Dog help please.

[Tabrett]

I have 2 beautiful sweet Pomeranians that I bought as puppies almost 3 years ago.

 

Here is my dilemma:

 

Prior to buying the puppies, we had a picket fence installed in our nice sized backyard. Our intentions were to have the dogs be in door/out door dogs meaning we were not intending on walking the dogs. Unfortunately the dogs never grew big enough to be let outside. They are so little (did I mentions cute) they can squeeze through the fence. So I have the lovely job of walking the dogs 3 times a day.

 

But.....they start to bark in their kennel around 4 something in the morning and will not stop until I walk them. I tried spraying water on them in the kennel to stop barking, but it didn't work. After about 1.5 years of the morning barking, I let them sleep out of the kennel. The barking stopped, but they have peed and pooped everywhere up stairs. I have put up with this for about a year and just can't anymore, so I put them pack into the kennel at night a week ago. I try to walk the dogs around 10:30 at night before I put them in the kennel.

This is what has happened since last week:

 

Day 1-They were quiet till 7:30am. Good I can handle that.

Day 2-They started barking at 7:00am. Still ok with that time.

Day 3-They started barking at 6:30. Not happy, but I still got up to walk them.

Da7 4-They started barking at 6:00. I let them bark for 30 mins. before I walked them.

Day 5-They started barking at 5:30. I let them bark till about 6:00.

Day 6-They started barking at 5:00. I let them bark till 6 again.

Day 7-This morning-They started barking at 4 something.:ack2: I let them bark for a while then put the kennel in the garage until 6:30 and then walked the dogs. I don't like putting the kennel in the garage because it is 1) cold and 2) I can still here them bark.

 

What can I do? I NEED to sleep at least 8 hours. How can I get the dogs to not start barking in the wee morning hours?

[datgh]

How about trying a bark collar. There are different kinds. Another thought would be to get some wire fencing that you could attach about a foot up the picket fence so they can't squeeze through just look out because they may figure out how to dig under. Ours did. :glare: It might not be the prettiest but if the dogs are exhausted they might sleep later. Hope something helps.

[ktgrok]

Never let them out of the crate while they are barking. Ever. They will bark more/worse at first (google extinction burst) but then level off.

[springmama]

Could you train them to like the crate? Teach them that really good things happen in the crate...yummy things. I crate trained my dog using a clicker. First, I taught her that when she hears a click, a treat will soon follow. I did this by clicking then treating several times until I could see that she expected the treat when she heard the click.

 

Then, I put her in the crate. She barked. I kept the clicker and a treat in my hand and did some chores nearby. When she gave up and stopped barking, I click and treat. We had to do this over and over again until she was basically always quiet in the crate. Now, I can put her in the crate and she doesn't mind.

 

We also have special toys that are only for the crate.

 

Also, you could try to remove their water bowl around 3 hours before bedtime so that they don't wake up so early needing to go outside.

[Mimm]

Is there any way to "doggy proof" the back yard? I have a chihuahua and it took months making sure we blocked off all the little corners he could squeeze out of the yard, but he never escapes anymore. My only other suggestion would be to close the kennels off in a room as far away from your room and with as many closed doors between you and them. :)

[dancer67]

A bark collar. We got one for ours when he was younger because he would do the same thing. It took him one day to figure it out. Worth every penny. And haven't had a problem in 5 years.

[celticmom]

I would definitely look into adding wire to the fence to make it escape proof. The way to test it is to put them in the escape proofed yard and then do yardwork outside the yard. If they can escape to reach you they will and you can often watch where they escape.

[Remudamom]

I would definitely look into adding wire to the fence to make it escape proof. The way to test it is to put them in the escape proofed yard and then do yardwork outside the yard. If they can escape to reach you they will and you can often watch where they escape.

 

Yes! Chicken wire isn't expensive, easy to handle and install and the smallest dog can't get out of it. Put it on tight, do a good job and you won't even see it much.

[KidsHappen]

I have a Pom-Chi and he sleeps on an ottoman right next to my bed. I keep him leashed to the ottoman so he can't go very far. He won't go to the bathroom in that small of a space and he doesn't bark because he is right there beside me. I also have a GR. He is leashed to the bed using a double length leash because if I don't leash him he will eat any cloth items he can find. He has almost complete range of the bedroom but usuallly sleep pretty near the pup so I guess they keep each other company. Perhaps you could try something like this?

[Bird Girl]

You can train them to stay in their crate until you want to let them out. Choose the time that you wish to get them (7:00? 7:30?) then simply do not open the crate until that time. They will bark their brains out for a few days, since they have trained you to let them out when they bark. However, if you persevere, you will have quiet dogs.

 

I know it is tough to lay in bed and listen to barking, but just think, after you get them trained, they will never bark at this time again. Whereas, if you keep going in your current fashion, they will always bark at o'dark thirty.