NIght Time Issues....Any/All advice welcome!

[Kelly S.]

Hi All!

Haven't posted in awhile (can't believe miss Zsusie is already 2.5yrs old!!! How time flies!).  She is doing so well, and we love her to death, but we've encountered a bit of an issue at nighttime and I could really use any/all help or advice I can get!

Bit of a Backstory:

Back when I first got Zsusie-doodle it was just the two of us, so after about 6months of age I allowed her to sleep in the bed with me.  I crate trained her up until this point, but after about 6months was having a lot of trouble with it... she HATED being in there and would cry incessantly... so I gave in and let her sleep in the bed with me... no big deal, right? Haha.

So, fast forward 2yrs:

Now there is a DH in the bed too, things have gotten ALOT squishier!  So we have been trying to get Zsusie to sleep in her own bed (still in the bedroom).  Zsusie will not have any of it though... she wants to be in our bed too!

Anyway, about a week ago we bought one of those octagonal dog pens (about 3'x4').  We thought this might be a better option than a small crate so she could move around, have her bed in there, etc, etc....while not allowing her to jump on our bed.  But it does not seem to be working.  She has gone back to incessant crying/moaning/screaming/barking and NOT sleeping. She actually sounds like she is dying (although we know she is 100% safe and fine)

We introduced her to the pen positively... allowing her to go in at her own pace, giving her tons of affection and treats while in there.  And gradually putting her in for longer periods prior to putting her in for the night. 

Then at night she goes in the pen and lays down, we close the door and after about 5mins she starts to cry/moan/scream/bark.  We only acknowledge her if she barks loudly (we are in a condo building and can't have her barking or being loud at night).  The first night she did this for pretty much 7hrs straight (we kind of predicted this would happen).  The next few nights she would do it for about 20min then settle for about 10-15min, then starts up again... and it goes through this cycle all night long. It has been a week.  Last night was the first time I caved, and let her come into our bed at about 6am, so we could at least get a few hrs of sleep.

So I need help!  How long does it take for a dog to accept a new routine?  Am I doing something wrong, or could I be doing it in a more effective way?  

Any help or advice would be awesome!  We are extremely desperate to get some sleep! 

Hope to hear from you soon!

-Kelly

[Kelly S.]

P.S. cute pic of the dog pen included in the link

[Leslie J]

What a cutie!  I think she wants you and DH to sleep in there with her!!!  Otherwise, I wish I had a recommendation but I can't think of one. 

[Adina P]

Off the top of my head?  How many nights did you try with her in your room but off your bed?  Would you be willing to spend a couple nights repeatedly making her get off the bed if she gets up no matter how long it takes?   That would work, but it would be like having a newborn for the first couple nights.  I think after that she'd be okay because she'd be close. However, you'd have to institute a new rule about no bed unless you give her permission.  It would just take consistency and always sticking to it. 

What about the pen or a crate in your room...is there space?  If not and the only option is a crate or expen in another room, then you may just have to repeatedly go out there and correct her EACH AND EVERY SINGLE TIME she whines, barks, and acts like she's dying.  Otherwise she'll just keep going on and on because she thinks you don't hear her. 

Good luck!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I thought she was in their room but they just closed the door of the pen.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Can you buy a bigger bed for all of you?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sleeping in your bed with you is a huge deal, and carries very high pack status in a dog's mind. Many trainers advocate not allowing it at all, because of this. In other cases, dogs are not allowed in your bed until they have "earned" that kind of status. Obviously, it's  a huge deal to her that she has lost this privilege.  I personally have always allowed my dogs to sleep with me if they want to, and never had a problem with that. Most kingsized beds will accomodate two adults and at least one big dog.  

But I don't have any idea how you would suddenly take this status away after two years of allowing her to sleep in the bed with you. Personally, I'd talk a to a very experienced trainer about it, if you are sure you can't see any way to allow her to continue to sleep in your bed.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Luca always spends much of the night next to me , on top of the covers. Calla spends the night on a dog bed, on the tile floor or in her old too small crate.She roams around the room. But sometimes she gets on the other side of me from Luca, also outside the covers. And soon I'm feeling like an insect specimen on a displayboard, pinned down and unable to move. A queen size bed is suddenly too small. I hate being unable to move. Luckily I can usually, with some persuading, get her to move :-) 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think you've turned her world upside down.  Dogs are such creatures of habit and it's that routine that makes them feel comfortable.  I would put her bed in your room and as Adina says every time she tries to get into your bed you calmly tell her "no" and lead her right back to her own bed and tell her "down/stay".  Then turn and walk back to your own bed.  She will likely keep on testing you, but just stay calm and determined.  I really think after a couple of nights she will learn a "new normal" and be fine.  It will just take patience and lots of repetition.  You're not going to be able to have her in your bed at all for quite a while or she'll just be confused.  Later you can introduce "by invitation only" which is what I do with my boys.....but never at night. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"You're not going to be able to have her in your bed at all for quite a while or she'll just be confused"

And that means, she cannot ever be on your bed in the daytime either, regardless of whether you are in it or not.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I only have one of my three dogs (the first doodle we got) in the room because it would really get squished even with a king size bed! The one that is in there is the smallest and sleeps in one spot quietly all night until I get up--so it has not been a problem---but if the others are in the room, they get up during the night and also at the crack of dawn--luckily, they do not mind being downstairs at night--so I am wracking my brain trying to think of an answer for you.

Your girl obviously does not want to be separated for any reason and is making her opinion of this new situation quite clearly heard--is this something that is part of a bigger issue? Is she "in charge" of a lot of things? For example, does she go out the door first when you take her out? Does she get to be on the furniture with you all the time? Does she have to sit to get her dinner or do a reliable down-stay, etc, etc??

Now, I am not saying any of this is bad, (my dogs do it too!!!) but it does put her in more of a dominant position and it is more likely that she is sure you will give in without too much of a hassle. So, you might have more luck with this issue if you brush up on the training and get a better grip on your position as pack leader overall. Then the down-stay in the pen at night might work better--perhaps you are not quite ready for this step at this time because she is not mentally ready to be told what to do. Just trying to help and that is what I came up with :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

No help from here except for one suggestion.  Put a 'used' sheet over her bed so that she has your scent on her bed.  Perhaps that would help her transition.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Great advice, Nancy!