The last precious 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 their canine pals depriving them of those golden moments. But some dogs seem to have a strange talent for anticipating the alarm going off by 10 to 15 minutes, and manage to routinely do just that everyday.  



Is your dog a “morning person” – and do you wish to change that? Make sure you don’t carelessly reinforce her early morning activity by feeding or playing with her until you are ready to get up.

Of course, puppy owners should expect their baby dogs to awaken them.  It is 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 puppywill 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 be relieved, 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, except those with 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 are never late for work by waking you up every morning before your alarm does, try the following tips.

1) Rule out medical conditions.

Make sure your dog does not have a warranted reason for getting up early. If he has a urinary tract infection or upset stomach, or some other medical issue that affects his elimination habits or otherwise makes him uncomfortable, he may have to go out 30 minutes before you normally get up to let him out.

2) Feed him earlier; make “last call” later.

Increase the time between your dog’s last meal and his last bathroom opportunity to minimize the chance that he is 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 are up now, no point in going back to bed . . . here is your breakfast!” Don’t forget that high-quality diets are more digestible, which reduces fecal output, which reduces early-morning urgency.

3) Reduce stimulation in the bedroom.

The less there is to awaken your dog, the less likely he is to awaken you. Close the blinds. 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 does not like his crate, perhaps you can use a baby gate to keep him in the bathroom.

4) Tire himout before bed.

A tired dog is a very happy dog and a late sleeper. Exercise uses up much of the energy that hecannot wait to wake you up with.Exercise 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.

5) Train him to sleep in.

If these management solutions alone do not work, you may be able to train him to sleep later. If your normal wake up time is 6:30 amand he consistently wakes you at 6:15 am, for one week set your alarm for 6:05 am. For the second week, set it for 6:10 am. Do not get up before the alarm goes off (unless you are 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 are at your desired wake-up time. It might take you a few weeks to get there, but it is so simple, and it works.



Once that happens, you will be waking him up when the clocks move forward again in a few months.



“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

-Charles Dickens (he must have had a puppy or dog that woke him at 4 AM!)


References:
·         Cesar's Way/Cesar Millan
·         The Definitive Guide To Housebreaking Your Dog/The Housebreaking Bible

Photo of Jax provided by Patrizia D' Milano