Sleeping Early & Waking Early

[raffikki]

Hi everyone who reads this

I have a bit of a habit I'm wanting to break but have no idea how to start.

My beautiful puppies Electra(17weeks) & Rhino(16 weeks) are really going well, except for they sleep a lot in the afternoons, before and after dinner, and are waking between 5 & 5.30am

When they wake they want to play, play fight and run around but it's sooo cold outside I'm very hesitant to put them out to burn some of the excess energy.

At the moment I'm allowing them to play in the kitchen where I am, I've put carpet down so they don't slip around, but I'm a bit worried that this kitchen playing will become a habit. I can just imagine 2 fully grown Amstaffs reeking havoc in such a small area

I have put it down to the cold weather, and the fact that they play heaps during the day.

At the moment they are getting dinner between 5 & 5.30pm and breakfast around 7am.

I am hoping for ideas to keep them awake longer in the evenings, so far I have tried short training sessions, trying to get them to play with toys and even just cuddling with us, but they would much prefer to snooze in front of the heater.

[BaileyWei]

Maybe you can give them some interesting chew toys in the evening to keep them awake until later in the night. Bailey used to wake up when she was 3-4 months at 5am if she was cold, do they have lots of snuggly blankets?

[raffikki]

Hi BaileyWei

They do have chew toys, Electra sometimes wakes up and plays with one, Rhino just prefers to snooze.

I have thought about edible chews in the evenings to keep them awake longer, but am a bit worried because Rhino is a hog and in the lounge room there is really nothing I can tether them too. (to keep him chewing his own and not Electra's)

They have their own room that they have a crate(open) they share.

There is about 4 large towels in there and it's covered with a light quilt.

They are quite warm to touch in the mornings, though the whole house does get pretty cold

[BaileyWei]

Hi BaileyWei

They do have chew toys, Electra sometimes wakes up and plays with one, Rhino just prefers to snooze.

I have thought about edible chews in the evenings to keep them awake longer, but am a bit worried because Rhino is a hog and in the lounge room there is really nothing I can tether them too. (to keep him chewing his own and not Electra's)

They have their own room that they have a crate(open) they share.

There is about 4 large towels in there and it's covered with a light quilt.

They are quite warm to touch in the mornings, though the whole house does get pretty cold

Is the crate on a blanket? Maybe the floors cold under the crate.

Bailey grew out of it at about 5 months but she sleeps outside in her kennel so now she just plays with toys in the yard if she wakes early.

[Dogsfevr]

Let them play outside,unless there noise is going to wake the neighbours they will play until there finished & then return inside.

If they have access to come back in they will when finished.

In the afternoons put them outside.

[raffikki]

I have put a blanket under their crate to see if that might make a difference.

settrlvr,

Putting them out is what I'm worried about it's pretty cold around then, maybe 5 or 6 degrees, is that not too cold for them?

I am usually up at that time and they would let me know when they're finished playing, they gently scratch at the door.

I guess I'm worried about them getting sick, Electra had a bit of a snotty nose a few weeks ago, and I've blocked all the places where I though a draft might be getting in.

Now I worry that if I do put them outside when it's that cold, one or both may get sick, or am I worrying too much?

I've taken them for their training walk earlier today, they are both snoozing now, I'm hoping that they may stay awake longer tonight!

[luvsdogs]

To me, 5 - 6 deg is not that cold for dogs. Is your house heated during the night? If not, they will be used to the cold. If they play like you say, they're not going to notice the cold. As long as you bring them in when they're finished for another nap. My dog is taken out in the early hours to toilet by my son on his way to word & sleeps until I get up & let her out.

Do they have coats?

Edited July 30, 2009 by luvsdogs

[Dogsfevr]

settrlvr,

Putting them out is what I'm worried about embarrass.gif it's pretty cold around then, maybe 5 or 6 degrees, is that not too cold for them?

Ours are outside hooning about from 6 am whether it be 1,2,3 degrees.

When there finished they just come back inside.

I would be letting them go out & play unless it is bucketing down with rain & then yes the chill will be worse but if fine & cold let them be dogs.

Mine although spoilt house dogs LOVE running amuck early am in the cold & our current youngsters hoon about in colder temps &weigh about 2 kg.

When finished they come in & drop

[raffikki]

Well this morning they woke around 5.30am as usual, I am guessing it IS the cold that wakes them.

I put them out side but they just cried at the door, when I let them back in the fun began so I put them out again, they lasted maybe 10 minutes before wanting to come back inside.

Once inside they went straight to their beds, in the kitchen, and have been napping ever since

They were awake later last night, I think the earlier walk may have helped. They snoozed earlier in the afternoon and chewed their toys for much longer in the evening.

luvsdogs,

Unfortunately the house isn't heated, just the gas heater in the lounge room.

I was going to look at getting them coats, but because there are 2 of them was advised by their breeder that it probably wasn't a good idea.....

