I am seriously getting stumped over this... Morgan was doing really well for a little while, but the last week and a half he has gotten much worse.
His crate is downstairs, our bedroom is upstairs. He usually doesn't bark before my alarm anymore... but he DOES right after it goes off. I don't know if it is the alarm itself that sets him off (I've tried to counteract this by setting it to turn on the radio at a low volume) or hearing me move around before I get out of bed.
I try to never go to him when he's barking. I'll brush my teeth, get dressed, etc. and generally wait up in my room until he stops before I'll go downstairs. Usually he'll stop after a few minutes, but every once in a while he just won't quit! I have to go to work eventually, so on those days I am forced to go downstairs, feed him, let him out, crate him back up, and then RUN out the door. I never open the crate while he's barking, though, but he's figured that out... as long as I'm standing right there.
This is the ONLY time he barks! I don't know what it is!
The real problem here is that my husband is still trying to sleep through all this. He doesn't need to get out of bed for another hour or so after I leave for work. He has been very patient with this issue since we got Morgan, but he's starting to lose that patience.
I know that the best solution would be to let Morgan sleep upstairs with us. Unfortunately, that isn't an option. My husband will not allow Morgan to stay in our room (it's the way his family functions). One of the conditions of getting a dog is that he would have to stay on the main level. I've tried telling him that the barking issue would be resolved with this one change, but he isn't buying it.
The other problem would be about moving Morgan's crate up there. We don't spend a lot of time upstairs other than sleeping, so keeping his crate on the main level makes more sense during the day.
But I'm babbling... I'm having trouble keeping on-task this morning...
Anyways, if you have any other ideas or suggestions I can try, I would REALLY REALLY appreciate it!!! My husband's next solution is a bark-collar. I don't like Morgan wearing collars in the crate at all. If that is my last resort, then maybe, but until then, doesn't there HAVE to be something else??
Many thanks
His crate is downstairs, our bedroom is upstairs. He usually doesn't bark before my alarm anymore... but he DOES right after it goes off. I don't know if it is the alarm itself that sets him off (I've tried to counteract this by setting it to turn on the radio at a low volume) or hearing me move around before I get out of bed.
I try to never go to him when he's barking. I'll brush my teeth, get dressed, etc. and generally wait up in my room until he stops before I'll go downstairs. Usually he'll stop after a few minutes, but every once in a while he just won't quit! I have to go to work eventually, so on those days I am forced to go downstairs, feed him, let him out, crate him back up, and then RUN out the door. I never open the crate while he's barking, though, but he's figured that out... as long as I'm standing right there.
This is the ONLY time he barks! I don't know what it is!
The real problem here is that my husband is still trying to sleep through all this. He doesn't need to get out of bed for another hour or so after I leave for work. He has been very patient with this issue since we got Morgan, but he's starting to lose that patience.
I know that the best solution would be to let Morgan sleep upstairs with us. Unfortunately, that isn't an option. My husband will not allow Morgan to stay in our room (it's the way his family functions). One of the conditions of getting a dog is that he would have to stay on the main level. I've tried telling him that the barking issue would be resolved with this one change, but he isn't buying it.
The other problem would be about moving Morgan's crate up there. We don't spend a lot of time upstairs other than sleeping, so keeping his crate on the main level makes more sense during the day.
But I'm babbling... I'm having trouble keeping on-task this morning...
Anyways, if you have any other ideas or suggestions I can try, I would REALLY REALLY appreciate it!!! My husband's next solution is a bark-collar. I don't like Morgan wearing collars in the crate at all. If that is my last resort, then maybe, but until then, doesn't there HAVE to be something else??
Many thanks