgate on your bedroom door so she can at least see you and then she may settle knowing that you are still about.

I have exactly the same problem (same times too) the issue we have, is we have a cat who not only lived with us first but sleeps on our bed, so we feel we cant let our dog sleep in our room as the cat will feel threatened at the end of my tether - dont know what else to do :(
Our Dog sleeps in the kitchen, in an open crate with a baby gate at the door so he can't leave the kitchen. We leave him in there when we go to work too so we dont want to change the routine!

At 18 months I find it extremely unusual that a dog is actually locked in a crate at night.  Past the toilet training and chewing stage.  Is there a reason for her to be locked in?

How much time does she spend alone during the day?  If you could give more detail on her regime it may be easier to give advice.

Think this is an open crate so no problem there, think the problem is dogs are tuned to go to sleep when it gets dark and wake when it gets light that is the normal behaviour, your problem is that once awake the dog wishes to get the day under way. Try getting up and letting it out then putting it back in the kitchen with a kong or something to give it something to think about and then go back to bed.

We only have these long daylight hours for a few short months and I think the problem will retreat when the nights get longer. You could try putting light proof blinds at the kitchen windows.

It's probably because it's much lighter earlier now than it was a couple of months ago, and maybe you will not agree with this but why not let her sleep out of the crate so she can move about, our golden moves around and changes positions and places lots at night, they have the free run of the house though, but you could put a dog gate at the bottom of the stairs?  I think she is in her crate far too long and I have read somewhere that the healthiest sleeping position for dogs is stretched out especially larger dogs.

>As regards to the crate yes it is locked. When we come down we dont interact with her, we dont even let her out of her crate

Dogs aren't meant to be kept in cages like hamsters. I've never needed to use a cage but understand that some people do for house training. At 18 months though your girl should be allowed free range of at least one room if not the whole house or downstairs. My dogs often move around while sleeping, changing beds and positions many times.

ooh tigger2...that last comment ? hits spot on..in that usa perfect pup book...well brit author...there is FAR TO Much talk of CRATES and PENS for pups and dogs ! now...issue is SLEEP...and that is a prob even with my pup as it wakes fast if i move...so a nuissance...but am not going to shut  in it the dark non !

i taught her word DODO ...sleepy bies it means in French...for when I WANT TO SLEEP...so ? now i started using the word for when she is lying down looking like about to get up...it seems to work...she seems to associate word DODO with sleep and relax...maybe try that ? when REALLY TIRED and on bed...and using that word...the dog gets to understand it means SLEEP !

I am off to vets now...my pup has a sprain in back and legs still...and the dratted liquid anti inflamatory given me has sucker things to measure that just didn't work for me so i think i have emptied the month supply half already in 2 days...sigh...well i am clumsy...0,2 mls per kilo of pup weight it said...so at 9,5 kilos pup it means about 1,0 ?? but the figures have ZEROS on them too ! is SO annoys me all these STUPID MEASURING THINGS...getting THE SCREW top off is enough hass ! push down then turn....but WHAT DIRECTION ? i get VERY ANNOYED with thse  medical things i must say.

i am going for vaccins for my RABBITS actually as well as more of this LIQUID rubbish...sigh...or another one...i gave vet the wrong mobile number yesterday to call me back on...and then left mobile in house anyway...just goes to show....one needs....AH YES !! another vet question...WHAT CENTRAL INTERNATIONAL REGISTER FOR LOST DOGS TO HAVE ON COLLAR IF PUP LOST is there in FRANCE ? wow...that will CHALLENGE THEM ! i am NOT INTERESTED in a NUMBER FOR "lost in FRANCE" i will say...Bonnie Tyler song...I DO NOT LET HER OUT OF MY SIGHT HERE ! it is OUTSIDE France i need it for emergencies if anything happened !

yes tig...metacam...that is the thing ! the siringe did not work ! could not see anything going up ! tipped it upside down...squeezed bottle...got it everywhere...sigh...wasted some...there were 2 things to measure in fact given...vet hesitated when giving it me...and added one...sigh...well i am USELESS with BOTH i say...just CUT the tip off and squeezed after all that hass ! i am off to COMPLAIN ! and get some more...half left only now ! what a WASTE !

