random
Posted : 11/13/2007 5:43:11 PM
Thanks so much for all of the responses! You're giving me hope that I may yet sleep through the night.
A bit more info: Chase sleeps in our room on the floor. He doesn't suffer from separation anxiety...although he would, of course, MUCH rather be where we are. Because he's used to sleeping in the room with us, he'll whine if we close him out, but it's not SA. He'd get used to it. He's not crated. We're keeping our house a bit warmer that we normally do, because I find that he's less restless when the heat's at 70.
To those who suggest it might be a medical problem, what would you recommend? We've had a check-up, and the vet said that he was in great shape, healthy and strong. Are there any particular tests that I should ask for?
In the meantime, should I take him out in the middle of the night, or should I go with the earplugs? I don't *think* he desperately needs to pee, but if he's sick I don't want to deny him what he needs. I open the door, he walks out, looks around for a minute and then walks off to sniff and pee. I honestly think that he pees because it's a habit...I send him out to potty right before bed and he knows that we won't go back in until he pees. When I get up to let him pee in the night, I don't talk to him or pet him. But I know that simply getting up and going out is reinforcement enough.
I must admit that it never even crossed my mind that he might be hearing something and waking up. That actually makes a lot of sense, because it's always somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00. I live in a quiet neighbourhood in a big city, so there could very well be a neighbour getting ready for a very early shift.
Tonight I'm going to try feeding him a bit later and see if it makes a difference. We feed him Eagle Pack morning and evening. He's a big dog, but he's healthy and at a good weight (although he could probably stand to lose a few pounds). I've frozen a kong with kibble and yogourt, so he'll get that tonight at 8:00. I hope it makes a difference! He drinks a lot after eating and after a walk, but no more than usual. Oh, his last potty break is somewhere between 9:00 and 9:30. I'm in bed before 10:00, so it can't be any later. Will eating at 8:00 leave him with enough time to digest and potty before sleeping?
Thanks again!