Hi! I’m a new puppy mom and could use some advice on scheduling. My puppy is 7 weeks old. She was already used to sleeping in a crate and going potty outside at her previous home, so overall she’s doing really well.
My question is about her early-morning routine. Our day starts at 5:30 with potty, play, food, and a little training. She naps in her crate throughout the day, plays with my young kids, and sleeps well in her crate at night. Bedtime is around 9 pm. She usually wakes once around midnight or 2 am to pee, then goes right back to sleep.
The issue is she consistently wakes up around 4:30 wanting to play and will not settle. I’ve been keeping her in her crate until 5:30, but she gets so worked up that it takes a long time to calm her down. This morning I gave in and let her out at 4:30 to play but kept breakfast at 5:30… and now I’m worried I reinforced the wrong thing.
Should I try keeping her awake a little later? Is this just a phase she’ll grow out of? Do I keep holding the line with the crate? I’d love guidance from anyone who has dealt with early-waking puppies.
submitted by /u/IfIWasADino
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