# Suddenly waking at night



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Ruby is over 8 months old now and I figured our 4 a.m. pee trips outside were over with long ago. 

Over the past couple of weeks she has been waking up once a night to either pee or poo. She goes back to sleep immediately after, but me...not so much. It often takes me an hour to get back to sleep. Needless to say I am really tired lately. She sleeps in our bed so it's not like I can ignore her when she wakes. She jumps off the bed and then will whine/paw at the door.

Our last bathroom trip at night is around 10 or 11 p.m. and she eats dinner at 5 or 6 p.m., so I am not sure if anything needs to be changed there.

Suggestions? Is this just a phase? I definitely hope so. Before this she was sleeping in until 8 a.m. or later with no wakes in the middle of the night.


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Total phase or just common with the name Ruby....Our Ruby pulled that crap around that time as well. I think it is just a phase. We have Ruby very regimed to get her poop and pees all done before 10pm. If she misses her schedule, then we would wake up to her "poop cry". We would take her out and then she would be hyper wanting to play.

She did get over it. It has happened from time to time when something changes like when my husband travels or if we have someone stay over night. She doesn't not like changes in the schedule. I also noticed when she had some stomach problems this would happen.


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Have there been any other changes in routine or diet? I've noticed out nine month old is very sensitive to any diet or routine changes and will get up in the middle of night to do these things for a week or two when we make a change. It could even be that on a particular day she didn't get a lunch break so that night she be off schedule and possibly for a few days.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

We went through this with Miles as well. After a week or so of frustration we figured out he was getting some new back teeth in. We gave him more teething toys to help him and the phase passed in a few weeks. Hang in there!


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Glad to hear that I am not alone and that it's most likely a phase.

I can't think of anything that's changed recently as far as routines. MilesMom, I hadn't even thought that she might be getting her back teeth in...that's definitely a possibility!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Astro is two and still has to get up around midnight to go. Some do, some don't. Ozkar and Zsa Zsa sleep right through. They don't even move when I get up to take Astro out......


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I am happy to report she slept till our alarm went off this morning.


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## RoxieVizsla (Apr 17, 2011)

Roxie is 2 and we are still having trouble with her getting up during the night (2 am, like she has a clock!). Similiar to your schedule, she has the last of her food by 5 or 6 pm and last potty around 10 pm. She can go all night, but still wanted the 2 am break. Knowing that she could go all night, we started to ignore her at 2 am (just over the last month or so). She very quickly just comes back to bed and lasts quite a while after we are up in the morning before needing to go out. This tells us that the 2 am thing is more of her routine (self-developed!) then a necessity. Can't say it is all perfect, as she still jumps out of bed some nights and rings the bell, but the good news is that she comes back to bed.

Not sure if your 8 month old is able to go all night, but if so I would suggest not letting this develop into a "routine" if it does not need to.

Good luck!


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

I would agree with Roxievizsla. Sounds like she's doing it out of routine rather than necessity (she managed before and you would expect a dog of that age to manage it). Probably time to try ignoring her.

Edit: Just noticed your update lilyloo - great to hear things may be back to normal.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

After a very trying start, Ester started sleeping through (with the odd hiccup). She is 11 months old now, and has reverted back to her old ways. I am thinking that this may be due to her being in season at the end of November/beginning of December. She has also been a bit crotchety lately. I am desperately trying to get her to sleep through again. She is crated over night, but much prefers to be with us, and will happily sleep for hours on the sofa! I would rather she remain crated at night for now, as at least I know she can't get up to any mischief! She has her tea around 5-6pm and then spends time snoozing/playing. She has regular toilet breaks, the last being when she goes to bed. I always have to settle her in her crate, and can only leave her if she is falling asleep. This can take anything from 15 mins (at best), to 1hr 30 mins (unfortunately this is the norm). She sometimes waits till I get in bed to start barking, but mostly starts as I am creeping up the stairs! I then usually have to get up once or twice in the night, anytime from 2-5am, as she constantly barks. I have tried ignoring her, but it hasn't worked so far, she's very persistent (and loud). She keeps the whole household (and the neighbours, who have previously complained) awake. To be fair, she usually does go to the toilet, but then will not go back to bed. To get her back to sleep, I generally have to have a bit of a tussle with her, as she thinks it's play time. This can again last for 1-2hrs. Well, to be honest, this is not what you need in the middle of the night. I had all this from day one with her, and I could never have imagined that she would still be the same at nearly a year old. She is active during the day, off leash, and is going to be starting agility soon. What makes me laugh is her trit trotting down the hall into the lounge and plonking herself on the sofa, asleep in minutes, after I have tried to settle her in her crate for ages! Grrrrrgh!!! Someone please tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel???


