You have gotten a lot done. I usually get up early too. I like that time of day and like to look at the newspaper and have some coffee before people talk to me.

The birds are starting about 4 a.m. now. The cardinal sits in the tallest tree to Greet The Dawn (that only he can see). I try be sure our Westie, Eliot, is in his bed at the foot of our bed, with a towel over him to shield him from the daylight. (Never thought to cover earlier dogs -- just like caged birds -- but it works!)

chisue wondered what bird was the early one! dh sleeps thru it, but not me, lol...we have a pair...

I'm dogsitting this weekend and the guys got up at 5:00 a.m. this morning. Their usual time is 6:00 a.m. So, I let them out, but didn't turn on any lights. When they finished their business, I made them all go back to bed. Got two more hours of dozing! I guess I should have been productive like you, Bigack, but I opted for the lie-in. LOL!

Sometimes I actually thank my pup (a little terrier) for getting up at 8 or so. That's the earliest I can get up and function -- my working job starts in the afternoon.

I find it amazing that I can take care of a few household things, walk the dog, fix her breakfast and sit down and read a chapter or two -- all before 11!

My previous pup was a late sleeper, and we woke about 10.

For the current one, if she is woken up by people or dogs outside, I call her to come back up on the bed, then I cuddle her so she can fall asleep again. Usually gives us at least 45 minutes more in bed -- and I love that cuddle time with her!

(FORHGTV: Before I had my own dog, I dog-sat for a friend with at least 3 big dogs at a time. I did the same thing you did! They were used to going out really early -- between 6 and 7. Much too early for me! I let them out, then they knew they could either rest in their dog beds in the living room or go back upstairs to bed with me. I usually had at least 1 dog on the bed snoozing--because they really weren't allowed on the beds when their owners were home! They knew to take advantage of it --or me!)

It's funny isn't it, Pammyfay, how they want to get up so early and go to bed early, too? They follow the normal rhythms of the sun (except for the fact that they nap for hour during the day).

Our girls are 11 now, and they sleep a lot, especially in the evenings, so I guess that's one reason they get up so early.

That should have said "nap for hours."

Sheesh, you guys have it easy. My cat Basil begins howling with the first bird calls--4:20 a.m. on the dot, it seems. So I'm up by 4:30 but really don't mind: I'm an early bird myself!

Ours are awful! We have three little puppy girls, and they are used to me getting up at 2:45 a.m. and going to work in my home office. Gary gets up a little over an hour later and takes them out for their walk on work days (he starts at 5 a.m.). But they do get used to routine. So, on weekend days, they just don't want to sleep in! Silly girls! We don't have a yard, and they never have caught on to just being tied outside and going potty. They insist on their walk or they don't go! LOL! Gary is nice and gets up and takes them almost always and lets me sleep in on weekends since I'm up so early during the week. But it would be nice if he could sleep in past 5 or 5:30 once in a while too!