This year’s change to cold has brought with it more unexpected downfalls than just the drop in temperatures. Penny has turned into a night time terror.
We have been very lucky to have little dogs who sleep through the night. Besides the little adjustments or crawling under the blankets we very rarely have to do anything with them during the night. Every once in a while one will need to tinkle during night time hours. But I can’t get mad about that because sometimes I need to get up in the middle of the night because I drank too much water before bed.
So when Penny started whining throughout the night I thought that was just it. Its getting dryer so she drank too much water and had to pee. One groggy wake up was ok. But it wasn’t just once that night, it was multiple times. And it wasn’t just that night, its been every night since. She will just sit by the door and whine. And sometimes she will stop on her own, but most of the time I have to let her out to either get a drink or go pee (most of the times both). And it is starting to wear on me. I haven’t slept well in over 2 weeks. She gets up every couple of hours every single night.
I don’t know what to do. She has always been such a great sleeper. Whereas Layla is ready to be up at 5am bounding around chasing the kitties, Penny likes bedtime. Sometimes you won’t even be able to get her up to go pre-bed, night-time potty. And most of the time after morning potty she bolts back under the covers and is there until at least 10am.
So I am at a loss. Do I just keep getting up with her? Because that is probably just training her to go in the middle of the night. Do I just let her whine and yelp in that “I need something sort of way” until she stops on her own? Because I’m a light sleeper and that still keeps me up, and Penny is nothing if not persistent and she will not stop quickly. Do I put her in her crate in another room? Because I do not feel good about doing that. I just don’t know. I feel so helpless. I think I might take her to the our vet to make sure there isn’t anything physically wrong. (She’s had a bladder infection before but it doesn’t seem to be the same as that). If she is just being a brat, then I guess she might have to get the consequences of not sleeping with us for a couple of nights to see if that will teach her to behave better during the night.
No matter what I know I need sleep. This is just not working anymore. Cory and I are perpetually cranky and law school finals time is NOT the time I need to experience sleep deprivation at the hands of this little dog!
Who, me?
-Brandi
