[Teddy’s mom]

How long does your dog sleep at night? Teddy goes to crate 10ish depending on what he needs. Potty at 12:30 am immediately back to crate then up at 9. Working on phasing the 12:30 potty out but I’m afraid that will have him wanting out earlier in the morning. That’s doesn’t work for my schedule. 🤔

 

[PeggyTheParti]

You can try the "pushback" technique we used. Just push that nigthtime potty a little later each night: 12:45 for a few nights to make sure you're waking him from a deep sleep. Then maybe 1:15 for a few nights, then 2:15.....

By the time he's sleeping happily until 4am or so, eliminate the nighttime potty and start establishing a wake-up time:

Start with 7 for a few days, then 7:15, and so on, always making sure he's still sleepy and quiet when you let him out, otherwise you're moving too fast.

The key is to never give him a chance to get restless and cry. You want to teach him that you call the nighttime potty shots unless it's an emergency.

Peggy is in her crate nightly from 10:30pm or whenever she's ready (rarely later than midnight, though I often stay up later) until anywhere from 8am to 11am, depending on when we're up for the day.

 

[Teddy’s mom]

Teddy has been on a schedule since we got him. So I’m all about a schedule!

 

[cowpony]

Galen usually goes into his crate around 8 PM, although lately that time has been drifting to 9-ish. If he had a good run before bed he will stay quiet until 6:30 AM or so. Sometimes if we aren't sure he's full empty we will take him back out of the cratecfor one final potty at 10 PM.

 

[AbBen]

A topic I’ve been thinking a lot about.

Ideally our guy would sleep in later, but I’m a sucker and continue to walk/feed him early so he continues to wake me up haha.

Ben crashes for the night at about 8, after our big evening walk. We wake the poor soul up at 10:30 or so for one last pee break before bed. After that he usually has a bite or two to eat as a “midnight snack” of leftover dinner, then takes himself to bed.

In the morning, he’s awake once the sun is up, so these days usually 5:30-6:00. He makes his way up to my face (my husband is a heavy sleeper and thus impervious to his poodley charm) puts his nose an inch from mine and squeaks until I open my eyes (it’s not a bark, not a true whine, not sure how he does it). When my eyes open his tail starts going furiously, then he will position himself for morning pats, first the chest, then flops into me for easier ear access. After a few minutes of petting if I ignore him he will sometimes sleep up by my face for another hour but if he really needs something he will begin using his hands to encourage action. He will paw at my hands, ultimately whacking me in the head if I, as the dumb human I am, continue to not listen.

I’m hesitant to ignore him beyond this, he came to us as an adult 2 months ago and his house training was iffy. If he tells me he’s gotta go, I like to reinforce that positively and listen, even if it’s inconvenient.

Then out we go, 30 minute walk for a pee/poop and back home for breakfast. If it’s a work day, I head to my home office and he will head to his crate or the stairs for his first nap of the day. If it’s a weekend we both go back to bed, and he will stay until either myself or my husband wakes up.

I’m beginning to think it’s actually hunger that makes him want to get up in the morning, the last few weeks he has been more excited about breakfast than the morning walk.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I’m beginning to think it’s actually hunger that makes him want to get up in the morning, the last few weeks he has been more excited about breakfast than the morning walk.

Maybe try leaving some kibble out for him?

If Peggy woke me up at 5:30, I would lose my mind. Literally. I think it would seriously affect my mental and/or physical health. I can't even set alarms regularly without triggering migraines.

But having a rehomed adult dog is a lot like having a puppy. Your needs go out the window for a while.

Maybe with time he'll adapt better to your preferences. You'll just have to figure out how to communicate them to him. (Ha! Easier said than done, right?)

 

[AbBen]

Thanks Peggy! I hope so too. Sorry to hear about your migraines, they are so difficult to live with.

We are quite far north so as we get later into the summer the sun will begin rising later and later. By October the sun won’t come up until 8:30. I’m betting this will help, after his neuter he slept in his crate in a dark room and didn’t make a peep until 7:30.

I do leave food out for him, about half a typical meal amount. It’s always gone by the morning. I’m hesitant to leave more than that out, he’s got a funny tummy and eating too much seems to be one of his triggers. I don’t think he’s under-fed, he was quite skinny when he came home and is slowly putting on weight. Daily he eats the amount recommended for a dog 25 pounds heavier than he currently is and always leaves a bit in the bottom of the bowl after a meal.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Oh how I love those late autumn mornings!

We use a lightweight black blanket over a crate, leaving it uncovered only on the wall side. I think that probably helps Peggy stay in a deep sleep.

Something tells me I'd also have a poodle face in my sleeping face if she were left to her own devices.

 

[Dechi]

My dogs sleep from 0930 pm to 0700-0930, depending on when I wake up.

 

[AbBen]

You’ve all confirmed for me that I’m getting scammed haha!

 

[vandog]

My spoo will go to bed whenever I go to bed (usually between 10pm or 12am depending on what I have going on) and then will sleep until I wake up which can be anywhere from 6am till 11am. She sleeps on my bed and when she falls asleep, she’s out for the night. She’s been that way since puppyhood

 

[fjm]

Poppy is ready for bed at 8.30pm these days, and can see no reason for us all to hang around downstairs when we would be so much more comfortable up in bed. I refuse to go before 9.30 at the earliest - by 10 she can be so sleepy she struggles to wake up enough to climb the stairs. We usually wake between 6.30 and 7am, the dogs go out for a pee then have their breakfast. So we get a pretty solid 8-9 hours sleep in bed, which suits all of us. I made a firm rule when they were puppies that morning is when I say it is, but I am sometimes woken by restless wiggling when Poppy is getting a bit desperate, and if she really can't settle back down will take her out and, if it is horribly early, we all go back to bed for a while.