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

P.S 
Sorry for the long post. Just read it through. Yeh, seems to me she's a spoilt adolescent brat, but she's adorable and I love her! Think I have orangeitis. Must have caught it off here! ;D ;D ;D


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Hi Pippy,

I don't have much experience crate training.... but the first thing I would try is stopping the initial settling you do with her when you put her up at night. It might take a few days but I bet that would help. Also, have you tried the plug ins that sooth them? Can't remember what it is called, but it starts with an A. 

Hopefully someone else with more experience in night time crating will chime in!


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Do you mean put her in her crate then leave her? She makes soooo much noise! We got to a point where we (I), was doing that, then she came into season. At the same time she also got really ill, to the point we thought she was dying. The not settling started initially just before coming into season, then got worse. I slept downstairs with her for almost a week when she was ill, which may not have helped the situation either. Do you mean the DAP diffuser? Yes, we have one of those. I would like to say it worked, as they are not cheap, but it didn't. The way I see it, the only one going without sleep, is me - still!! :'( As I write this, the little monkey is snuggled up next to me, under a cushion, after a good run in the snow. Bless


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Pippylongstocking said:


> Do you mean put her in her crate then leave her? She makes soooo much noise! We got to a point where we (I), was doing that, then she came into season. At the same time she also got really ill, to the point we thought she was dying. The not settling started initially just before coming into season, then got worse. I slept downstairs with her for almost a week when she was ill, which may not have helped the situation either. Do you mean the DAP diffuser? Yes, we have one of those. I would like to say it worked, as they are not cheap, but it didn't. The way I see it, the only one going without sleep, is me - still!! :'( As I write this, the little monkey is snuggled up next to me, under a cushion, after a good run in the snow. Bless


Yes, I would try putting her in and leaving her. They are smart little boogers and know that if they're upset, we come to settle them. Even if you do it just once or twice she thinks that maybe you'll do it again if she makes enough noise. I am sure the extra attention she got when she was ill (I totally would have done the same thing) has made her extra attached/caused some separation anxiety.

I'm not really one to talk, because we tried crate training Ruby when she was 8 weeks old. The first night we had her home she whined for 4 hours straight and I gave up and let her in the bed with us. The rest is history! 

Just a thought -- will she sleep on a dog bed on the floor in your room at night?


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Got it licked... just dress up as an owl..
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4602899/insomniac-dress-up-owl-at-night.html


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Well, just an update. Settled Ester in her crate very quickly, and left her whilst she was still awake. This is when she usually starts barking. Don't know if it was a fluke or not, but she never made a peep all night!  She has given me this same false sense of security before, but we'll see. Lilyloo, I would love her to sleep in the bedroom, but my husband wouldn't! I don't think she would settle on a bed on the floor though, she'd be in the bed, or in and out the kids rooms! Downstairs she has beds all over the place, but still settles on the sofa with us!


