Dog night time help!
Discussion
Hi all. Wondering if anyone has any advice for my little problem.
Have a belgian shepherd, nearly 8 years old.
We moved house on 13th Dec, the dog had spent her whole life in the one previous house.
In the old house she stayed downstairs at all times, through her own choice as we had slippy wooden stairs. Her bed was at the bottom and she was happy with this arrangement.
Now in the new house we have carpeted stairs and she has decided she can come up. I’m not against the idea of her using the stairs but I don’t want her sleeping with us for a few reasons.
The first few nights we blocked the stairs with some boxes but she did eventually get round those so we have borrowed a stair gate from my wife’s sister.
This worked fine for 2 weeks until we had that storm and all the new noises have scared the dog so much she was banging at the stair gate, even knocking it down on one occasion.
Now we probably have not helped the problem but at 1 am you take the easy option, so fearing that she was going to injure herself banging at the stair gate we have relented and let her sleep on the floor in our room. This went on for a few nights while the weather was bad. Now the house is all quiet again she won’t stay downstairs.
Today we have tried a different method to try and get her to start moving back downstairs gradually. I have moved the stair gate from the bottom of the stairs and put it in the doorway to our bedroom. Thinking that she will at least still be 8ft away and able to see and smell us but won’t be getting up and nudging us or knocking stuff in the bedroom waking me up all night.
It’s not going well.
Been over 2.5 hours now of constant, whining, crying and pacing on the landing. I was expecting maybe 10-20 mins of this before she got bored and went to sleep anyway.
I have got up and pushed the door to (not properly closed but she can’t see us anymore) about half hour ago and it quietened her down for a bit but she is still going strong now at 2.20am.
Don’t know why she has this problem of not being alone at night now. She won’t venture up stairs in the day at all, quite happy to lie alone in the living room if we are both upstairs.
Any help much appreciated. It’s breaking my heart that she is upset but I’m currently only getting about 4 house of sleep a night so having to try what I can to get her settled at night again.
Have a belgian shepherd, nearly 8 years old.
We moved house on 13th Dec, the dog had spent her whole life in the one previous house.
In the old house she stayed downstairs at all times, through her own choice as we had slippy wooden stairs. Her bed was at the bottom and she was happy with this arrangement.
Now in the new house we have carpeted stairs and she has decided she can come up. I’m not against the idea of her using the stairs but I don’t want her sleeping with us for a few reasons.
The first few nights we blocked the stairs with some boxes but she did eventually get round those so we have borrowed a stair gate from my wife’s sister.
This worked fine for 2 weeks until we had that storm and all the new noises have scared the dog so much she was banging at the stair gate, even knocking it down on one occasion.
Now we probably have not helped the problem but at 1 am you take the easy option, so fearing that she was going to injure herself banging at the stair gate we have relented and let her sleep on the floor in our room. This went on for a few nights while the weather was bad. Now the house is all quiet again she won’t stay downstairs.
Today we have tried a different method to try and get her to start moving back downstairs gradually. I have moved the stair gate from the bottom of the stairs and put it in the doorway to our bedroom. Thinking that she will at least still be 8ft away and able to see and smell us but won’t be getting up and nudging us or knocking stuff in the bedroom waking me up all night.
It’s not going well.
Been over 2.5 hours now of constant, whining, crying and pacing on the landing. I was expecting maybe 10-20 mins of this before she got bored and went to sleep anyway.
I have got up and pushed the door to (not properly closed but she can’t see us anymore) about half hour ago and it quietened her down for a bit but she is still going strong now at 2.20am.
Don’t know why she has this problem of not being alone at night now. She won’t venture up stairs in the day at all, quite happy to lie alone in the living room if we are both upstairs.
Any help much appreciated. It’s breaking my heart that she is upset but I’m currently only getting about 4 house of sleep a night so having to try what I can to get her settled at night again.
Does she sleep peacefully on the bedroom floor?
I suspect something has spooked her downstairs at night and so now does not feel happy being left there alone.
