Bichon puppy barking

Question
Hi!  I have a little boy bichon puppy that is just over 4 months old.  When I got him from the breeder, he was crate trained and in the process of being potty trained.  I have continued using the crate as a place for him to sleep at night and it is where he stays during the day.  With a fun toy and a treat he is always willing to go into the crate.  I let him out in the morning while I am getting around for the day (about and hour and a half) and again at lunch for about a half hour and then he is out for the evening once I get home (about 6 hours until bed time again).  While he is out we play, do some obedience training, which is rewarded with treats, and make frequent trips outside to "be a good dog".  We have had him for about 5 weeks and he is such a good dog.  He rarely barks and has had only a couple of accidents indoors.  The first few weeks we had him he would sleep all night in his crate and I could set my watch to the time that he would wake up with a yelp in the morning to be let out.  However, he is consistently waking up at night 2 or 3 hours after his last potty break immediately before bed.  At first I would get up and let him out and then it was back into the crate and he would go straight to sleep.  But the waking up is getting more and more frequent to where it is now happening every night.  The past 2 nights I have experimented by not letting him out, thinking that I am just fueling the habit of waking up and not sleeping through the night. However, I feel horrible not letting him out and I wonder if I am rushing things and need to still let him out at night. My other thought was that he is now finding his voice and is just getting more vocal.  Do you think the night time trips and barking will decrease again or do you have any suggestions on how to handle the current situation?  Thank you for your help!!

Answer
Hi there
Firstly you have only had the pup for 5 weeks and in that short space of time he has been crate trained well. But now as he is getting older they need far more interaction daily to educate them. Most of this is done through play and exercise. Bichons although in the toy group are actually more like utility dogs they need some exercise and they are terrier like in how they behave.What I suggest is to stop his feeds after 6 pm and only permit a shallow water dish up until 8 pm then remove this. His need to both urinate and defecate will be greatly reduced.
He has found that by demanding your attention you react, he is a clever little man that is now starting to attempt to become alpha dog and he is at the moment winning.
Remove the crate to a room that is cooler, is away from the hussle of family life and were curtains can be closed.
At a time that can be routine easy set his game plan . So use the words R U Comin ?
Then walk him to the crate , Pace him inside , lock the door and say good boy and nothing else. Walk away DONOT look at him. Close the door and then go do your thing.
At 5-7 am the next morning go to the crate say good boy abnd open up the door. SAY NOTHING ELSE. Walk him out to do his potty. Once you have seen him do it bring back in and make a huge fuss say good boy . Always use a hugh pitched voice. Then feed him and water him.
Its all about a dog that is wtching you and reacting to you rather tha the other way around..Dogs are very clever in the art of manipulation.
Take for several 15 minute walks and exercise him thoroughly thru the day and I can assure ou he will be knackered to wake up at night.

If you need more help feel free to use my site , its free and has a great deal of info

www.eurobichons.com
good luck karen