i was in SUCH a temper when we came in from farm yesterdady pm...she had been FINE walking playing..until the very end...she just fast LAY DOWN and stared at me...in distress...pain...so i carried her...no prob...she was happy with that...but saw she was a bit in pain or prob in the evening...FINE again this morning...but CONTROLLING HER ! i SLAMMED several times my front door here in a temper...made HUGE noise...i had been in lift with some people on my floor...did not speak...had my back to them in lift...ignored their BONJOUR words of form...ignored me before when i tried chatting i add so could not be BOTHERED being POLITE for THEIR SAKE in CLOSED LIFT ! ....ooh...they STARED at me down the corridor from their place as I SLAMMED AND SLAMMED MY DOOR SHUT !

fairy was fine...stared at me...thought nothing of it ! not that i do that often...and i thought....oh good ! some more NOISE TOLERANCE NO FEAR TRAINING done for her !

it had that effect i am sure ! so she will not STARTLE at doors slammed now...not that i did it for that...it was to ANNOY THE NEIGHBOURS ! LOL !!! saying ? BONJOUR MY WAY !!! LOL !!!

Is it metacam Black Fairy has been given? If so the syringe normally has the dogs weight in kgs on it, you don't need to work out the dose, just draw in up to the weight of the pup :-)

Think there is some confusion with this thread as some are answering the OP and that was in 2005 and others, well me, I answered the post that has been made today and I think if I read right the dog is not shut in a cage but in a kitchen.

Do agree with you Tigger2 - crates have a purpose, but would not dream of shutting my dogs in one overnight, far too long in my opinion.  My dogs also move around in the night, I can hear them, sometimes when I come down in the morning at dawn!! as they rise when the bird song begins, they have not only moved their blankets but also their beds.

To the original poster have never been able to stop my breed from the early rising, they are very, very active dogs and want to be out doing things; can't remember the last time I had a lie in.   You will be surprised how much you can achieve at that time of the morning when the rest of the family are still in bed, and at this time of the year to take the dogs for a walk at dawn is a wonderful time of the day, and the dogs really appreciate it as it is cool for them, whereas later in the morning as the sun begins to climb they would rather sit under a shady tree.

> Think there is some confusion with this thread as some are answering the OP and that was in 2005

Doh! Sorry :-)

with my LEG i add...strnger than my ARMS for a GOOD DOOR SLAM !!! LOL !!! BANG !! BANG !!! SLAM !!! ooh WONDERFUL feeling it gave me...CALMED ME !!! LOL !!! they RAN LIKE RABBITS !!! unlike FAIRY !

what OTHER Purpose has a DOG CRATE ? does one need them at DOG SHOWS ? breeders keep on about them. For sleeping too. I AM NOT PUTTING FAIRY IN A DARK CRATE  to SLEEP !
2005 ? nieko tokio that...meaning in LT never mind that...it is RELEVANT ! as I AM ON ABOUT DOG CRATES !

Yep, I am also confused, sorry :)

Crates can serve a purpose Black Fairy if, in my opinion, they are used carefully.  I do not use them for the dogs overnight and have only used them for putting in the back of the car - useful if you have a couple of pups needing to go the vet when young and you do not have anyone to help control them in the car, and also useful for adult dogs to travel in.   Sometimes I use for a puppy if I am busy and cannot watch the pup all of the time, but only for half or so at a time.  Could be used for a dog after an operation if it needs to be kept quiet and not allowed to jump about.

Other than that I never use them, there will be others here who hold very different opinions about that, but for me I like my dogs to have free access to house and garden at all times.

now dogsdinner, first about this name, and expression...pls educate me...i have a list of English dog expressions on my website in fact...had to ask about a couple of them to some other mongrel brits i know who know better...an irish mongrel Englishman...seems to need REMINDING sometimes...by ME i add...that he is part IRISH...LOL !!! what was i saying ? ah...TO DRESS LIKE A DOG'S DINNER ! is that GOOD or BAD dressed ? can't recall what i wrote for meaning on website...

and...crates...well in the car...for sure a HUGE accident ? a DOG IN CRATE stands a BETTER CHANCe...in my UNLEARNED view...not seen a COMPARISON of this anywhwere yet...but...i have a few issues with crates...for the CAR mattter i add...

1. HEAT...it is going to be FAR HOTTER in a hot country in a crate for a dog...i was told LOADS DIE here in FRANCE just LEFT IN CARS sometimes !!! horrible...but one does not rEALISE how HOW it gets INSIDE THE CAR when you go out and turn off aircon ! i do...and i know how COLD it gets too very fast having spent many a night in the car when tired on my drives...passons...