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## Shanbrier (Nov 29, 2011)

Our 1.5 year old has been doing this since I can remember. 3:30 am on the dot every night. I am 90% sure its habit but that being said not sure how to break it. He is bell trained so if we ignore him he just rings the bell over and over. Annoying. Or he comes to the side of the bed and whines till one of us gets up. So usually its just easier to let him out bc the sooner we do-the sooner we are back to sleep. So frustrating.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Shanbrier said:


> Our 1.5 year old has been doing this since I can remember. 3:30 am on the dot every night. I am 90% sure its habit but that being said not sure how to break it. He is bell trained so if we ignore him he just rings the bell over and over. Annoying. Or he comes to the side of the bed and whines till one of us gets up. So usually its just easier to let him out bc the sooner we do-the sooner we are back to sleep. So frustrating.


Oh my goodness! How on earth did you manage bell training, and why?? ??? Sounds like you take it in turns to get up - everyone here turns a blind eye (or should that be ear), to Ester's crying and barking, and leaves it to me! She has been getting a little better recently. Still takes a while to settle her, but fingers crossed, she has been sleeping till 7-8am. Huge improvement, finally. Now we need to work on her behaviour during the day. Any ideas on how to keep V's off the furniture??? ;D ;D ;D


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## RoxieVizsla (Apr 17, 2011)

Shanbrier said:


> Our 1.5 year old has been doing this since I can remember. 3:30 am on the dot every night. I am 90% sure its habit but that being said not sure how to break it. He is bell trained so if we ignore him he just rings the bell over and over. Annoying. Or he comes to the side of the bed and whines till one of us gets up. So usually its just easier to let him out bc the sooner we do-the sooner we are back to sleep. So frustrating.


Shanbrier, as I had added earlier our Roxie has selected 2 am (on the dot) like your V has selected 3:30 am (on the dot) for their habit. We also bell train and recently have created our own habit...taking the bell off the door when we go to bed and then just ignorning her when she gets up and goes downstairs or even call her back to bed. We do not get up and let her our anymore, and she just comes back up and gets into bed. It seems like since we have started doing this, she has decreased the number of times she wakes, but this too may be a phase!

Good luck!


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## Shanbrier (Nov 29, 2011)

Pippy-It actually was very easy to train when him to ring the bell to go out-and we did it bc I wanted a way for him to tell us he needed to go instead of scratching the door ect. Works great but he has absolutely used it to manipulate us on numerous occasions  Little stinker. 

Roxie-We have tried taking the bell off but then he just paces back and forth OR he sits by our bed and whines. I did try an experiment where we let him sleep with us in our bed-and what do you know-he never "needs" to go out in the middle of the night. What a manipulator! I think he just gets bored in his bed. However-we have always let him in with us about 6 am every morning for cuddle time after he goes and does his morning potty break. So I also think maybe he thinks if he goes potty (even at 3:30 am) the thing that happens after that is cuddle time?....perhaps hes trying to push it up earlier and he is relating going to the bathroom with being able to get into bed with us afterwards. Hes such a jerk. LOL.


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## Shanbrier (Nov 29, 2011)

Pippylongstocking said:


> Shanbrier said:
> 
> 
> > Now we need to work on her behaviour during the day. Any ideas on how to keep V's off the furniture??? ;D ;D ;D
> ...


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Ester was a year old last week, so may be a little harder to stop the learned behaviour! We should really have started as we meant to go on, but I'm afraid we fell under the vizsla spell, hook, line and sinker!


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## JacksonV (Jan 20, 2010)

Most of the posts on here are about puppies or dogs less than a year waking up in the middle of the night... well my boy is 3 years old and over the last few months wakes up between 2-4 in the morning and will pace around the room jump on the bed, etc until we get up to feed him, we give him one small scoop and he will go back to bed until 9am! we feed him 3 times a day and he gets dinner between 6-7 at night. We try to ignore him but we need sleep too! any ideas?

Thank you!


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Time for separate rooms I think!

Tough love required!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

JacksonV, go to two larger meals instead of 3. That should solve the 2am hunger pangs. When you do, be prepared to tough it out for a few nights as his habit will still be to have a midnight snack. Make his 2nd meal later in the evening.


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