Help! Chocolate lab puppy goes crazy over food!

[Chrysta_18]

I have a 11 month old chocolate lab puppy who has always been crazy about food. When he see's us getting his food ready he starts to howl and whine in excitement. Once the food is down he eats it as tho he has never been fed before. I feed him and our other dog twice a day(morning and evening). When I feed him
In the morning it is normally around 7-7:30am. Lately he has been waking up at 4 or 5 whining and howling. I thought he needed to go
Outside maybe but he runs outside to do his business but then starts freaking out for his breakfast. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can break this annoying habit?! I need sleep!
Some additional info: he's being fed Acana Large breed puppy and when I feedhim it's separate from the other dog.

[HersheyK's Dad]

You will get lots of feedback on this one.

(1) Not the focus of your question, but you don't need to be feedind puppy food anymore, and Labs do not need Large Breed Puppy food.
(2) Not the focus of your question, but most Labs are very food driven and your dog is quite normal with respect to that. Many Labs hold the nickname Hoover.
(3) Closer to your focus. Your Lab is doing a grest job of training you. You need to reverse the roles.
- There is no reason for your dog to be getting up that early. However, he has been successful in getting you out of bed so he does. You need to reverse the habit and refuse to get up before the time that you want to. It is going to be tough for a few days, maybe a few weeks, but there will be a lifetime benefit.
- You decide on when feeding time is, not the dog. He has had some success getting you to feed him earlier. STOP! Again, this may take some time to reverse. The best plan is to decide when feeding time is, and stick with it. DO NOT FEED HIM EARLY, no matter what antics he tries to pull to get his way. He will learn that it doesn't work and will give up trying. Again, this won't happen in one day.

[SharonaZamboni]

Bean won't even go out to pee in the morning until he's had breakfast, LOL. He wakes me up to eat, then if I'm lucky, he'll go back to sleep for an hour or so. He does sit and wait for food, but when he's finished, I have to put the dish away. Otherwise he keeps picking it up and throwing it in my lap.

HK's Dad is right, you'll have to stick to your guns and make the dog wait for the usual time. Good Luck!

[Baloo317]

When is "last call" at night? (last time out to pee before bed) If he were mine I wouldn't let him out until I got up, period. He's old enough to hold it. Get some earplugs.

Dogs do well with routine, but you have to be more persistent then they are when it comes to establishing your routine instead of theirs, which can be trying at times. Welcome to labrador adolescence! Keep this in mind: Behaviour that is not rewarded will eventually extinguish, just no guarantees as to when.

[Belles mom]

The only thing predictable about feeding time at my house is that it is unpredictable. They get fed sometime in the a.m. and sometime after dark. No whining, no barking, nothing. Just just nap until I decide when they get fed! Oh, and they have no choice about go outside before breakfast! No go outside, no get fed!!

[zoesmom]

Zoe barked/whined for her food twice.

I don't recall how old she was, but I was getting her breakfast ready,
and then she started barking.

I simply went to sit on the sofa, no words, no eye contact, nothing...I just went to sit.

She looked shocked LOL, but she stopped barking.

Went back to the counter...bark again.
I went to sit again. She stopped barking.

the third time, she did not bark and she got her food.

She never barked for her food again, after that 1st day.

as for the waking you up early, yes, you will need to ignore it.

good luck. remember, patience, consistency and repetition.