inga has taken to barking at things that go bump in the night.. although for the most part,, no one hears them but her.. unfortunately thus far none of them have been the snapping of a mouse trap.. (that’s right,, not a mouse has been caught since i called in the professionals.. i have no idea if they just up and left once the nest had been destroyed or if they are just too smart to fall for the old peanut butter on the mouse trap trick anymore..) but what ever it is,, a deer in the yard,, a car horn on the tv,, or like tonight a birthday card that slipped off the mantel,, they usually wake her up at 3 to 4 am and keep her barking till the sun comes over the horizon and lights the sky.. i wonder sometimes,, if she hasn’t decided to take over moo moos place as family protector,, and just feels the need to alert us to her imagined danger..
now i am an early riser. my internal alarm clock is stuck on 4 am,, and so the hardship isn’t in being awakened at that hour,, but rather the length of time she continues to bark.. she just keeps at it until it is light enough to open the back door for the day and she can come and go as she pleases..
over the course of the last few weeks, i have taken to waking in a state of near panic.. i don’t know what it is,, but it causes a tightness in my chest and and internal sense of anxiety.. it comes immediately upon waking and heightens as the morning progresses.. i have even had to switch out my morning coffee for chamomile tea in order to not further accentuate it.. and i must say that when inga has one of her barking spells,, it makes it ever so much more pronounced..
since i have no idea how to explain to her,, that such sounds are of no consequence,, there is no way for me to stifle her when she begins one of her barking sessions.. and my patience is waring thin.. i have tried neck bones and dog treats and firm no’s,, even an early breakfast,, but it seems as tho once she has herself in that mode.. only the sun breaking the horizon has the ability to calm her,, as then she can go out and survey the perimeter and make sure nothing is awry..
so here i am again up at four am,, with no words of creativity to soothe me,, impatiently awaiting the arrival of the dawn so peace can be restored and my little inga can once again feel secure…
July 6th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Maybe this sounds a little crazy, but would a soft toy help? I had a nervy collie dog. (She cried/wimpered at night!) She settled best in the laundry with door closed and a soft bear toy in bed with her. Letting her wander the house seemed to make her more restless! It took awhile to settle her in this routine, but it did calm her down.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Have you ever considered having her tied to a long chain so she can go outside and survey? It might help her settle quicker going outside for a few minutes. Plus you’d have peace of mind knowing she couldn’t run off. Nonetheless, I’m sorry you’re having to endure her barking spells that early in the morning. I can’t believe you get up at 4am. That’s to early for me. Hope all else is well. Have a great day.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am
I wake up having a panic attack EVERY DAY. I cant imagine a barking dog on top of that! At least you’re smarter than I am by cutting out coffee!!
July 6th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Let’s have coffee together some morning at 4 a.m. since that’s my usual wake up time. I sometimes get morning panics, but those are usually on Mondays.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I can so relate to the panic attacks! My anxiety has been awful and I can’t find anything to help it. It’s no fun, that’s for sure. I hope that your anxiety improves soon. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried herbal remedies, or if you’re even interested, nor do I know if you take any meds, but there’s an herb called Valerian that can help with anxiety. It is incredibly stinky (Valerian means ’stinky herb’) but it doesn’t make your breath smell or anything. I can’t take it cuz of the meds I’m on, but my daughter takes it for her anxiety and it helps her a lot.
Oh, and that lack of creativity! I know that way too well. I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to start writing again soon. I just don’t feel complete when I’m not. I hope your writer’s block eases as well. Life is so much easier to deal with when writing is an outlet.
Hang in there!
Jane
July 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
That would be so hard. And she’s just trying to protect you in her own way. I think the cuddly toy might work. You never know. Hang in there.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:03 am
That is a tough situation. I don’t think I would been as tolerant as you have been. What if you took the dog out on a leash in the dark and let him see there is nothing to be alarmed about?
July 7th, 2009 at 6:07 am
I’m an early riser too but I lay there like a slug until 5ish
My guess is that Inga can hear the Alien brain mining beams shut down at dawn..or a Deer tiptoes through the yard everyday at the same time…a sly Fox..howzabout a distant Rooster?
I wouldn’t have been as accomodating (imagine several semi-hard objects hurling past the dog’s noggin) you are such a nice, patient, person.
Why not get up a half hour earlier tomorrow and give the Dog a blast from an air horn?
July 7th, 2009 at 6:12 am
Welcome to my world…Scratchy barks at everything she hears and smells outside, but I have started turning on a fan(on high)when we turn in and it seems to keep her quiet, at least till she hears the garbage truck…peal yourself off the ceiling!!!
But when we lived in Florida, there were things in the night that scared the crap outta my fearless terrier, those were the nights she slept on my face(nearly) and we could never figure out what it was…although have you seen some of the locals…oi…
We had a total devastation of our majestic elm trees with Dutch elm disease, so sad. I have a seedling I’m watching in my front yard, it’s 3 feet tall now, I’m curious how old it will be when it succumbs to the disease…I’m sick about the California oak too.
Keep breathing in the life Jodi…every second is a lifetime!
s
July 7th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I agree with Donn.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Have you tried taking a walk in the dark..I love to do that ..specially early in the morning
July 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Oh, what a pain that must be. I haven’t had a pet for a long time because I don’t have the patience you do – AT ALL.
Occasionally, I overnight at a dog’s house and at his first throaty rumble, I say, ’shut up, shut up.’ See? I don’t get invited often. Good luck with this ~~ how neat it is that the mice have de-camped.
July 11th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I hope things have gotten better with her (and you) since you posted this. I can’t imagine this happening repeatedly. I was wakened by the neighbor’s dog barking at 1:30 this morning and I still feel like I got no sleep. The darned dog barked for what seemed like a half hour straight. Hopefully it won’t happen again. We are supposed to have “quiet time” in the park from ten pm to 8 am and it included barking dogs. With luck it was a one time thing.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Having a dog is really a big responsibility. Aside from the fact that you have to deal with the noise and mess they make, you have to treat them as your own children, which you have to feed, play with and so on. It’s sad to hear that you haven’t been getting a good nights sleep. I guess you’ll get used to the routine (waking at 4am and waiting for a peaceful time of the day to continue sleep)