Please someone, help us!! We have a 9 week old working-line German Shepherd puppy who is a demon in the morning.

At 5:30-6:00 am every morning, the pup wakes up SCREAMING, BARKING, YELPING...it is so outrageously LOUD!!!! Nothing, but nothing, shuts him up. This goes on for about an hour. My husband and I are really close to freaking out.

We let him pee, he screams. We feed him, he's quiet then he screams. In the crate or not, he screams. He's not quiet until everyone in the house is up and ready to kill. Then he shuts up.

There's nowhere else to put him. Outside it's below zero and anyway, I wouldn't do that to my neighbors. There is nowhere in the house that we can't hear him and be woken by him, and we have a big house! We're out of our minds.

I've tried giving him his meat frozen in the crate to keep him occupied longer--doesn't work. I've tried yelling no at him---doesn't work. I've even tried scruffing him (I know, I know, but we're so so so so so tired) but that doesn't work. I've tried feeding him later, keeping him up later, putting a towel over the crate, putting a kong or a marrow bone in to keep him occupied...nothing works. What is going on?

All we want is reasonable quiet until about 7 am. He really does wake up everyone in the house. My husband suffers from insomnia and so it's not like we can all start going to bed around 8! And anyway, I don't believe in letting a puppy dictate our lives to that extreame. I'm worried my husband might want to get rid of the puppy if he doesn't shut up. It's definately affected their bonding.

During the day, he's an AWESOME dog. I love him and I know he's just a baby. But I really don't know what to do about this. He does "talk" a lot in general and will whine to tell me he wants things. I've started correcting him on his whining at all times, nothing huge but just to get the idea that we don't like it. I think he's starting to get it a little.

I seriously love this dog but I need some help. E-collars are out, right? Even when nothing else is working? I don't want to harm the dog physically or mentally. Please...Any suggestions?

Love,

Sleepless

 Quote: saramilliken

Please someone, help us!! We have a 9 week old working-line German Shepherd puppy who is a demon in the morning.

At 5:30-6:00 am every morning, the pup wakes up SCREAMING, BARKING, YELPING...it is so outrageously LOUD!!!! Nothing, but nothing, shuts him up. This goes on for about an hour. My husband and I are really close to freaking out.

We let him pee, he screams. We feed him, he's quiet then he screams. In the crate or not, he screams. He's not quiet until everyone in the house is up and ready to kill. Then he shuts up.

There's nowhere else to put him. Outside it's below zero and anyway, I wouldn't do that to my neighbors. There is nowhere in the house that we can't hear him and be woken by him, and we have a big house! We're out of our minds.

I've tried giving him his meat frozen in the crate to keep him occupied longer--doesn't work. I've tried yelling no at him---doesn't work. I've even tried scruffing him (I know, I know, but we're so so so so so tired) but that doesn't work. I've tried feeding him later, keeping him up later, putting a towel over the crate, putting a kong or a marrow bone in to keep him occupied...nothing works. What is going on?

All we want is reasonable quiet until about 7 am. He really does wake up everyone in the house. My husband suffers from insomnia and so it's not like we can all start going to bed around 8! And anyway, I don't believe in letting a puppy dictate our lives to that extreame. I'm worried my husband might want to get rid of the puppy if he doesn't shut up. It's definately affected their bonding.

During the day, he's an AWESOME dog. I love him and I know he's just a baby. But I really don't know what to do about this. He does "talk" a lot in general and will whine to tell me he wants things. I've started correcting him on his whining at all times, nothing huge but just to get the idea that we don't like it. I think he's starting to get it a little.

I seriously love this dog but I need some help. E-collars are out, right? Even when nothing else is working? I don't want to harm the dog physically or mentally. Please...Any suggestions?

Sounds like you're beyond freaked out. Can you or did you try setting the alarm and taking him out to pee before he screams. He's only 9 weeks so I wonder if that's what gets him crying in the morning. Maybe your getting up and responding to him is what is keeping him going (screaming). It gets your attention. But, if you've waited too long (all night) to take him to relieve himself, he can't help it and cries to get out for a bathroom run.

