Whining

[Titan-n-Tai]

My 5 1/2 year-old Newfoundland wants to wake me up at 5:30am every morning (sometimes as early as 4am if I don't walk him long enough the evening before). He will lay by his bag of food and whine until I wake up to feed him. It doesn't matter if I feed him at 8pm or 2am the night before. But, I do not think he is trying to get me up to feed him. I think he just wants me to wake up since he's up! I say this because as soon as I get up, he stops whining. I can go about my morning (without having fed him) and he doesn't even whine anymore.

I honestly think he just wants me to get up. Please help! I don't know what to do, but he is driving me and my boyfriend insane! Ignoring him does not help and I don't want to reward his whining by getting up to feed him (even though I could just hop back into bed). Any advice??

Thanks,
Tai

[Nettle]

Walk him longer the evening before?

Does he need to potty when he wakes you up? It could be that something is happening at that time eg someone walking by, some machinery starting up, which is disturbing him. Try a radio on low where he sleeps.

Play some mind games with him - check out our pinned thread "exercise the mind". These games are very tiring for a dog.