# Sleep depravation!!



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

Us, not the cockapoos!!

Our two girls wake up circa 5am every morning and bark until one of us (mainly the wife!) lets them out of their cage - which is usually within 5 mins of them waking us as their bark is piercing!

We have tried different things to get them to sleep longer but to no avail and to be honest it is getting us both down.

Is this normal for the cockapoos or have we got two unique ones?

Our shiddies and schnauzers and labs all sleep well and dont wake up early unless we disturb them but these two girls are horrendous!


----------



## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Hi John,

I'd suggest trying a DAP Diffuser and plug it in as near to them as possible and switch it on just before bedtime.

Stephen.


----------



## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

If you use a DAP diffuser it needs to be plugged and switched on all of the time. It works for anxiety issues but this sounds more like a learned behaviour. I stopped using my DAP back in March when we decided to let Daisy sleep upstairs instead of continuing the battle of the crate!

If they go in their crates at night and settle ok I woud say this is not stress related and is more to do with body clocks. Not sure what the answer is...Maybe cover the crates so it is darker? 

They have learnt that by barking you will let them out.

What time do they start barking? You could maybe create a plan to increase their quiet time but it would be a slow process. You need to let them out before the barking starts. 
Say they start at 5am. First few mornings go down just before their barking time and let them out for a wee. Then once they have stopped barking for a week, go down ten minutes later and do this for a week. Keep doing this until you have increased their crate time to what is acceptable for you. It is only a thought and may not work.

If they are barking you must wait for a quiet point before you open the crate, you need to somehow break the connection with barking and being let out.


----------



## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi there, 

Out of interest are they crated together?


----------



## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Do they need to be crated at 14months, just asking, not trying to catch you out or anything 

Millie sleeps outside our bedroom door and has done from 5 months. She went through a stage of quietly barking to be let in a random times in the night, which I could hear and hubby couldn't (typical ) 

Recently through having my parents to stay and not wanting my dad to tread on Millie in the night, I moved her into my room. I was surprised to notice that she slept in her bed or on the floor, occasionally coming onto the bed for a few minutes, then off again.

Now its a quiet night sleep for me. Hubby says Millie wakes him when she jumps on the bed  Never mind says I


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

Thanks for all your replies/comments. To give some more information:

Both girls are crated together and when either me or my wife say 'Heidi, Amber, bed please, off they trot to the cage and sit down ready for closure - they even push the crate door open if it isnt open wide enough! Next to their crate is another crate with two shiddies in and across the room is another crate with puppy lab and schnauzer in and the adult lab sleeps in the same room as all of them. All crates including the girls' are covered and blacked-out.

So, we have tried seperating them by putting one in with the puppy lab or the schanuzer of a shiddie - same happens. We have tried allowing them to sleep in with us, same happens.

We think it is a body clock thing as my wife tellinjg me now that it appeasr to have started since clocks went forward! However, saying that I diont recall them waking up at 6-6:30 prior to March but then again I never get up to them as she does - I let them bark to be honest as I not giving into them and I can go back to sleep. The wife is worried about neighbours although we live in a detached bungalow with plenty of space between us and the neighbours!

My wife has asked me to try putting them in the garage but for me it is too cold or am I being a wuss and too protective?!

We dont want to not crate them as we crate them when we go out as they can be very wild when left out with the others and they have already broekn a lot of expensive beleek on the window ledges!

By the way, we have tried DAP collars and no improvement. Through despair this morning my wife said she was going to re-home them but that aint going to happen as I wont allow it.....it was only said out of frustration and sleep deprevation I know but....


----------



## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Sounds like you have tried everything John. I was going to say have them in with you at night but you have already tried that. How about leaving them shut in the kitchen and not in their crate? Maybe they feel a bit boxed in especially if the crate is covered and blacked out. Maybe leave a few chews around as well to occupy them when they wake up? Mine have the run of the house at night - they chose where to sleep and they never bother us. Dexter often sleeps outside our bedroom door like Julie's Millie does too.