Eg. A loud bang one night, the boiler might be noisier in this house than the previous one. I remember one dog getting freaked out when the owners changed the pump on their fish tank. All these types of thinhs may have played their part on top of being a new home,especially the storm in a new home, that has likely had a major impact.
There are several natural calming remedies to try such as Zylkene, Kalamaid, Adaptil tablets and Pet remedy plug ins. They can all work and can safely use a combination of them. I would get a pet remedy plug in as soon as you can.
I suspect something has spooked her downstairs at night and so now does not feel happy being left there alone.
Eg. A loud bang one night, the boiler might be noisier in this house than the previous one. I remember one dog getting freaked out when the owners changed the pump on their fish tank. All these types of thinhs may have played their part on top of being a new home,especially the storm in a new home, that has likely had a major impact.
There are several natural calming remedies to try such as Zylkene, Kalamaid, Adaptil tablets and Pet remedy plug ins. They can all work and can safely use a combination of them. I would get a pet remedy plug in as soon as you can.
Thanks Bex. She is still going now (3.45am).
It was the letterbox flapping in the wind that spooked her before but I have fixed that now.
If I let her in to the bedroom she will be instantly calm and lie down and sleep. The problem is she doesnt have much room so kicks the wardrobe in her sleep, which wakes me up. As well as that she has a habit of checking in on you every hour or 2 so comes and gently nudges you in the face, which wakes me up and I’m quite a light sleeper so even things like her having a quick shake wake me up so any night she spends in with us is pants for me.
The wife has been here merrily sleeping through it all!
Might give the plug in a go if you think it’s worth it? We did try one with her before when she was less than a year old as she hated being left but it didn’t make any difference so not sure if it affects the right thing in her mind as such.
It was the letterbox flapping in the wind that spooked her before but I have fixed that now.
If I let her in to the bedroom she will be instantly calm and lie down and sleep. The problem is she doesnt have much room so kicks the wardrobe in her sleep, which wakes me up. As well as that she has a habit of checking in on you every hour or 2 so comes and gently nudges you in the face, which wakes me up and I’m quite a light sleeper so even things like her having a quick shake wake me up so any night she spends in with us is pants for me.
The wife has been here merrily sleeping through it all!
Might give the plug in a go if you think it’s worth it? We did try one with her before when she was less than a year old as she hated being left but it didn’t make any difference so not sure if it affects the right thing in her mind as such.
Unfortunately even though you have fixed the letterbox the damage has been done re her fear association, it will take time.
A few yrs ago the plug in would have been a DAP. Pet Remedy works differently so you may get a better response (it has valerian in it)
But I would also definitely recommend trying other calming remedies on top help.
A few yrs ago the plug in would have been a DAP. Pet Remedy works differently so you may get a better response (it has valerian in it)
But I would also definitely recommend trying other calming remedies on top help.
Our 14 month old cairn/border cross terrier has started this recently. He's always been crate trained and sleep with our 10 year old cairn terrier in their own room. Christmas eve he simply would not settle and whined and barked from about 1 hr after we went to bed. My elderly mum was staying with us in the room next door which may have been the change which triggered it. I ended up walking them at 01:30am and then had to sleep in their room to get any sleep at all.
Same the following night and same end result. Every night since has been disturbed sleep by barking and whingeing. I already use ear plugs but my partner is now doing the same to get to sleep.
Tried Radio in the room, T-Shirt in the bed, Leaving the crate open and sending him back to sleep in there finally let him sleep in the room with us. This was probably worse than the barking as he kept us awake all night jumping onto the bed and licking my face.
I've given them longer walks which might have helped a little but still struggling with a proper solution.
I think part of the issue is that I'm at home all the time currently and so he gets too much time with me (Alpha in the pack) He will follow me anywhere including the bathroom if I let him.
Same the following night and same end result. Every night since has been disturbed sleep by barking and whingeing. I already use ear plugs but my partner is now doing the same to get to sleep.
