Tips on teaching Ernest to sleep in?

[amongmany]

Our ~6mo. pup Ernest has been awesome. He was crate trained within a few days and sleeps in his crate/pen at night with no problem. Save one: he's up at 5am every morning like clockwork. Doesn't matter if his last walk was at 8pm or midnight, come 5am he's rattling around to get out, but this also indicates to me that he could hold it longer if he wanted to.

We get up and take him out and he'll always potty. If we bring him back inside and let him get in bed, he'll fall back to sleep for another few hours. if we put him back in his crate/pen though, he just rattles around because he wants to get out.

Anyone have tips on training him to sleep a little later? Even until 6am would make a huge difference in our routine at home. I should also add that we live in a NYC studio, so separating him from us isn't an option.

[eeeefarm]

Where is his crate located? If it isn't beside your bed, I would try placing it there. He may take his cue from you that it isn't time to get up yet. If you let him sleep with you, it's even more likely that he will figure out it isn't time to rise and shine. All of the Basenjis I have owned prefer to sleep in, often staying in bed after I get up. That said, if his system is used to "potty" at a certain time, changing the last time he goes out won't necessarily help. Changing the time you feed him would be a better strategy, IMO.

[amongmany]

@eeeefarm:

Where is his crate located? If it isn't beside your bed, I would try placing it there. He may take his cue from you that it isn't time to get up yet. If you let him sleep with you, it's even more likely that he will figure out it isn't time to rise and shine. All of the Basenjis I have owned prefer to sleep in, often staying in bed after I get up. That said, if his system is used to "potty" at a certain time, changing the last time he goes out won't necessarily help. Changing the time you feed him would be a better strategy, IMO.

Unfortunately, moving his crate isn't an option. As I mentioned, we're in a space constrained apartment that's been very carefully laid out to make the space work for us. Not sure changing his eating schedule would help either. We're pretty loose about his eating schedule, but often he only has to pee in the morning anyway.

[stash]

I complain when Kaiser wakes me up before 8am, mostly I'm up first but if he wakes early I usually put him out to pee then give him his antler to chew on and hope for a sleep in. His crate is next to our bed and find if he is nice and warm he sleeps best so he has blankets to snuggle under. Kaiser is 2 in July but I do remember he did want to get up early as a pup and play play play so your pup may sleep in as he grows up. I also find that no matter what time we go to bed he still has the same wake up time so if he wakes early I know something's up, usually an upset tummy so we do make the effort to toilet him.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[mattlick12]

Finley is 7 months old and is getting out of that habit. Alot of times if I wake up early in the morning from 6-7 I'll let her sleep in the bed until I wake up. She used to get up at 5 or so but I'd say in the last month especially she doesn't cry or try to get out, she just sleeps in and doesn't mind if she sleeps in the crate instead of the bed. Not saying the bed is the solution, but it might just be all the puppy energy and they have to grow out of it?

[MacPack]

Waking up bored and alone, and having to pee a bit, is more 'demanding' than waking up, ignoring the need to pee and snuggling deeper into the human under the covers. Just saying.

[eeeefarm]

@MacPack:

Waking up bored and alone, and having to pee a bit, is more 'demanding' than waking up, ignoring the need to pee and snuggling deeper into the human under the covers. Just saying.

Absolutely true! I swear my Basenjis have always been better at "holding it" than I am. Especially on a rainy morning, when they can hear those raindrops they can stay in bed an inordinate amount of time, knowing that on rising they will be kicked outdoors!

(with Lady, we had her sleep in her crate for the first while. We would wake early to the sound of her scratching her bedding to shreds. Once we allowed her in bed, no more early risings. She just loved to sleep in when she was in a comfy bed! Lesson learned. All our Basenjis since then have been "bed dogs".)

[Chealsie508]

My boy is 3 1/2 and demands to get up by a certain time, we go for a walk to pee and poop and eat, then if i dont have work I can get him to lay back down. He is so persistent that its impossible NOT to get up; I just live with it

[tanza]

For sure…. for some they just are on an early clock and nothing you can do will change that.... either put him in bed with you, almost certain he will sleep as long as you do... or adjust to his schedule

[DebraDownSouth]

First thought… good luck with that. Let me know what helps you.
Second, okay it does get better as they get older.
Third, yep yep to eeefarms... rain is my "sleep in friend" too. If I wake up after 8, most of the time it's raining. Otherwise they poke me to death.

I do agree sleeping IN THE BED WITH YOU may help, but once you start it, it is hard to ever get them out again. If peeing is first, maybe remove water after 8? Play the pup's butt off before bed to wear out.