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

tessybear said:


> Sounds like you have tried everything John. I was going to say have them in with you at night but you have already tried that. How about leaving them shut in the kitchen and not in their crate? Maybe they feel a bit boxed in especially if the crate is covered and blacked out. Maybe leave a few chews around as well to occupy them when they wake up? Mine have the run of the house at night - they chose where to sleep and they never bother us. Dexter often sleeps outside our bedroom door like Julie's Millie does too.


Thanks Tess we will try that and see what happens....


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

Well.....my wife put them in the kitchen and they hated it and soon as she opened the door they ran out and straight to their cage. They then slept in till 7am!!!!

I think they felt the kitchen was a punishment and behaved in their cage lol....

Fingers crossed now for another good nights sleep!


----------



## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Well if they don't like the kitchen how about getting up when they bark and putting them in the kitchen until 7am when you would want to get up. They shouldn't need to go to the toilet that early so I would avoid letting them outside unless you really feel they need to go. They may learn the 7am time that way and work out that they would rather be in their crate until then.

Lolly is a similar age to your girls and sleeps in our room (in her bed not on our bed) since we got rid of her crate when she was 8 months old. Weekdays we get up at 7am and she will greet us when we get up but then usually goes back to bed (we often comment how we wish we could too!) At weekends she happily lies in until 8-8.30am. So I'm sure your girls could learn to do the same.


----------



## emmelg (Mar 4, 2012)

Bailey stays in our room but wakes up around 6am I put him out for a wee and then crate him downstairs until we get up around 7-7.30 am

So maybe if things don't work out in the kitchen then maybe try bedroom/wee then crate x


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

emmelg said:


> Bailey stays in our room but wakes up around 6am I put him out for a wee and then crate him downstairs until we get up around 7-7.30 am
> 
> So maybe if things don't work out in the kitchen then maybe try bedroom/wee then crate x


Tried that but our biggest problem is once the poo's are awake then the 12 others are also! The shiddies will go back to sleep but the poo's, schnauzers and lab puppy wants to do are play, play and play!

I think we will have to put this down to stupidity on our behalf for getting soooooo many dogs 

Thanks for response nonetheless...


----------



## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Do you really have 14 dogs John?!


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

tessybear said:


> Do you really have 14 dogs John?!


Yes Tess......

8 Shih Tzu's - ranging from 9 to 2 - Sophie, Ollie, Meg, Rio, Bailey, Maisey, Jackson (wacko jacko) and Charlie

2 Mini Schnauzers - 3 yr old Ruby and 2 year old Dylan

2 Labradors - 4 yr old Jasmine and 6 mth old Indy

and of course our terrors Heidi and Amber

And yes........we are mad but 14 is the most we are going to have definitely...I think


----------



## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

WOW! And I struggle with a puppy and three cats! 

Can you post a photo of all of them together?! PLEEEEASE!


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

we have been trying for a long time to get a photo of all of them in one sitting but it is like winning the lottery - no chance!

Will see what I have of them individually and collectively and post soon...


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

here goes:


----------



## oldmanmille (Jun 3, 2011)

some more:


----------



## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Amazing! I particularly like the one of Indy and Jaz... so cute.


----------



## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I love the way they all snuggle together to sleep!


----------



## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

If your neighbours are ok get some ear plugs! otherwise consider moving to a very remote farmhouse! Then you can still get the ear plugs!


----------



## zed (Jan 20, 2012)

I had this problem.. After the first week Jarvis slept beautifully downstairs waking at 6:30 then came the lighter mornings and the 5am wakeup. I used to have to let him out for a wee and put him back in his crate only for him to cry till I got up at 7-7:30 I had to use ear plugs!! In the end I got fed up and brought another crate for beside my bed. Now I just shush him if he wakes and I now dont have to get up until I want to  

I also have a DAP plug in and have done since day 1, however it was his body clock waking him. I actually prefer him next to me now he is a bit older and settled.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

