# Sleep schedule



## Hannah982 (Sep 24, 2015)

We have 2 litter mates who are now 16 mo old and crate trained from the beginning. They wake at 5:30am and bark in their crates no matter how much excise they get the day before. 

Vet and behaviorists don't have suggestions outside of restricting water at night which didn't help. The vet suggested it was their internal clock and somewhat set. I would appreciate any suggestions to getting another hour of sleep! Maybe they will outgrow this? 

Thank you!


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

Our boy was the same and his internal clock is still set - crack of dawn and wide awake. It started with me waking him up at 5:30 am, which was my wake up time for work. I wanted him to get into the routine of getting up with me, playing, eating, going to the bathroom, etc. As he got older, I didn't always want to wake up at 5:30, especially on weekends! I started by snapping my fingers and saying "go to bed" (you can use whatever indicator you want) and then ignored the fuss. The first weekend I extended it by 15 minutes, then 30, etc. We are still always up by 7:30 but I think he has now changed my internal clock to not be able to sleep any later than that  Now if he gets up I just snap my fingers, and he lays back down and goes to bed - no verbal command needed. The first couple of weeks will take some adjustment for your pups, but you can certainly do it.


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## Hannah982 (Sep 24, 2015)

Thank you! You have inspired my hope!


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

I'm not one for restricting fluids, especially in active dogs. At 16 mos. they should be able to get thru the night anyways.

I'm also not so sure about the "internal clock" explanation. Ve to the routine of the hosue and adjust accordingly. There shouldn't really be a reason for them waking up at 5:30 now.

You didn't mention where the crates are and what type they are. Keeping in mind that V's are sensitive and need to be close to their people, it might be best to keep them in the bedroom with you. That way, they'll be close to you, and also get the routine, that 5:30 is still sleep time. Also, if the crates are too small (or too big) that might be disturbing to them. Open or closed crates, too..some dogs prefer the open wire ones and other prefer the closed plastic ones, you can experiment by putting a blanket over half of the crate and see.


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

Gingerling said:


> I'm also not so sure about the "internal clock" explanation. Ve to the routine of the hosue and adjust accordingly. There shouldn't really be a reason for them waking up at 5:30 now.


I too would have questioned this, except this seems to be a bonus feature in my model of V  

He gets fed 3 times a day. Each day between 4:55 and 5:05 pm and each night between 8:55 and 9:05 pm (his clock is +/-5 minutes) he will come and sit directly in front of me staring at me. If I ignore him, he will put his head on my lap. He is telling me it his feeding time. This does not change if I have missed his feeding at 5 pm and have postponed it until a later time. He will still alert me of his 9 pm feeding time. 

My guy is an early riser regardless, but I trained him to be up at 5:30 am and then had to break him of it. But he could be in a completely dark room and still know it was 5:30 am. There are many many mornings I wake up to a shadow of a V staring inches from my face promptly at 5:30 am, no alarm clock needed. 

Our bodies get into a routine, theirs do too if we give them one.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Mine have always gotten up at 530 AM, but that's my alarm time. They adjusted to my schedule, and don't care if its a weekend. I have to laugh when they have stayed at my daughters house. She complains that at 530 they wake her up, and refuse to settle back down until taken outside.
I think some vizslas are just more OCD than others.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

with all of the V's I have had - Sun comes up we are up - sun goes down - they are down - day lite saving TIME kills me - LOL !!!!!!!!!


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## Hannah982 (Sep 24, 2015)

Thanks, all! Blankets over the crates have given us an extra 30 to 60 minutes of sleep the last few nights.


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