I dont put coats on lil pups, they dont like them and if they get them off they will chew them up and they might get themselves into trouble whilst trying to get them off, and being that we both have two pups one would most certainly chew the other ones coat even if they didnt get their own coats off lol...Plus they grow so fast that it would only fit for a few weeks.

[harlosmummy]

OMG they are SOOO cute!!!

do you have any more photos!!!

sorry i have nothing to contribute besides how adorable they are!!!

[mokhahouse]

To give you some hope when Mokha was that age he woke up at 5am everyday. We would let him out to pee and then he would just play in the family room while we slept a little longer. Then by the time we were up he was napping. At about 8 months he started to sleep until about 7am still going to sleep at night the same time. Now at 1 year old he sleeps until 8 or 8.30. It is wonderful. Molly is so good doesnt matter if she is awake she will just wait quietly until you wake up and let her out but she is 20 months old now.

[Teebs]

Can i ask, is there any reason they share a crate and you dont get them one each?

I would never crate two dogs together, just incase something happened, there is no way they could get away for each other, the thought makes me sick

5 or 6 degrees cold for them? God, at the moment where i am we are lucky to reach a max of 5 or 6 degrees during the day! Mine get kicked out at 6:15 when i leave for work, and most mornings it is about -1 - -3, the other day we had a heat wave and it was 2 degrees when i left!

[periannath]

Tough love here too I'm afraid.I would not be concerned about the cold. It's always a challenge with two puppies around the house.If they learn that the house is a play area now they will want to continue this sport all their lives. I'm assuming amstaffs are like bullies playing and are weapons of short sighted mass destruction? I always teach the puppies play is for outside. I bring them in and ask them to sit quietly as soon as they start to romp they are swiftly put back outside and left out for a little while. Repeat, repeat, repeat as necessary. Bullies are often thought of as thick but it is amazing how quickly they figure out things that impact on their own comfort! They will soon learn and fly in and settle straight down.

I also would worry about them in same crate. I would prefer a crate each, much safer.They will most likely sleep in later if they are not able to gee each other up as well. Good luck, they are beautiful puppies!

[Oscar (AmBull)]

Reading this I feel quite lucky, Oscar is a bit of a night owl like myself and I love my sleep ins way to much ! He will wake up when my partner comes home from work, at about 8-9am, often won't even get out of bed. Partner feeds him dry food in the morning, which he eats when he wakes up. Sometimes he has slept till 12 with very little activity all morning. He is not a morning puppy, just like I am not a morning person, .

Although seems when ur two are sleeping, is when mine is most active and gets into the most trouble. Otherwise once I go to bed he is happy to sleep right through.

Wish I could help, pups are looking as absolutely gorgeous as ever! Sounds like you are sorting the problem out quickly, good luck.

[raffikki]

Thanks for the replies every one

I just want to say that they share their crate of their own choice, the crate is left open and there is a second one in the same room, that sometimes one of them use.

I think they just like snuggling up to each other when it's cold.

I would never shut them in the same crate, ever.

periannath, I'm trying to do the tough love, I definitely don't want them playing inside to become a regular thing!

This morning they were really good, and I'm hoping it'll continue

I'll continue to put them out if they start playing & getting revved up.

Tonight I fed them much later than normal....7pm

They napped for a while then woke and played quietly with chew toys until 10pm, then I put them in their room.

Hopefully tomorrow morning we all will get a little sleep in, even 7am I'd be happy with

[Dogsfevr]

Okay i wouldnt feed latter because then they need to toilet earlier,which means wake up early .

I would simply start altering there routine .

Do they go for walks???

If they have plenty of toys place them in abox & rotate them so toys seem new & interesting not the same old same.

Go out & play with them & get them working .

[raffikki]

Hi settrlvr

I'm a little confused ;)

I would have thought that feeding them later would mean they would need to toilet later

This is also something I am still working on too, they are paper trained for night time(when they're in their room) and I'm trying to figure a way to teach them to hold on, without resorting to shutting them in crates?

The last couple of nights after getting dinner later, between 6.30 & 7pm, they are toileting before bed(9-10pm) and there has been less mess on the paper in the mornings.

They are still waking up around 6am though

They do go for walks, everyday I'm taking short walks with them individually and working on stopping them pulling.

I was doing these walks around 3pm, but have changed to earlier in the day so they nap earlier too.

They don't really play all that much with me, they seem to prefer cuddles, I try things like fetch, tug etc with little success.

I will start rotating their toys, at the moment they have access to all of them though their favorite toys are each other

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated

Edited to add: I have put them outside the last couple of mornings when they wake, they have played for about 10 - 15 minutes then asked to come back inside. They then snooze until breakfast ;)

I've stopped worrying so much about the cold and they are behaving so much better after their run around :rolleyes:

I think I've got some very clever puppies

Okay i wouldnt feed latter because then they need to toilet earlier,which means wake up early .

I would simply start altering there routine .

Do they go for walks???

If they have plenty of toys place them in abox & rotate them so toys seem new & interesting not the same old same.

Go out & play with them & get them working .

Edited August 2, 2009 by raffikki