Savannah is TWO, still doesn't sleep all night

[Rae]

Ok I'm old and tired and grouchy this morning, friends. I adore Savannah, I truly do. But there are times that I want to scream because she will not sleep through the night.

She will get in her box at bedtime, but she clambers about and whines... Really high pitched, and it would go on if I didn't have the SBOD handy. Once she finally goes to sleep, then she wants to get up and go potty somewhere between midnight and 3:30 am. She does always potty.

Then it's back to the crate and the SBOD, and she's ready to ride and shine and play at 5 bells.

I understand that she's in the crate while we are gone and likely sleeps most of the day, so she doesn't need more sleep. I get they. But, um....mommy needs sleep really badly!!!

Even when we do the long walk. Tired pupper still wants to potty at 2 ish and get up for the day at 5.

I'd love it if she slept with us, and have given her several opportunities to do so. But nooooooo. The intrepid sleuth has to get out of bed and go explore, and I won't let her run amok while we sleep.

Suggestions?

[Lisa]

Do you make her potty before bedtime? She should be able to hold it through the night at this stage of the game.

I think you mentioned she is a total for your hubby when you are away on business? You might need to alt ctrl del her and you and DH wear some ear protection (think hunting type ear protection) and put her on high ignore.

That being said, Pogo wakes up at 5:00 am. He barks non stop (and I seriously mean non stop) until we feed him. So I most likely am talking out of my a$$
And don't have anything to offer other than my sympathy.

[Alex's Mom]

Yup. If she behaves for Sutton cuz she knows he won't put up with it, then she should behave for you too. Why not let him deal with her for a night? I'd lay money she won't carry on. And yes. Earplugs for a night or two. Or a pillow over the head (yours, not hers ).

[Rae]

The last thing we do every night is routine, routine, routine. DH is usually in bed. SJ and I get out of the recliner, I say "Savannah, it's bedtime. Let's go potty." We go out, she potties, we come in, I take my medicine and get her a cookie. She runs to get in her crate, I give her a cookie, then lights out.

I can't decide if she's really an angel for sutton or if he just doesn't hear her and she gives up... But it's rough not sleeping through the night for years on end, right Paula?

Thanks for the suggestions and the sympathy. The little shit is taking a nap under the covers in the recliner right now and a want to wake her up for spite. I'm awful....

[Alex's Mom]

Nope. A tired dog is a good dog. Wake her up and make her exercise ! I say again, earplugs. No, it's no fun not getting sleep for literally years on end, but at this point in her life, there's no reason for it except that she has her mom pegged!

[Lisa]

Totally, she is young and healthy. She is just training YOU right now, and you need to let her know that you rule the house, not the other way around.

I would wake her up right now. Let her sleep on your schedule. Is there anyway you can take her to work with you? If she has to "work" during the day, she might be more inclined to sleep through the night.

[lotsadox]

When Pebbles was a puppy, she didn't want to sleep more than a few hours at night. But I noticed that she slept all evening So we put an end to that. When she would lay down to sleep, we'd wake her up and make her play. Luckily, she loved chasing a ball so I would sit in front of the fireplace at the townhouse we had then and toss the ball down the hallway until she was exhausted. It was easy for me to do while watching tv and got her good an worn out. I agree that she should be able to sleep thru the night and most likely has you trained. Since Sutton sleeps thru her crying why not just get yourself some earplugs or other industrial ear protection, arm yourself with the SBOD for a few nights and do some re-training?

[Rae]

Lisa, there's no taking her to work (sadly). My work environment has changed since I was at the paper... I finally found something about the paper that's better than the redneck girls dream job - at the paper I was the boss! But I digress.

I DID wake sleeping beauty up... And Lisa is right. - I'm grateful that she's young and happy and healthy! That's still a new thing for me...

I'm thinking the re-training is going to commence. I can't give her anything to keep her occupied in the crate because she's such an aggressive chewer... I'd never forgive myself of she choked on a chunk of toy or got a blockage... Case in point, you I gave her last night is deteriorating rapidly!!


Wish me luck. I'm a softie and am not good at the alpha-dog training thing...

[Alex's Mom]

Soft heart...getting enough sleep.....soft heart....getting enough sleep....soft heart....getting enough sleep . Be tough...you'll be fine, and you'll both be glad you were!

[Red Haired Girl]

Is her crate in your room? If not get yourself a white noise machine and turn it on. You won't hear her. You know she's fine so don't worry about her. If you get up in the morning and her crate is dry you will know you have been being played.

If the crate is wet take up her water bowl after supper.