Help with sleeping patterns - Page 1

I have a female 8 months old GSD. We pit her in her crate around 10:00Pm and we are up by 6:00AM to let her out and feeding time. Lately she has been barking to wake up between 4:30AM and 5:30AM.  I need suggestions on how to break this habit.....................I need my sleep..................LOL

I will be interested to see the advise given because I also have a female that does the same thing. At the moment after her last wee walk I am put a Husher No Bark muzzle on her and that works well although I hate to do that every night.

If I forget to put it on her, next morning sure enough she wakes me at 5.30 am,

Mine usually wants water. Having been in the military, and health care, I can wake up and go back to sleep very easily, so it is not an issue with me.

Each dog is different as to how long they can go without emptying their bladder.  At 8 months, she's still pretty young, so I'd be glad she's letting you know, at least you're not cleaning the crate!  My boy is the opposite, I can't believe how long he holds it!  He's also 3 years old but even so... tonight, I left for work at about 6:30, got home at 11 and took him out.  He sniffed and munched some grass and came right back to the door, he never peed.  This is his last out for the night and he'll have no problem holding it until morning.  I usually get up around 5 so that will be almost 11 hours!  This is not odd for him, it's typical.