Golden lab barking 5am daily

Life1234

Hi All,

We have a beautiful 7 month old Golden Lab. He is absolutely gorgeous. So loyal, caring & affectionate and we absolutely love him. We are having major issues with him barking / separation anxiety and we are just looking for a bit of advice please.

When we 1st got him (at 16 weeks), he wouldn't sleep downstairs at all and he just barked the whole time. He howled, barked, cried, scratched at the door, pooped, everything.. for hours. With plenty of time and consistency we trained him to go to bed and he knows now when we bring him into bed at say 10.30pm and say "night night" that he is just there for the night. He gets that now, which is great! We were delighted with this.

However, as soon as 5am comes, he barks. He has a very loud piercing bark too. He will not stop until we go down to him. We have tried letting him just bark but he would go on for hours & he just doesn't stop. He wakes up at 5am everyday and we are woke up to his bark.

We have realised that he just wants to come up to us & be with us. We tried taking turns getting up at 5am and sleeping on couch (him on floor) and he slept until 8/9am once one of us were with him. If we let him upstairs at 5am (which we have done sometimes as we were so sleep deprived) he will happily sleep beside our bed until maybe 8-9am and then he wants to get up and play. We realise that he just wants to be around us when he wakes.

My question is, is there a way to stop him waking at 5am and barking immediately? He has so many toys and things to occupy him in his room (he sleeps in the utility room) but he just sits at the door and barks. Most dogs we both had before just wake up and wait for us to wake up so this is totally new to us.

He is barking because he wants to come up to us and just be around us. Yes he is happy to go to the toilet, be fed etc but his main concern is being around us and wanting to be near us when he wakes up at 5am. It's like he can only last until 5am without us.

We have tried letting him out to go toilet at 5-6am when he wakes and then put him back to bed. It doesn't work & he barks a couple of minutes later.

We have tried feeding him when he wakes up and then putting him back to bed. It doesn't work he barks a couple of minutes later.

We have tried ignoring him, but he will literally bark for hours and it just isn't fair on the neighbours.

He also has some separation anxiety issues. He just wants to be with us all of the time. He is fine at night going into bed as we have trained him but he won't stay out the back garden on his own for long (just to pee) unless we are there. Similarly, if we leave the room he will bark/cry. He is only happy / most content when he is around us. Also, he will only play contently with all his toys (go to his toy box and choose a toy etc) if we are there. We have a puppy cam and he just won't do this unless we are there.

The main reason why we don't want him upstairs is for hygiene reasons. We don't feel comfortable having a dog sleeping in the same room as us (& a baby in the future) for hygiene reasons. We could try putting him on the landing but I would just much rather him downstairs & didn't bark at 5am. It really takes its toll on you being woke up to this everyday.


If anyone has any advice - it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a mill.

Tabnabs

Does he sleep in a crate? We eventually had to lock our little guy in overnight as he was getting up to mischief in the small hours. This worked for winter. Since the bright mornings we had a similar experience. Pre-6am when he barks for attention, we go down and acknowledge him, tell him to be quiet and be a good boy etc. all without going near the crate. We generally get about half an hour of quiet out of him after this. Post 6am barking, we let him out to the toilet, give him his breakfast and used to stay up with him.

Now however we let him sleep at the foot of the bed and we all get a great lie in. It's a lot of fun having him in for a pet and a rub before he settles down. Our guy is low shed and very clean so we don't have any hygiene issues beyond what a dog regularly brings.

Believe me, it's good training for having babies and small kids, cause they will do just the same and come with similar levels of hygiene concerns...

Life1234

Hi @Tabnabs

Thanks so much for your reply. I really appreciate it.

He isn't in a crate no, at the moment he sleeps in his bed but he has a little "den" as he is in the compartment where say the washing machine/dryer could be. He loves it. Maybe a crate is something to consider?

Sounds like a very similar situation to us!

Is he in a crate at the foot of the bed or just on his bed?

Does he sleep there all night or do you just let him up at 6am?

I love having him up with us too but worried about the hygiene aspect & asthma etc with him sleeping in our room. He is also very clean & he has "shedding" periods but in general is fine.

Thanks so much, really appreciate your help with this.

