Help!

Here's what one looks like. 

This being the first of the month, it's the day when I normally send in my monthly Puppy Report to CCI.  It's a form that we're supposed to fill out, and it covers all the basic information. We send them in to the Oceanside center electronically.

Although there's a place for it on the form, I've never asked for someone to contact me; usually Steve and I have saved our questions for puppy class or other puppy raisers.  But yesterday, before even sending in the report, I e-mailed Becca, the program coordinator.

In the Subject line,  I put "Sleep Torture"  Then I wrote that Dionne had started waking up between 2 and 4 a.m. every night -- despite previously sleeping consistently until 5:30 or 6 a.m.  "Steve takes her out and she invariably pees; last night she defecated too. In answer to the obvious questions, we do restrict her from drinking water after about 7 p.m. and we take her out for a final toileting session around 10." I explained how we had eliminated the possibility that she might have a bladder infection and added, "What really bothers me is that we know she was capable of sleeping through the night. But now, even though she's growing by leaps and bounds, she seems to have fallen into this pattern of wanting an outing in the wee hours. Can you recommend anything we could do?"

Today Becca answered, "Oh dear!  Sleep torture is no good."  She asked what Dionne did if we ignored her. "Will she keep fussing indefinitely, or eventually have an accident in the crate? My first suggestion is to try waiting her out a little bit.  When she starts making noise, wait 10 or 15 minutes before taking her out.  She might fall back asleep and be able to hold out until morning.  Or, at least, you should be able to gradually push her back until she can wait a little longer each night and you'll eventually move the time back to 5 or 6 am again.

Never fear, we'll get her back on schedule again!"

We haven't tried ignoring Dionne, but now we're emboldened.  We'll start tonight!