Hi Guys,

My Barney is refusing to stick to a schedule provided by our Breeder.

He is only 8.5 weeks old, and should sleep a lot, I understand that, but he is sleeping at odd times.

He is awake at 5:00-5:30 for a feed at 6:00, All normal so far.

He shoud then go to sleep at 7:30, waking at 10-10:30 for a feed at 11:00. Today he fell asleep at 7:00, and was awake by 8:30.

It's very difficult to keep him awake if he is sleepy, though I think he is waking up early through teething, as he will whinge and chew, then settle again.

He is crated for his naps, he loves his den, but I'm wondering what is best practice? He is a living thing with his own little body clock, like all of  us. I wouldn't persist in keeping a baby awake if it was sleepy, nor would I refuse to get up to one if it was desperate for attention...

Do I persist with my schedule, or change it to suit him?  He's only been with us since Saturday 14th, so is still getting used to the changes as it is. I have had puppies before, but it was 15 years ago, I was only a teenager and my mum dealt with this bit.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Puppies are not robots and his entire environment and social group has changed since he was at the breeder, not to mention growing and physiological changes!

Personally, I would follow him and his routine and use the time when he's asleep to do housework or run errands.

I'm not sure whether the times you give are AM or PM?  Are you really saying that you are feeding him at 6am??

On 4 meals a day, my pups get their 1st meal with the adults at around 8/9am (whenever we're up and dressed and it's breakfast), their 2nd meal at human lunch time, their 3rd meal at dinner time, with the adult dogs, and their last meal about an hour before going to bed.  So not sure why you're up with him at 5.30am to feed him at 6am?  Is that really the routine you want to encourage?  I'd have thought you'd be aiming at getting him to sleep/wake at more sociable human hours.  Maybe a toilet run at 6am, if he needs it...

Hi Rabid, thanks for the reply.

Yes, this is currently his AM schedule.(Sorry, I work on a 24 hour clock :) )

I get up at 5:30 to 6am when I am working, so the early feed is working for us, however another problem I may have is when we move him to three feeds, I want one to be around 12:30 - 13:00. So hopefully I can start to extend his sleep, or put him to bed later, and my later starting hubby can feed him when he gets up. (Eventually, when fully innoculated, Barney will be going to work with hubby)

Currently his afternoon schedule is 4pm feed and 9pm feed.

I agree everything has changed for him as it is, I want the best for him, hence the question, should I change his schedule on top of everything already?

Most of the time, when he gets up earlier than expected, he just wants to cuddle in my lap and chew on his Kong. Could his whining be simply for attention/teething? I don't want him too clingy, though big brown Labrador puppy eyes are difficult to resist.

Your help is much appreciated, thank you

Remember that your pup can't tell the time! ;-) Just like feeding amounts on food packets, schedules are only guidelines, not set in stone.

Make sure he has plenty of opportunity for naps, but he also needs time awake to learn and get himself tired enough to sleep. Your instinct about going by his body clock is correct. :-) If you leave about 4 hours between each meal during the day he should be fine. You sound like a very caring and sensible owner. :-)

I always leave a little food with my pups overnight, as I value my own sleep, LOL. 

I don't crate only puppy pen at first, and then loose in kitchen once climbing out of it, so if they toilet they do (but not in their bed), and I clear up in the morning and concentrate on house-training in the day.

Mine are usually clean at night by 12 weeks.

I'd change his schedule as he grows and as his needs change.

I do think it is too early for it to be anything to do with teething!

A couple of months too early.

Hi Brainless.

Barney is very good at holding on Overnight. His first night in his new home he didn't even pine, 4.5 days in and he still hasn't! Feel sorry for his mum/Brothers and sisters, all that lov for 8 weeks and he's happily left them behind LOL

Saying that he is Lab... he's fickle if there is food involved.

JeanSW,
I assumed he would be 'teething' until 6 months. Is he, therefore, just exploring with his mouth? He only seems happy if chewing, at the moment, and currently the only things working to keep him off furniture corners is a plastic bottle, (Changed daily to avoid sharp bits) or his security blanket (Given to us by the breeder)

Barney isn't the only one learning ;)

Perfectly normal for a pup to explore with his mouth.  Doesn't have hands like us!  Just watch how a human baby puts everything in his mouth too.

His next batch of teething starts around 4 months when he starts to lose his milk teeth.

I buy toys that they are "allowed" to chew, and exchange for the things I want them to leave alone.  I have a couple of toy boxes with literally dozens of toys, and yes, they get destroyed.  It's what puppies do.  :-)

Teething starts around 4 months old, like a human baby who puts everything in their mouths so do puppies, you just have to make sure what ever he gets hold of is safe.

The light mornings tend to make dogs wake up early so throwing a blanket over the crate can fool them into thinking it is earlier than it is.

Do you get up during the night to toilet him,any dogs I have had needed a wee during the night about 2-3am, this stopped at about 12 weeks when their bladders were big enough to go for longer periods during the night.

I am surprised that a breeder could manage such a strict routine with a litter of lively pups, in my experience when maybe 2 were asleep there would be one watching what I was doing, not always the same one.

All the puppies were good at the breeders. There were seven pups, mum (Labrador), a yellow lab and two bichons in the house! All extremely good and well behaved. I have decided the Breeder is 'super mum' though I must admit, everytime I saw her she looked COMPLETELY exhausted.

The pups did the usual, pulled up the lino, found an unstuck piece of wallpaper to chew are two examples, but that's puppies ;)

I have had to get up with him once for a late night/early morning wee, at 01:45 in the morning, and only because he had not weed before crashing out and falling asleep the night before, around 22:15.

My first litter found a loose piece of wallpaper behind the sofa, it took me a couple of hours to figure out where the tiny bits of wallpaper had come from, their puppy minder Rhuari must have been watching them because he followed the pups out from behind the sofa and one of them had the evidence in her mouth, I had to block off both ends of the sofa because they kept going back, they were about 10 weeks old and hadn't caused any damage till then.

I have never ever heard of a sleep schedule.  Never had one, never given one out.  We have generally had a feeding schedule but even that would usually be devised around what seems to suit an individual puppy.  Sleeping and playing just occur as they occur apart from my bedtime of course :)

I have always given out an advice sheets .. but never so set... the puppy has to fall into a routine but one that is best for him and your own family.
I also agree you are a very caring owner and am sure you will sort out a routine that is best for puppy and you.

good luck

>everytime I saw her she looked COMPLETELY exhausted

Haha the sign of a good breeder I reckon! :-D

That was what I thought too!

Me too :-D

I've always waited for pups to wake, then they wee, poo, and play for a while and then as I see them tiring they get fed, this usually results in another poo just before they sleep.    This makes it simpler for me as they then have really good sleeps on full tummies and when they wake up they are ready to wee/poo almost immediately :-D    their feeding times seem to be very convenient on this schedule and their poo times are very predictable meaning they aren't playing in their own poo as it's removed as it's done :-D

It's a schedule that the pups seem to keep to when they go to their new homes too and is easy for new owners to adjust as the pups get older and are awake for longer.

Any times given should only be a guide, the most important thing is that a pup's meals should be spaced out during the day so as not to strain their tiny tums whilst giving them enough calories  ;)