Any suggestions for getting a 15 week old Bichon to sleep later than 5:00? He is taken out to pee right before 9pm. Just sleeping until 6 would be a great relief. He does not poop when he goes out at 5 and I won't feed him until 6:15 a.m. He sleeps in a dark room, door closed, partially covered crate.

You are already doing much of what you need to. Check to see if there is anything giving him a clue, a coffee pot on a timer or something. Reset it if you can. We once had a plant light coming on at 5. The plant now gets a later start on the day, and so do we.

Can you give him his last trip outside later? You could move his last meal to later too. You could cut off his water at 7 PM.

Dogs are notorious early risers. To a degree, you have to live with it. You are correct to not feed him when he gets you up. If it is needing to relieve himself, it should improve when he is a little older. Interrupting his evening nap with some fetch or something could help too.

My adult dogs love to get up at 5:30 AM. I think 6:00 would be better too. Mine get out at last at 11:00 PM. Ironically my 10 mo. Old in an exercise pen is quiet and munches kibble before I get up. He wakes up hungry, but quiet. I think dogs love to get out and greet the morning, check for critters and enjoy life earlier than us humans.

On the plus side, my 10 year old is content to wait till 6:30 or so, there is hope, hee hee.

And just wait for the spring time change ! Mine don't let me sleep until the alarm for weeks ! LOL

I would second Labman's suggestion of cutting off water intake around 7-8 pm, She will have plenty of time the rest of the day to drink... and that way she can get a good last potty trip in before bed

-Beth

Regarding water cut off, of course it depends if the youngster wakes up to go potty or with my luck if I cut off water, it would wake me up cause it's thirsty.

Expecting a good nights aleep having a puppy is sort of like expecting a good nights sleep when one has a newborn child. It can happen, but usually doesn't. Naps anyone?

Again a plus of adopting a needing adult dog, likely more sleep after any initial anxiety.