Barking for his breakfast!

My 10 month old lab wakes at 5am every morning barking to be let out for a wee. While I think this is too early I have accepted it as when I let him out he runs straight out and wees as if he is desperate. (We let him out at 11pm the night before but he still wakes early to pee.) He then goes straight back to his bed. All well and good so far!

Then at 6am he starts barking for his breakfast! We don't get up until 7am - is it unreasonable for him to wait until then?! I have tried leaving him but he just barks and barks and this has gone on for an hour on and off before. Do you think we should just leave him or is he desperately hungry?? Once I have fed him he will stay quiet until we're ready to get up but getting up at 5am and 6am every morning is really disturbing my sleep!

Yup he will be persistant with the barking cos he has learnt it works
You say he is barking on and off - try waiting till a quiet bit and then feeding him so he learns that he gets fed for being quiet - and then you can slowly extend the time he waits quietly till eventualy its when you get up

Has he always been like this or has it happend recently?? Might be an idea to get a vet check?

Hi there.

How many times a day does your lad get fed (and at what times)?

are you certain that he is barking for food (he's a lab so probably a silly question ) - could it just be for attention?

Just an idea...how about the night before you freeze a kong with his breakfast in....when he is up at 5 for his wee...settle him with his kong.

Has he always been like this or has it happend recently?? Might be an idea to get a vet check?[/QUOTE]

Always been like it!

He gets fed at 7am and 5pm with a 2 or 3 snacks inbetween. I also give him a biscuit when I put him to bed at 11pm. I don't think it's for attention as as soon as I feed him he's quiet.

Yes I might try that one!

The kong is a good idea, the only downside is that it will reinforce the routine of getting up at 5am.

Personally I'd try feeding his evening meal later - say between 7-8pm.

Yes it will reinforce the 5 am one...but it will stop the 6 am one and 7 am as he will be full and occupied (Hopefully)

Pups do get into a routine with this sort of thing...one way of stopping it is to wait 5 minutes before going down...everyday...then increase that time by 5 minutes/10 minutes a week so finally the pup will be able to hold it's wee a bit longer as that seems to be why pup needs to go out, so it should wake up later.Trouble is, like people, once they get into that pattern it is hard to break it.Hard...but not impossible.
The trouble with changing a feeding routine is that it will also have a knock on effect on the pups poos (as the OP sounds like the pup needs to wee not poo) and it could send it's spending routine all over the place if the mealtimes are messed around with.


Another thing to look at is what time the heating is coming on (If it is...) IT could be the heating clicking on is waking the pup up so you could change that. It may also be a neighbour leaving for work that disturbs a pup (a difficult one, take it from someone who has a postman as a close neighbour )