Right from a young puppy our dog has always been very settled at night – sleeping through and paying no attention to any noise outside (e.g. foxes - which are plentiful where we live.) Even when we have taken him on holiday he has settled well at night. However, over the last month he has started waking up in the early hours of the morning and whining. The first time I though it was because he wanted to relieve himself, but soon found that he had no interest in visiting the garden.  Instead, he ran into the kitchen and danced around the cupboard containing his food bowl! I made him go outside to pee (just in case that was what woke him up) and returned to bed. He promptly went back to sleep but unfortunately, I didn’t. I feel I have made a rod for my own back as this has now become our night time routine: he wakes and whines in the early hours, runs into the kitchen as if expecting to be fed, goes into the garden to pee and then returns to sleep and I am left somewhat sleep deprived. I thought (obviously wrongly) that once he clocked there was no early breakfast to be gained from this he might stop the whining.  I have tried to ignore the whining and not go downstairs. He does eventually stop, but only after waking the whole family – I then have to listen to dog and family whining! Any suggestions as to how we can go back to our old routine?

One suggestion from me is to get a baby monitor.  This will allow you to view your boy from the comfort of your bed to make sure he is ok and also speak to him to settle him.  I use it if one of mine starts to bark, I just tell him it's ok and to be quiet and he settles straight away.

Is your central heating on ?
I don't have mine coming on until I'm getting up as, if she hears it, she wants to get up.

Where is he sleeping, downstairs or in your bedroom ?

> Is your central heating on ?<br />I don't have mine coming on until I'm getting up as, if she hears it, she wants to get up.

Sounds familiar!!  Our heating goes on around 6.45 after which, assuming he hasn't sounded off earlier (which he does grrr) is when he thinks it's fair game to start wanting up.    And also, it could be as simple as your dog is feeling chilly early on so he's restless.  The going to the cupboard for food is just what you were doing once you were up, before all this started.

Just in case this is 'hungry', I might suggest you try a small 'meal' last thing.   My current boy was bringing up bile in the early hours until I started giving him a small amount of tinned Chappie (about half a normal can size) just before bed.   That stopped all the upchucking.

Thanks for your replies – they all make good sense.
He sleeps downstairs in the hall (which can be chilly). He does have another comfy bed in the living room but he never sleeps there at night for some reason. I think he wakes a little before the heating kicks in, but I know that our heating is noisy so it could well be this. I will have a go at resetting it to see if it makes a difference.
As for being hungry, it is hard to say as he always seems hungry – his stomach is a bottomless pit I will give him some extra food before bed tonight – if nothing else it will certainly make him happy!

> I will give him some extra food before bed tonight

If he is correct weight on what he gets now I would not give more just part of his normal ration later.

Ok will do, thanks.