2. SPACE it takes in my car....OK OK lets not be so SELFISH i agree !

3. will my DOG LIKE IT ? now recently, when ill. she took to going to lie UNDER THE COFFEE TABLE i noticed...so ? maybe she might LIKE a nice retreat hole to go into if i make it NICE for her is what i am thinking...like HER OWN HOUSE even !

otherwise ? i like HARNESS idea for SAFETY in car.

oh FORGET all this LOCKING DOGS UP stuff for crates...that is NOT advised in the PERFECT PUP book...but it CONTRADICTS itself saying to put pups there when BOISTEROUS and IGNORE THEM if they bark...sigh...i thought...here we go again...IDEALISM...sigh sigh...MAKE THE PUP BARK by PUTTING IT there i thought...THEN HAVE PROB with IGNORING IT BARKING !!!

t-ish i say to that...with a W letter in it !! LOL !!!

i am off to vet now. pup is SLEEPING but it is getting HOT out there and i can't stand the heat and i need to grab them while other customers are having their 2 hour French lunches here !!! LOL !!! ooh si...and i need some poison for me...not saying the AWFUL word for that in case KIDS read this...a nasty habit adults have that kids should NOT EMULATE....puff of dragon smoke clue ? LOL !!! i will GIVE UP ONE DAY !

> now dogsdinner, first about this name, and expression...pls educate me...i have a list of English dog expressions on my website in fact...had to ask

Ah, do not know quite how to explain the name.  I suppose it is a derogatory word, i.e. meaning that I am not any better than a 'dogs dinner', which many years ago, before dogs held such high standing in the family would have put me at the bottom of a hierachy, the lowest of the low, I would just have received any odd piece of food that was left!!!  But when used regarding how one is dressed it means 'dressed up smartly' which means that you have dressed up special but usually have no place to go!!!!!!!  It can also mean that you have made a mess of things, you would say " You have made a right dogs dinner of this".

It becomes very difficult to explain :).

ah thx...it is both negative and positive then...and i got it right positive for DRESSED WELL on my explanation on the website ! LOL ! important to know...in FRANCE ! i am the WORST DRESSED FROGWOMAN IN FRANCE !!! LOL !!! and ? I DOn't CARE !!! i can leave the admiration of the NICE ladies to others...and admire them too...without feeling myself inadequate...i do not compete on levels i cannot win on !!! LOL !!!

not arrogant. i mean. now...RABBIT covers 2 diseases AVAILABLE to ADULT and over 6 weeks old rabbits ? is availab.e ...in ? packs of ...40 !!! LOL !!! oooh if you have read my post comment on numbers you will ALL smile and KNOW WHY it is not 45 !!!! a 45 colt !!!! LOL !!! now..mixymotisis and the haemoraging disease that kills in 2 hours covered...for 6 months at a time ! holy MACKEREL as Robin of Batman series used to say ! that is EXPENSIVE ! 51,40 euros for 40 rabbits every 6 months !!! 1 euro per rabbit meaning 2 euros per year !!! meaning ? UNPROFITABLE for RABBIT MEAT production seeing how as cheapest rabbit food for 5 months to fatten costs 3 euros per rabbit...and then labour to clean out and feed a bit...and sales to wholesalers only of ? 4 euros per rabbit !!! holy MACKEREL ! this VACCINATION thing ? wipes out the PROFIT TOTALLY ! well..you need 50 k meaning thousand rabbits production per annum to EARN THE SMIC min wage in france...for 1 person ! so ? IMPORT SOME MORE DISEASES from CHINA to wipe out the small holders feed themselves rabbit breeders and fancy rabbiters ! OOOH !

economics...no need to re read SAMUELSON hey ! or Maynard Keynes ! we are DIGGING OURSELVES INTO HOLES ALL BY OURSELVES ! keynes of course said being a lefty to pay men to dig holes just to keep  them busy and happy...holy mackerel...I JUST WANT TO SAVE MY FRENCH SUPERB BREED RABBITS FROM DEATH !

so ? we RANG ALAIN FARMER who is going to INJECT ALL 40 of them himself...strewth...THAT owuld cost some more if done by a house visit by vet no doubt !

the world we live in...is getting tougher...as Bruce Springsteen sang...sigh...oh and i was right about one of the useless pipettes of the other medicine for pup deflamation..not cortesone...can't recall nam already...anywy...have a week suppy still left and tip it upside down to put 10ml in the one that does work vet showed me...

there is...i realised at the vet just now..ANOTHER GOOD REASON for a CRATE !!! when pup needs to STAY AT VET !

well unlikely until ? she learns SEPRATION of course from ME ! or else ? she will KEEP AWAKE ALL OTHER SICK ANIMALS THERE WITH HER HOWLS AND BARKS AND BITE EVEN EVERYONE IN SIGHT !!! LOL !!!

ooh..that is not good news...if she bit a gendarme when i am unconscious...he would put her down ! oooh...now vet cannot sell me a TRANQUILISING GUN and liquid to catch that donkey of Alain that has been out wild for 2 months...sigh...someone else can he said...sigh...ok...next TO DO thing...but the thing will need DRAGGING when unconscious...ah...we have a FEMALE donkey for that...sigh...my pup is sprained can;t hitch her up right now...

