Willow is howling in the night

Willow has started to howl at around 5am (sometimes earlier), which is a problem as we don't get up until 6am, on weekends about 7am.

She is crated through the night (from about 10.30) until 6am if she doesn't howl.

But now we're having to get up to let her out. I know I am not handling this right, because we're giving in to her when she howls.

She doesn't mess in the crate now, and she doesn't seem really desparate to 'go' when I let her out, so I don't think its a toilet thing.

Has anyone managed to successfully solve this problem before?

Hi Katrina How old is Willow now , over 4 months and old enough to control her bodily functions or younger ?

Perhaps something is waking her at that time like a neighbour going out or a milkman?

What happens if you leave the crate door open?

If Willow cried and you started to go to her when she cried she may have got into a routine.
If she is crying because she is too young to wait and needs to go out try extending the time you go down by a few moment each night, it is best not to go to her when she is actually crying but to wait for a short pause/until she is quiet and only take her out/no play or chat just praise to reinforce the behaviour when she relieves herself

I was thinking the same thing as Mini. Maybe a neighbour has changed shifts, the milkman arriving etc

funny, i thought the same too, i wonder if she hears someone out and about on a morning?

When our pup used to wake us in the night I would go to him without saying a word, put his lead on and take him into the garden. If he performed he was praised enthusiastically (quite hard to be enthusiastic on a cold wet winters night) and then I would bring him back in and pop him back in his crate.

If he didn't perform I didn't speak or look at him at all -just recrated him and went back to bed. The one night I decided not to get up to him as I thought he was just making a fuss was the one night he weed in his cage - so after that I always got up. He soon learnt that he only got attention if he was waking us up for a real reason rather than just to say hello.

Thanks for the advice. You know, I think the heating has started to come on about that time, so perhaps it is that?!

I'll change it tonight and see how we go.

Mini Willow is now 5 months old.

She is very cheeky and can be very bossy. She can even seem to go off in huffs if we're eating and we ignore her, for instance. But is is absolutely gorgeous and very very clever. She watches TV along with us, and almost seems to know what's going on. She switches from being loving lap dog to little madam all the time.

I am now looking for a new training course too, as I think she needs to respond to commands better and understand that I am her 'boss' as she often treats me like an equal, even when I clearly say 'NO'. But I want to do it properly so that she enjoys it and I don't confuse her.

By the way, she is almost house trained. She can go for 4 hours and no mess. She is not left for any longer without being walked or played with.

When she does mess it is usually because I have forgotten to put her out 30 mins after her dinner. She knows she has done wrong because she runs to the back door when I come in and see the mess.

awwwww, I had one of those when Cassie was a puppy, a right little madam at times,and I know how difficult it must be for you when Willow looks at you with those great big eyes too, spaniels have a knack with those eyes don't they!!!

Can't offer any other advice apart from what you're doing/intend to do, but there might be times when you have to harden your heart just that little bit sometimes to get her to know you are the boss (if you can keep from smiling!!)otherwise I'm afraid she's gonna walk all over you, just like my Cassie did (and still does I might add, sometimes!) Hope you sort out the crying in the night, I'm sure you will, and I'm sure it's just coz she hears something at that time, wakes up, misses you so, and thinks if she cries you will come running (right???!!!! )Glad I'm not in your shoes, she'd win me over every timeI'm afraid!

Hi Katrina don't expect instant results because Willow may now have got into the habit of waking at that time so the above suggestion of increasing the time you go to her each night/only when silent applies.

I don't think Willow does know she has done something wrong , what she does know is she normally goes out and gets praised so she runs to the door , and that when there are 'certain things' on the floor you react differently, and she is unsure what to expect or what will happen

By cheeky and bossy it sounds as if Willow is a very normal/typical and delightful Cocker puppy Be pleased she is like this, confident puppies are the easiest to train, they just need to be taught what is expected of them with patience and kindness which I know you have in plenty

I bet that's it - dogs do respond to the heating, for sure