All the best.

charlietheminxx

Our dog is like this. We adopted her as an adult so we decided not to try and train her out of it. We set up her main bed on the landing and leave our bedroom door ajar. When she wakes, she slips into the room and goes back asleep on a blanket on the floor next to our bed. It doesn't even wake me anymore, we all get a good sleep and everyone is happy.

7.5 hours is a long time to be in a confined space alone, it's your choice but I'd personally go with the landing. Having dog hair on the carpet is just a price you pay for dog ownership! With a regular vacuum I wouldn't consider it a hygiene issue but I know everyone is different.

Some dogs are just more social than others. Is he destructive when alone or does he have accidents? If not, it's probably not full on separation anxiety. Is he food motivated? You could try using puzzle trays with food in them. I found them very handy in getting our girl settled into being on her own. Other than that, she usually just naps and looks out the window while we are out. A lot of dogs only play when they have company.

Life1234

Hi @Charlietheminxx

Thanks so much for the reply. I have tried him on the landing but he just comes straight into us - he won't stay out there when he knows we are there. He just wants to be inside the room with us.

I suppose it is all about us getting a good sleep and being happy.

I was more worried about the asthma issues if we had a baby and a puppy in the same room. Maybe that wouldn't be an issue.

If he is alone (other than night time) he can be somewhat destructive. He might eat at a hall door mat or have an accident but he doesn't do that every time.

He is definitely food motivated. I might tray a puzzle tray. Thanks! I didn't realise that a lot of dogs only play when they have company. Thanks for the reassurance.

PukkaStukka

Blackout blinds?

Life1234

We tried this, he has the blinds in the utility room. It doesn't seem to work. Thanks though!

JustAThought

I am a fan of crate training and crate trained and used the crate for nervous visitors/ accidents / visiting children etc but I’d be very reluctant to suggest it in this case - it might really damage and further distress the dog and cause more significant seperation/ anxiety issues

My dog used wake with the sun - and always went to bed at the same time! It became a point of hassle every summer when the sun gets
up earlier and earlier and I didn’t want to. I used leave the back door open so the dog could potter out to the garden and self amuse quietly.

Q: Does your dog sleep inna room what has white out blinds/ curtains? Might be worth considering lining the ones you have - you used be able to buy rolls of the stuff relatively cheaply in Hickeys/Home (store?base).

Please don’t put your dog into a utility or small windowless bathroom overnight as they often have no windows - I always think how awful this must be for the dog for 8+ hours a day.

My dog was not allowed upstairs (white carpets) or on beds and used get up occasionally and roam downstairs giving little whines. I’d stumble down and put her back to bad and tuck a warm blanket over her and stay with her until she was warm and settled - 20 mins or half an hour, and then head back up to bed and do the same for myself - always worked. But I did it consistently and never left her unsettled - I figure she was so good that if she needed a hug or some comfort why not just give it to her.

I had a rescue dog stay with me for a few years and it had been left outside locked in the garden with a kennel and water while the owners and kids ( who all loved it) went on with lives inside. That dog would cower and howl and shriek and run to hide if you even open the back door - it was utterly heartwrenching . It took about a year for it to understand that if I opened the door it was not going to he put out and that it didn’t need to hide behind the couch or clamp itself to the floor and wee in fear. It absolutely made my heart bleed in anguish for her every time I saw her react like that. Despite much love and care and tendeness and picnics and happy together events in the garden she never outgrew her horror of being left alone outdoors or locked out into the garden - and I never did it. She was the most loyal, affectionet, kindhearted, gentle, loving dog ever but had a terror.

We have our ipads, our tv’s, our books, our phonecalls, and our partners. If after 8
months of love and training and attention and no bad experiences, your dog is still saying she is alone and unhappy and dosn’t want to be isolated and left by herself for the next 4 or 6 hours until you get up, perhaps it might be worthwhile to consider what the previous poster has suggested and allow her a basket or bed on the landing or at the foot of your bed in the floor.

Dog’s don’t speak great english but she is doing her best to tell you how much she is lonely and wants to be close to the people she loves. There are simple ways to mitigate the clenliness - washable bedding weekly for fido, small roll over gadget for hairs, and the dog is house trained already? It might be a easy
price for happy neighbours and no noise Nd ling sleepins. I personally agree with no dogs on the beds.

