Bailey waking up too early

[LynnD]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get our 10 month Springer Spaniel to sleep later in the morning. She keeps waking earlier and earlier, this morning it was 5.45am. Normally, on a work day, we get up about 6.20 and go out for a walk. At weekends, obviously, would like to be a little later. She sleeps in the kitchen with the doors all shut. When she wakes she starts to scratch at the door into the hall and wines. She never has an accident, so is obviously able to hold until one of us goes down. The scratching and wining wakes us all up. Do you think we should go down to her when she starts, or should we ignore her and go down when we are ready? Also does any one have any ideas how to stop her scratching at the door cos this is starting to mark the door.
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Lynn

[steve young]

You have to ignore her. If you go to her when she makes a fuss she'll learn that all she has to do to get attention is to whine and scratch.

Best thing you could do is get a crate and get her to sleep in that. The confined space is a comfort to the dog, making it feel safe and cosy. Restricting the dogs movement also helps keep them calm because they can't pace up and down and get themselves all worked up. Our dogs love them, they even share the same crate now.

If she barks at all to get attention, I recommend the Aboistop spray collars. They soon learn not to bark when it's on. We had to do this with Mylo, he's fine now.

Mylo was barking to get us up very early (i get up at 6am everyday to take them both a good run) so even earlier than that.

You'll find that as the winter draws in and its darker in the morning she probably won't rise as easily if its still dark outside.
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Steve Young
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Dogs: Sasha (10 yr Lurcher, male) and Mylo (1 yr Shepweiler, male)
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