>metacam...that is the thing ! the siringe did not work ! could not see anything going up ! tipped it upside down...squeezed bottle...got it everywhere..

What you do is put the dispensing syringe over the top of the bottle, turn it all upside down and draw out the required amount downwards. Take care with the dosage - overdosing can damage the kidneys.

thanks yes i was in a VERY BAD Mood about that actually worried yesterday in case...i SPILLT more of that i gave her..was frustrated..thinking i was UNDERDOSING her in fact...but at least not OVERDOSING her not sure just suspecting it could do something AWEFUL to her...and kidneys...ouch...no...pain is better than that effect thx. now i will be able to measure better. must try and recall if i gave her some today....i will push my brain ...i will make myself remember...she is sleeping now fine anyhows.

i said to vet...today ? is BRAINWORK day ! so ? we will the Brits told me GET VERY TIRED from that !!! LOL !!! says it all that hey !

I've got the same with my little one... he's 7 months old now.

No matter what time he goes to bed, it can be dark or light, the radio can be on or off, segulls screaming or not... i even timed the boiler timer at aorund 7am so that he won't be disturbed by it. He sleeps in an open crate so he can move about if he wants (he loves it, it's like his little hideaway)...I even found some "Good Night" treats but nothing seems to be working. He starts barking very loudly sometimes at 4 ish, other times around 5 ish but never later than 5:45. We live in a terraced house so it is very difficult to just ignore the really loud barking (unless we want arguments with the neighbours). So once he stopped for about 30-40 seconds I go downstairs to let him outside. After that he thinks it's playtime... I don't speak to him or look at him when I let him out just so that he doesn't get too excited. Don't know what else to do really with him, hopefully he'll grow out of it...

We've just been staying in a holiday house with very thin curtains.  We've also had the windows open due to the warm nights.

The blasted birds start twittering at about 4.30am - a fact I'd failed to notice at home as I sleep longer with our blackout blinds

When my boy was a pup and didn't want to go back to sleep after his dawn pee, I'd take him into the living room with me.  I'd go back to sleep on the sofa with him tucked in behind my knees for a couple of hours.  As this was the only time he was allowed on the sofa he was so pleased to be there, and to be with me, that he'd nod off again in puppy bliss.  Gradually he just learnt to sleep later and later - now we sometimes have to wake him!!

That's what I do at the moment. I'll go downstairs and then just fall asleep on the couch. He manages about 30-40 mins sleeping when he sees me snoozing. On weekends if the weather is nice and the tide is out I go walking on the beach with my two dogs very very early mornings and then go back snoozing for a little while as then he's tired out from the walk...if people saw me on the beach at 6am they'd declare me insane :-)

I guess I must be alone as I do lock both my dogs in their crates overnight.  They're large crates, they can move around.  The minimal amount of sleep I get at night is not an excessive time for them to be in their crates in my opinion.
I've always done it. 

Actually, just wanted to edit to add, that the reason why the dogs and I are happy with the crate scenario is that they are very much aware that the crates are their 'night time' beds, their 'comfort zone' if you will.
They have different beds for daytime snoozing :)

But if I felt for one moment that they were unhappy, restless or uncomfortable in their crates, I'd knock it on the head like a shot.

In response to Penster, I'm often on the beach at 6am with my two :D  I'm definitely not insane, it's much cooler and quieter then lol

I have only just seen this thread so am late in adding my pennyworth.
My 7 month little girl settles about 10pm but always need a wee around 5.30 in the morning, either that or the birds wake her and this makes her think about a wee. We have a routine that I let her out and then as a special treat she is allowed onto my bed for the remaining time till we need to get up. She loves this moment sooo much, she is often back in bed ( my bed) before I have had time to shut the door, and then settles down for hours (great on a Sunday !!!!)

ps. I do not use a crate, she has a bed in the bedroom along with my other 2 dogs, and they sleep through anything