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Permalink Reply by Beth on January 13, 2016 at 12:10pm

She may be upset because of the cone and have trouble getting comfortable.   If she was spayed a week ago, she SHOULD be safe to have the cone off at night.  I would see how she is without the cone first. 

My guess is that initially, something woke her up at the time you mention (paper delivery?  Neighbor getting up for work?  Stray cats or foxes going through the yard?) and she decided she was done sleeping.  She is too old to "tire herself out" barking, and Corgis can be very persistent!   Now she has learned that she can get her way and you'll come get her.

Do you have an alternative?  Can she sleep in an x-pen, or a small closed room?  If not, you may need to wait her out and let her woof (which means a few nights of not much sleep).  I know that can be tough.   But I would wait to retrain her until after her cone is off.

Some other tips;  Make sure she has enough exercise in the evening so she's tired (after her stitches heal).  Take her water away about an hour before bedtime.   Make sure she has plenty of chances to empty bladder and bowel right before bed.  

You might need to experiment til you find something that works.  We were having issues with 8-year-old Jack waking us up in the middle of the night, every night.  We finally realized that some dried hydrangea flowers were clicking against the outside of our front room window when the wind blew and disturbing him. 

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on January 14, 2016 at 10:54am

Think back to when she  changed her routine and see if you  had made changes such as changing  food, feed time, amount fed, anything in that direction. At 6 months she may need less food, her growth patterns having slowed down.  You could decrease the amount fed a little, especially in the evening meal and limit water two hours before bedtime until the peeing and pooping pattern is resolved.  Encourage a pattern where she poops right after her meal, by either walking her or making sure you have actually seen her go.  Same for the last pee, so you're sure she's on empty.

An alternative to the crate is tying a leash at the foot of your headboard, or bedframe support and putting her bed there.  If she still chews, you can use a cheap metal leash.  If you do this, once hooked up SHE GETS NO ATTENTION. You can give a small treats when you hook her up.  Any barking, jumping on the bed for attention, be firm and do not allow it. It may take a few times for her to get the message, but she will if you are consistent.  No attention whatsoever until you unhook her. You may have to put your boyfriend on the couch for a couple of nights while you work it out with the pup......

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on January 14, 2016 at 8:32pm

Well...how would you sleep with a plastic cone around your neck? Agreed with Beth: first step is to get the contraption off and then give her a night or two to see if that works.

If she consistently needs to pee at 4 a.m. and that doesn't go away after the cone is gone, you might have her checked for a UTI. The irritation and urge to go could wake her up.

Heh heh heh... She conkers right out once she gets you on the floor with her? This is a very wily dawg. Could it be that she's trying to tell you she wants to sleep on the bed with the rest of the family?

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