Since he's a so young, it's probably not possible that you established a routine yet. Even so, it sounds a little chaotic there. Don't know how old you are (child rearing age) but it's no different with children. There's a point in which you get far less sleep than you would like. Fact of life. Choosing to have a puppy adds some unwanted but necessary demands on us. It will get better but I know that's not what you're looking for. You need it better yesterday! I do get it. But maybe sharing a bit more about your routine at the end of the night, say 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM would help other posters narrow down what you may or may not be doing wrong. I.E. taking water away after 6:00 PM, taking him out at least once in middle of night, etc.

I took my pup out using the method below and it worked like a charm:

2 months - every 2 hours
3 months - every 3 hours
4 months - every 4 hours

He maybe had 2 accidents in the house and never cried like you're describing except for 1 dismal night. I remember that night well. It wasn't fun. So the schedule above worked well for me - even did this in the middle of the night!! I think my pup was grateful too!

Also did he get checked by a vet yet? Maybe there's something more going on?

9 weeks old, I would say no e-collar. I know it can be terrible to hear the screaming, but scruffing or yelling is out too. It will frighten him and not do ANY good at all. He doesn't understand what you want or what you're doing.

Every time you pay attention to his screaming, he gets what is in his mind, a reward, which forms a habit (this isn't intentional on the pup's part, it's merely how it works). Every time you open that crate when he's acting up, even to put food in, he got what he wanted. Don't look at him or talk to him when he's in the crate, at all. Even when he's being quiet (he's obviously excitable and even praising him when he's quiet could get him going).

Where do you keep his crate? Is he being crated during the day? Do you take him out to potty at night? Is he quiet when he's put back in his crate after potty? If so, try taking him out to potty at 5AM (catch him before he starts screaming) and putting him back in his crate.

This will pass, if you don't give him the attention. Open the crate only when it's time to potty or play. He's still getting adjusted and he needs time, more time. Personally, I think hoping you can sleep till 7AM with a brand new puppy is asking too much. He has to potty before that and he's wide awake at 5AM or 6AM.

I went from a mellow GSD to a high energy, high drive working line GSD and definitely my life has had to change somewhat to accommodate that. I don't want him to dictate to me either, but it's also my absolute responsibility to meet his needs, which are different from my last mellow GSD, including his high energy (through exercise).

 Quote: Sandy Moore

I went from a mellow GSD to a high energy, high drive working line GSD and definitely my life has had to change somewhat to accommodate that. I don't want him to dictate to me either, but it's also my absolute responsibility to meet his needs, which are different from my last mellow GSD, including his high energy (through exercise).

I was going to say the same thing. If you decide to get a high drive working dog thats part of life, he wants to work all the time. Even if he see's his job as waking everyone up at this young age. Are you sure you are walking him enough?

Sara,

I agree with you that the dog should not make decisions for you in your life, but his body is making decisions for him now and he doesn't know what to do about it. By even softly telling him "no" when he whines he's going to learn very quickly what works and what doesn't to get what he NEEDS. Rule of thumb: anything the dog wants = reward... You reward ONLY the behaviors you want/like.

I think taking him out at the very least once per night but at the same time every night is the best idea right now. Don't try it... DO IT and see how it works out. Geez his bladder could even be developing more slowly than the average dog, it's fairly common, and he may need to go more than once through the night. You mentioned that your husband may want to get rid of the pup, but if you are not prepared to give the dog what it needs then maybe you should consider this. I don't say that to finger point but raising a puppy is a lot of work and a very large commitment, especially when you get him in the winter. But I'm sure you know that, I don't mean to insult your intelligence.

Mine screamed at night too when she went in the crate; at eight weeks of age. Then when I went to see what the problem was, as soon as she could physically see me she stopped. A light bulb went off above my head at that point. I got a sturdy end table that could accomodate the crate (i.e. NO chance of it falling over) and placed the crate on it at the foot of my bed. The crate and the bed were at the same level and voila! the dog could see me, she was still in the crate, the fear of being alone instantly went away and no more screaming!!

