Help me make it through the night
 

When I first got Wallee, I was thrilled that after his transitional 2 weeks here he would sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
Lately we have been going to bed at the same time (between 9:30 and 10) and he has been getting me up between 2:30 and 3 am. When he was younger, he would occasionally wake and I would put him on his pad to pee and straight back to his crate, no issues. Also, until this past couple weeks, he would follow me to my room and go into his crate on his own. Now, I have to catch him and take him there. His crate has never been used for punishment and he only has access to it at night as it stays in my bedroom (he still hasnt earned free run of the entire house). I thought at first that perhaps the cats were waking him so tried sleeping with the door closed to keep them out. Nope, 2:30 am we were up. He went outside for a pee and poo and when I put him back in his crate he wouldn't stop whining. At 3 I got up, he chewed his antler for a bit (which he refused in his crate) and now he is sleeping in one of the other dog beds here in the living room. Guaranteed he will sleep there for hours.Does anyone have any idea why he wont sleep through in his crate any more? I know the weather has been too cold for walks but I make sure I play ball for hours every day to make up for it. Plus, as I said now he will sleep in this bed for hours...

Here are some pics to show his sleeping arrangements. :confused:

Maybe he's too hot in his crate?

You could be right. I covered it with the blankets because I keep my room quite cool. (That terrible hot age for me) I always have my window open a crack and the temperature here has been -15C at night. My furnace is set back to 19C at night.

I think he has just gotten used to getting up at that time. Mine will wine to get up at 6 am...which is fine on work days:eek::D. But once and a while something happens and they will wake at 4...then the next night the same... And before you know it the internal clock is set. It happens to us too ( that is why I am on yt ay 6:40 am on a Saturday morning lol) you may be right in that it was the cats who started this...and he then go attention from you.

The question is how to reset? If you take him out and put him back and he whines.. For how long? Will he wake others?

That is what I was thinking

Ok today looks like a day that we may be able to get out for a walk (at least I hope) so that may be a start. Also I will take the blankets off the crate to give him more air and see if that could be the problem.I will still keep the bedroom door closed so the cats don't come in. As for how long he whines in the crate, today it was 45 minutes and then I gave up.Luckily my Dh has moved into the other room to sleep since I am struggling to sleep with my hot flashes so I don't want to wake him up with Wallee whining so if I can't get him to settle I get up, knowing I can lay on the couch and Wallee will go back to sleep.I would love however to be able to get this resolved so we can at least stay in bed until 5 again.

Don't know for sure but that bed looks much like it has a lot more room and is very comfy.

Is it possible his crate is too small? I am on the second crate since I got him. I think this one is 24 inches deep. He is 15 inches long from neck to tail.

where do the other dogs sleep?

I don't have any other dogs, just cats. They sleep with my hubby or in the living room.

If you brought the bed in the bedroom and let him sleep in it would he be OK or does he have to be in the crate? I know some people are really insistent about them sleep in the create so that may not be an option. It just seems he likes the bed better. Some dogs can't be trusted with full run of the house but do better with a smaller area that they consider their own.

My husband also suggested that. My only concern with that is he will wake and run over to my side of the bed and wake me. I am considering setting up a gated area and putting his bed in there.

He looks so happy and comfy in his bed. Maybe his crate is too small or he thinks he's grown up and just wants to sleep in his bed. Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you as our two sleep in our bed with us... crazy, I know, but we love it!

I'm a big boy now
 

Mommy is happy happy happy this morning.
We had company last night which meant Wallee got to stay up 2 hours later. When I let him out he wouldn't pee so since it didn't seem long since he had gone I took him off to his crate (now minus all the extra blankets). Sure enough an hour latermhe had to pee. Outside we go then nooooo way he would settle in his crate. So I bring the bed in and out it beside the crate and tell him to go to bed.I shut off the light and he stands bewildered beside the bed whining. I turn the light back on, place him in the bed and tell him BED TIME. I turn out the light and not a sound. I wake at 3:30 to go to the bathroom myself and think , this will be the test. I close the door again so he can't get out come back in still sleeping...whew....I wake to his whining at 7:30 am.....Yep....7:30.....WAY TO GO WALLEE....:thumbup: