I'm hoping that somebody could give us some much needed ideas to help solve our little problem. We have a 7 1/2 month old Weimaraner pup who is taking to training quite well in most areas except one. He's EXTREMELY vocal.
We also have a 10 yr old German Shepherd, and they both sleep in the kitchen at night. The GS never murmurs, but the pup barks (and barks!) starting at about 5:45am when he hears our alarm go off. If one of us gets up in the night, he's the same, and we've had differing advice. We're in the process of waiting until he is quiet for a few moments before going down to the kitchen, but I'm afraid our neighbours aren't quite as patient as we are.
This tactic doesn't seem to be getting any better, either, as its been quite a few weeks that we've been trying this. Unless we just need to keep persevering!
I'm sure it's because he knows that once the alarm goes off, I come down, and we both go off to the park for our morning exercise, but I was hoping we might teach him to wait a bit more quietly?? We both work so can't really change the morning routine much. Would be VERY GRATEFUL for any thoughts and ideas....

Thank you, in anticipation,
Jules F  (the wirral)

No danger of you not hearing the alarm then or turning it off and going back to sleep. My son very nearly missed the train to the airport one day last week by doing that.  His first assignment overseas in his new job.  Could have lost his job.  Can he borrow your pup?  ;)

Seriously though the alarm is the trigger and he has got into the habit of barking when he hears it, probably with excitement.  You could try changing the alarm and getting downstairs really quick before he starts.  My dog's all start when my husband flushes the loo in the bathroom UNLESS I get downstairs first.  One of mine also went through a period of waking up and barking as next door got up which was earlier than us so we had him sleep in a crate in the bedroom for a few days and that broke the habit.  Waiting for him to go quiet is going to upset the neighbours and to go quiet he has to start barking in the first place which is something you don't really want him to do.

My dogs started doing the same thing a few weeks ago - it was really getting to me, until this week, when I covered the glass in the doorway (the only glass in the passageway where they sleep) with cooking foil to keep the temp down in there while I was out - and the barking has stopped!  the problem with this habit is that it becomes self rewarding - the dog barks, you give it attention to stop it, which the dog perceives as reward!

Its not just dogs, when my alarm goes off my cats sit outside my bedroom door meowing :D :D :D

Hello Guest..a couple of thoughts..Are you sure your puppy isn't telling you it wants to go out to spend a penny or that it is hungry and ready for breakfast? It is very young and bladder contol will still be poor. Is the kitchen light and can you make it darker? It gets light so early at the moment. Can you change your alarm for one that makes a different noise from the one you have,the ones that start quiet and get louder are good. If your alarm is going off you must be awake already and getting up? Can you not get up, let your dog out and give it a first meal ? If you are not getting up why is your alarm going off  so early ?As your puppy gets older and has a routine it will I am sure stop barking .It is very young and I think it is telling you it is awake..hungry and wants to be up and doing and why not on light sunny mornings :-)

If its definately the alarm setting him off, if you set the alarm off during the day would he still bark? If so, you could try setting it off with him there. If he barks, wait till he stops and reward him then. Hopefully he'll soon get the message, must be very frustrating for you!

my pup barks at about 5 ish, that is when she needs to go outside and because she is in a crate during the night i take her outside because i do not want her learning the habit of making a mess in her bed, however i have taught her the commands speak and quiet during the day so it doesnt annoy neighbours as much, this has really helped because when i first got her she would sit at my feet and bark, but she only barks at about 5 when she needs to go out. she sometimes pretends that she needs to go out, about an hour after she goes to sleep so i tell her quiet , which, because i have trained the command, she stops and goes back to sleep.
the suggestion of changing the alarm clock is a gud one because this has deffinately turned into a trigger that you are getting up and therefore ur pup will see you in abit ad if he barks you will get there faster to try and make him quiet so the neighbours do not get annoyed
hope this helps and gud luc