Mike,

I did do research about puppy ownership before I got a dog---a lot actually. Oddly enough, nothing I read mentioned that I might have a puppy that screamed---really loud barking and whining, REGARDLESS of what we do.

Yes we take the dog out before bed (10:30) and another two times during the night. Everyone's assuming that we're expecting the pup to hold it, but nowhere did I say that. What I did say is that even AFTER peeing, even WHILE being with us, even AFTER eating---he still screams. Sitting in my lap? Barking. Being ignored? Barking.

It's like a baby with colic.

We've done everything we can think of. That's why I'm here---trying to find new things we haven't done. Yes, we've done the crate in our room, yes we've done the blanket over the crate. We've done the ticking clock---we've even done a dishwasher. We've ignored the dog, we've given affection.

We've taken the dog to the vet---full blood work-up, full check. Nothing found, the pup is healthy. For the rest of the day, the pup is fantastic!!

But from about 5:30-6:00 am to about 7 or 7:30---it is non-stop loud, loud yelling. For an hour to two hours. Straight.

I had thought that you were supposed to ignore the yelling (as long as his needs are met)so as not to reward the behavior. But again, this is in OR out of the crate. Alone OR with people.

So, no Mike, although I appreciate the patronizing attitude...I don't think this is your average "puppy" situation. This is not my first puppy. I know there is crying at first. This is WAY beyond normal puppy crying. I was hoping someone else had heard about this.

As far as the correction goes, I'm not saying I should have scruffed him. It was 5:30 in the morning and we were exhausted after almost 2 weeks straight of this. It was a mistake. But as far as the constant whining goes...I figured letting him know I didn't like it...I did say it was done gently, verbally.

You have to understand...this is really, really loud. Like shouting to be heard over it loud. Every day. For over an hour sometime two hours. First thing in the morning. And NOTHING we do seems to make a difference.

I do love this dog. Aside from these horrible starts, the dog really is fantastic. Smart and well-bonded to me. He's playful and confident and receptive. He's really a dream dog. If I could ever sleep that is.

I don't expect to sleep until noon, and a large chunk of my day is spent interacting with the dog...going to the beach, playing tug, etc. The dog is well exercised, but not bad-for-the-bones exercised.

I guess what I'm saying is that if he was crying like this for a reason--something that I could fix---it wouldn't be so frustrating. But I really don't know what to do. I love this dog, I don't want to lose the dog. But this can't keep happening. I'll do what I need to do to fix this---but, what is that exactly?

I'm sorry. Admittedly, I'm tired and grouchy and being yelled at by my husband because he's tired and grouchy. But I really didn't expect to be talked down to. I'm not a twit who knows nothing about dogs. I'd be willing to bet you a serious bundle that this is not what even you would consider normal behavior.

Thanks to everyone else for your help and understanding!!

Sara,
You say this has been two weeks straight and the pup is 9 weeks old? I am assuming this pup was only 6 or 7 weeks old when you got him? Is this correct? The reason I ask is because this is really too young to be taking from mom and littermates so that may be part of the issue? I may be wrong though.....but I would never take a pup until 9 wks at least
Have you tried taking him out before he starts in, going outside and letting him do his business and then engaging in a game of mild tug or something before you go back inside? Maybe that would help? It has helped with past pups of mine when they were loud while crated.

I think that it is important to get up in the am and instead of taking the dog out and going potty and then right back in is not enough of a morning start for a pup.
I know you said that the weather is cold and you may need to bundle up to do it, but that is what we have to do sometimes to keep our high drive working line dogs sane....

Sara, you poor guys. I feel for you both. I also suffer from insomnia & one way around it for me is to do catnaps, since I can't sleep the night through. I recall reading about a lady in England who had a similar problem with a screaming GSD pup. I think she did do something like get earplugs. She also had the pup on a strict routine along with lots of physical & mental exercise. I'm sorry I can't offer you guys a solution.

Keeping my fingers crossed for y'all!