Those last few minutes of sleep before the alarm goes off are a treasured sanctuary where we hide in dreams before the reality of the world intrudes. Few dog owners appreciate it when their dog wakes up too early, robbing them of those golden moments. But some dogs seem to have an uncanny knack for anticipating the alarm by 15 or 20 minutes, and manage to routinely do just that.
Of course, puppy owners expect to be awakened by their baby dogs – or they should. It’s unreasonable to think a young puppy can make it through the night without a potty break. Crated or otherwise appropriately confined, even an eight-week-old puppy will normally cry when his bowels and bladder need emptying, rather than soil his own bed. When this happens you must get up and take your pup out to empty his bladder and bowels, and then immediately return him to his crate so he doesn’t learn to wake you up for a wee-hours play or cuddle session.
Adult dogs, however, barring a health problem, should wait for you to get up rather than pushing back your wake-up time in eager anticipation of breakfast, or other morning activities. If your grown-up dog has made it his mission to make sure you’re never late for work (or breakfast) by waking you up every morning before your alarm does, try this:
1) Rule out medical conditions.
Make sure your dog doesn’t have a legitimate reason for getting up early. If he has a urinary tract infection or digestive upset, or some other medical issue that affects his elimination habits or otherwise makes him uncomfortable, he may have  to go out 30 minutes (or more!) before you normally get up to let him out.
2) If your dog wakes up too early, tire him out the night before.
A tired dog is a well-behaved happy dog and  a late sleeper. Exercise uses up much of the energy that he presently can’t wait to wake you up with – and also releases endorphins, which regulate mood, producing a feeling of well-being. Tiredness promotes sleeping in, and endorphins help reduce anxieties that may play a role in his early-bird activities.
3) Feed him earlier/ better; make “last call” later.
Increase the time between your dog’s last meal and his last bathroom opportunity to minimize the chance that he’s waking you up because he really has to go. It only takes a few “I really have to go” mornings to set an early-riser routine, especially when rising is reinforced with, “Well, we’re up now, no point in going back to bed . . . here’s your breakfast!” Don’t forget that high-quality diets are more digestible, which reduces fecal output, which reduces early-morning urgency.
4) Reduce stimuli in the bedroom.
The less there is to awaken your dog, the less likely he is to awaken you. Close the drapes. Turn off the television. Turn on a white noise machine or soft classical music. Cover his crate. He is crated, isn’t he? If not, restricting his movement is a simple way of preventing him from pouncing on you at 5:30 am. If he doesn’t crate well, perhaps you can use an exercise pen, or a baby gate to keep him in the bathroom next to your bedroom.
5) If your dog wakes up too early, train him to sleep in.
If these management solutions alone don’t work, you may be able to train him to sleep later. If your normal wake-up time is 6:30 am and he consistently wakes you at 6:15, for one week set your alarm for 6:05. For the second week, set it for 6:10. Do not get up before the alarm goes off (unless you’re pretty sure he has an urgency problem)! This will condition him to the sound of the alarm as his cue to wake up. Each week set the alarm forward five more minutes until you’re at your desired wake-up time. It might take you a few weeks to get there, but it’s gloriously simple, and it works. Unless you have young children who starting running through the house at 5:00 am, or garbage trucks start rumbling and banging down your street every morning at 5:30 – in which case all bets are off!
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Everything was fine until we set the clocks back for daylight savings time. I have a 4 year old male Lab and a 9 year old female Lab/Golden. They sleep in their crates and both used to get up at 7am. The old lady is fine with sleeping in. The male is ready to go at 6am (was 7am). He has gotten a bit better now but 6:30 is still early…
Nancy, I just read your Chihuahua post. If your Chihuahua is getting sick in the early morning hours he may have hypoglycemia. Shih tzus and small dogs are known to be prone to this. They make a nutritious gel called Neutra stat if you just put a little bit in his mouth that may provide the calories he needs not sure about this but do you know that if he is getting sick and throwing up yellow bile this may be why.
My 14 year old poodle is waking up between 330 and 4 every morning. I let him out, he gets a drink, eats a bit and then I can get him back in the room (if I don’t he’ll bark). But I can’t take this for much longer. He does this even if he goes to bed late at night. Driving my wife and I nuts.
My 12 year chihuahua started waking me up at 4 am my husband not happy . He does potty and I put him in my bed and then he gets sick , so I have to get up . He goes to bed too early like 7:30 . I have 3 of the same dogs and he’s the only one that does it
Help we are desperate for some sleep. We have 2 cocker spaniels a 3 year old who loves his sleep. Puts himself to bed about 9 pm and sleeps until we get up. Belle is our 1 year old and driving us to distraction! She wakes between 5 to 5.15 every morning. She whines, barks and howls. We live in a terrace house so I worry about her disturbing our neighbours. She is put up the garden with very little inter reaction. If I go back to bed she starts again and will start destroying things. She is still not dry especially at night if she isn’t crated. We are at the end of tether where have We gone wrong in tears writing this