PukkaStukka

Only one cure: another dog for company!

JustAThought

PS

And I dont mean that she comes up to sleep with you at his/her bedtime - she sleeps in her spot but if at 5 or 6am she is worrying and alone she can be let up for an extended nap at your feet while you are in bed, and then not let in the room or upstairs again after you have come down to start the day.

charlietheminxx

Life1234 wrote: »

Hi @Charlietheminxx

Thanks so much for the reply. I have tried him on the landing but he just comes straight into us - he won't stay out there when he knows we are there. He just wants to be inside the room with us.

I suppose it is all about us getting a good sleep and being happy.

I was more worried about the asthma issues if we had a baby and a puppy in the same room. Maybe that wouldn't be an issue.

Sorry I should have said - we used a baby gate on our bedroom door to get her used to this (based on advice we got in this forum!). It meant getting up and letting her into the room in the early hours for the first 2 weeks, but it got the routine in place in a pain free way. I'd offer you ours if you were close by!

I had fully intended having our dog sleep in the kitchen :rolleyes: You just have to take the dog's personality into account. I know it can be tough when they are needy, but you will adapt and find a middle ground. We've seen a big change in ours over the last few months (only have her since November). She also wouldn't go into the garden and now she sits at the back door looking to go out a few times a day. I'm currently in the kitchen on my laptop, and she's in the living room basking in the sun and looking out the window - that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.

On the children thing, it's usually beneficial for them to be around animals when they are young. Once the dog isn't licking a baby's face (risk of worms etc), early exposure to pets can actually prevent allergies from developing later on.

tk123

Life1234 wrote: »

I was more worried about the asthma issues if we had a baby and a puppy in the same room. Maybe that wouldn't be an issue.
.

Wait.. do you have a baby with asthma? Or are you worried that the dog will give a baby asthma? There's been tons of studies to prove that children who grow up around pets are less likely to develop asthma?

The simple solution for asthma (in my case and many others) is to keep the dog well groomed - people are usually allergic to the dander rather than the fur.

Life1234

Yeah, I think I might leave the crate - he likes his bed and I don't think that is an issue.

He sleeps in the utility room which is a large area and there is a big window with a blind on it. Maybe we need to get a better quality black out version?


We have tried the comfort thing at 5am & he loves that. He is soo affectionate and loving. That's all he wants. But as soon as we leave.. the crying / barking starts again. He is only happiest in our company (which is so lovely! - we all have such a special bond).

I don't understand how you can leave a dog outside like that So sad!

I think the bed in the landing or the bottom of our bed is probably going to be the best option. Do you think we should leave him in his bed and bring him up at 5 when he cries? Or, just move him up altogether?

Life1234

I don't think I can handle two at the moment! LOL

Life1234

A baby gate is a great idea as he always tries to come into the room when we have him on the landing. I don't have one but could definitely look into one, thank you.

We only have him since January too. He is the best thing that ever happened to us. We just want him to be happy & for us all to get some sleep!


Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

Life1234

No no we don't have a baby with asthma but I have heard that if you keep a dog in a room with a baby, they can develop asthma. Hopefully that isn't true as it would be great if not. I don't want to get him into a routine & then have to upend him at another time.

He is a tight skinned golden lab, he doesn't shed much (only when in his shedding periods) so it shouldn't be too much of an issue, hopefully!

Thanks.

Life1234

I don't think we could handle two at the moment! LOL

charlietheminxx

Life1234 wrote: »

No no we don't have a baby with asthma but I have heard that if you keep a dog in a room with a baby, they can develop asthma. Hopefully that isn't true as it would be great if not. I don't want to get him into a routine & then have to upend him at another time.

It's definitely not true OP One less thing to worry about!

Blaze420

You could try leaving something with your scent on it close to or in his bed with him (a worn t-shirt for example). It helped for our little fella when we had similar problems with his early barking (which was more of a loud beep-bark that would cut through the deepest of sleep ).

Life1234

I will pop that in with him tonight. Thanks so much!