hi fellow dog lovers, Can anyone please give meany advise. My 12 week old gordon setter has decided that she wants to get up earlier than normal. I have tried everything i can think of  ie leaving her for 10  mins before i go down to her, but that doesn't seem to work she just starts howling. I have tried leaving her to later before putting her to bed playing games with her etc. I have started waking up half way through the night to listen for her, she sleeps in the kitchen downstairs and I leave a small wireless playing in the background,I also gave her a cuddly toy to try and see if that would help. I am getting a bit worried incase she gets up even earlier when the clocks go back next week and I then have my neighbours complaining. I know she is only 12 weeks and that I should be glad that she at least sleeps some of the night, but prevention is better than cure,
many thanks
gordy

My advice would be to have her in your room with you in either a crate or something similar so that she can be told to settle down. It could be that she hears the milkman or something that disturbs her ie: cats/foxes etc. Eventually when she is older she will settle and then can go back downstairs. It can be pretty lonely for a youngster to be suddenly on their own after being with you all evening. :)

Is it dark in the room where she sleeps?

JG has a point there. I work nights and OH works days. OH says they have to put the lamp on through the night, otherwise he barks, howls, and growls all night.

Once the lamp is on, he goes to sleep until I get in a 6am. Then we go for a walk, and he sleeps with me through the day :D

I was thinking the opposite - that it may be too light! ;) Is there a street light outside that goes on/off at that time? Any change like that can wake a pup, and closing curtains or covering the crate can cure the problem - if that's what's causing it, of course! It may be something completely different.

Hi Gordon,
I have read all the replys to your question.  Maybe you are looking for a problem that isnt there, could it be that your dog is just asking to be let outside to go to the toilet?  After all she is only 12 weeks old and thats still very much a baby.
Best wishes,
Harry C

hi folks, thanks for all you help and advise, I left jenny to cry this morning at about 5.30. she settled after about 10 mins and slept till about 7.00 think I was just being a bit paranoid. I also left her till about 9 before giving her her last feed maybe that was the prob too that she was hungry as you all said she is only a baby
thanks again  Gordon

As your pup gets older, you'll get more sleep!
My Lab was always up early when she was a pup, I thought I'd kissed good bye to any lay ins at the weekend!
I would always get up and let her out to go toilet at around 6, then go back to bed until 7.45 when the alarm clock went off. She soon worked out that mum gets up when the bell sound goes off and soon didn't hear anything from her until then. It's actually really good because at the weekends we can set the alarm a bit later and you don't hear a peep from her until the alarm goes off!
Enjoy your pup whilst she is young, they are hard work but don't stay little babies for long and you soon miss their puppy antics!

hello folks, just a small note. I had jenny at her dog class last week for the first time. I put her down at 10 and she slept right through til 7 the next morning. I know take her a walk at abot 10 every night and she sleeps through till about 7ish. I cant ask for any better than that for a 12 week old pup. Next thing I want her to do is fry my bacon and eggs for about 7.30 for me getting up. (only joking)
Gordon

My pup (now 11 months) still barks in the morning for me to get up and was getting earlier and earlier.  However I put up new blinds in his room and this seems to have worked by keeping the room a lot darker.  He now waits until my alarm goes off before he barks, so at least I'm getting my full nights sleep.