Honestly, I'm not sure if a sound has been waking Lacey up. I've been working nights lately, so I am not home anymore when this doggy wakeup occurs. By the time I get home, my mom is at work, and Lacey is ready to hop in bed with me as I catch up on my sleep.
I have definitely shared all your information with my mother. Lacey is absolutely being rewarded for her behavior. When I shared the info, mom admitted to snuggling Lacey when she first starts up to try and quiet her down for a few more minutes. So Lacey is winning: she is getting snuggled! And then when she continues, she goes outside to potty and then gets breakfast. And often, she'll bark when she is put out rather than getting down to business.
My mother IS lax with the dogs and their behavior. I do the most training with them, brush their teeth, etc. I mean, she isn't really bad. But they don't see her as in charge. When my dad rescued a rottie mix, he would push her around because he didn't see her as the Alpha. Ben knew he couldn't give my father and I any crap and obeyed us completely. But mom? Yea, he'd walk all over her.
