desperate dog barking excessively in morning

caroljohn

If anyone could provide any help we would be so grateful, shihtzu/maltese dog 7months old, lovely little fellow except starts barking from 5 or 6 in the morning, we are desperate for a little sleep and with 2 children getting up so early every single day is effecting us all for the worst.
he is in a crate - really comfy bedding, blanket around the edges (he loves going in a nite a cuddles and goes straight to sleep)
The crate opens to a puppy play pen, with toys, pillow, puppy pad, bits and bobs
lots of walks( 40min to 1hr in mornings) 2 or 3 round the blocks in evening.
lots of play (actually from about 8 or 9 he just wants to sleep on couch)
He is only in the play pen at night and if i am out during the day (stay at home mom so never excessively alone)
we walking him late at night sometimes up to 11 just so he might sleep.
when he barks we have gone down to see if he wants to pee, ignored him but when he goes back in just barks again
we try to ignore him but its so loud, then kids up, then i worry about the neighbours.
we have him in DSPCA puppy manners - no help
I have also tried - Radio on, lights on, blanket over the crate
we think we have tried everything and are really really desperate at this stage for sleep so any suggestions would be really really appreciated.
kind regards
carol

MojoRisinnnn

A firm newspaper to the nose when he starts barking will resolve this issue I guarantee it, worked with my yorkie at a similar age he would bark and run around at 4am for no reason, he needs to be shown it's an unacceptable hour to behave like its day, obviously don't take his head off but a firm smack on the nose should stop this after a few days as it did for me

Millem

When I used to foster pups they always cried at night and the rescue always suggested either a hot water bottle or a puppy heat pad. You could also get a dap plug in for the pup. Has he always slept there and if so was he always like this?

DBB

MojoRisinnnn wrote: »

A firm newspaper to the nose when he starts barking will resolve this issue I guarantee it, worked with my yorkie at a similar age he would bark and run around at 4am for no reason, he needs to be shown it's an unacceptable hour to behave like its day, obviously don't take his head off but a firm smack on the nose should stop this after a few days as it did for me

MojoRisinnnnn,
There was a time I would let comments such as yours past me and advise the OP how to get around behavioural problems ethically. But I'm not letting such comments go unchallenged, from a modding perspective, any more. Awareness of ethical dog training has progressed to the stage that damaging, horribly outdated advice such as yours is quite simply unacceptable.
Do not ever post such advice in this forum again.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thank you.
DBB

DBB

Okay OP, I hope I might be able to help you without using punishing techniques which will only serve to make your puppy anxious, and worried about the consequneces of you coming into the same room as him.
If you don't mind, I'll ask you some questions.
How long has this been going on?
What age was he when you got him?
What time is his last feed?
What time is his last toilet break before you go to bed? Is it on that 11pm walk? Does he always toilet last thing at night?
Is he housetrained? I see you're still using puppy pads... does he seek to go outside to the toilet at all?
For how long have you been going down to him to see what he wants?
How does he react when you walk into the room in the early morning?

There may be more questions, but be 100% certain that contrary to what has been suggetsed, there is a reason for your youngster doing this (which is beyond the remit of a training class), it's a matter of digging deep to find out what the problem is, from his point of view. I hope between those of us who embrace ethical, evidence-based training, we'll help you find an answer

aonb

Could there be a noise/something setting him off?
A cat at the back door or in the garden (crows even)?
A neighbours car leaving to go to work?
The heating/boiler coming on?

Hes only 7 months - could it be that he is getting very hungry by then? What time is his last feed before bed?

When my dog was a puppy, we had a similar issue and found that there were crows pecking at their reflection in the patio door, frightening the life out of the puppy - easily fixed by moving his bed from that room

Graces7

I agree re the hunger. My collie has always been a barker and now she is old needs food frequently and always starts the barking. Once fed a little she settles.

Wise dog rescuer once told me a dog always has a reason for barking.