Tried Radio in the room, T-Shirt in the bed, Leaving the crate open and sending him back to sleep in there finally let him sleep in the room with us. This was probably worse than the barking as he kept us awake all night jumping onto the bed and licking my face.
I've given them longer walks which might have helped a little but still struggling with a proper solution.
I think part of the issue is that I'm at home all the time currently and so he gets too much time with me (Alpha in the pack) He will follow me anywhere including the bathroom if I let him.
Tend to agree that letting the dog sleep in the room might be a more peaceful solution for all. I know it is not everyone's ideal solution but if the dog is happy and quite then so will you be by and large - apart from the inevitable farting.
For what it is worth we have the oposite issue. 30 kg lurcher slipped on the wooden stairs about 6 month ago and now won't go upstairs to sleep. This means he wakes up at 3am most nights and whines. I have to carry the big bugger up the stairs now. The other 30kg lurcher zooms up and down no problem!
TD
For what it is worth we have the oposite issue. 30 kg lurcher slipped on the wooden stairs about 6 month ago and now won't go upstairs to sleep. This means he wakes up at 3am most nights and whines. I have to carry the big bugger up the stairs now. The other 30kg lurcher zooms up and down no problem!
TD
If she would just come into the room and keep to herself and sleep I wouldn’t mind having her in the room but she wakes me up so much during the night, on purpose and by accident that I feel terrible in the morning.
I got about 3 hours sleep last night. She eventually gave up crying and went to sleep outside the bedroom just before 4 am so I nodded off then. She started whining again at 6.10 so I went downstairs with her and nodded off on the sofa until I had to get up and do other stuff.
Typically I have been upstairs for hours on end today doing diy and doggo has been happy dozing by herself in the living room :/
I got about 3 hours sleep last night. She eventually gave up crying and went to sleep outside the bedroom just before 4 am so I nodded off then. She started whining again at 6.10 so I went downstairs with her and nodded off on the sofa until I had to get up and do other stuff.
Typically I have been upstairs for hours on end today doing diy and doggo has been happy dozing by herself in the living room :/
keirik said:
let him sleep on the bedroom floor, he's family
my dog sleeps in the bed with us, in fact we bought a super king sized to fit him in.
Some may not approve but hes our baby (my wife can't have kids so we may be a bit soft on him)
Mine too, squashed in the middle, on his back with his legs in the air. my dog sleeps in the bed with us, in fact we bought a super king sized to fit him in.
Some may not approve but hes our baby (my wife can't have kids so we may be a bit soft on him)
That said, he's only small so you don't even know he's there.
I have a 57kg Rottweiler who sleeps on the bed although he’s good and stays at the end of the bed so doesn’t cause any problems. I used to work away so my other half liked having him there to protect her and then it’s just continued.
It doesn’t bother me as he causes no issues although under other circumstances he would of slept downstairs.
It doesn’t bother me as he causes no issues although under other circumstances he would of slept downstairs.
PositronicRay said:
How about getting dog well... dog tired.
Long walk, loads of stimulation so she doesn't kip during the day or evening. She may just flake out and break the cycle.
Knowing of the dog and the owner (from posts on here over the years) I don't think exercise is an issue but mental stimulation is often overlooked so may well be an are for OP to try. Long walk, loads of stimulation so she doesn't kip during the day or evening. She may just flake out and break the cycle.
It’s a thought, she is a very active dog though, we run half marathons for fun etc so getting her tired to the point she doesn’t care about other things is no quick or easy task.
Had some improvement last night. She went to bed downstairs normally and didn’t come up and bother us until about 2.45am so got some sleep. Had half hour of whining and I couldn’t take it anymore so got out of bed and shut the bedroom door, which worked a treat she went straight downstairs and stayed there until I went down in the morning at 7.30.
Just got into bed for tonight, took her about 2 mins to come up but I have calmly taken her back downstairs to bed about 4 times and she has stayed down there for a while now ( touches wood) hope she had a good long sleep now so we can.
Had some improvement last night. She went to bed downstairs normally and didn’t come up and bother us until about 2.45am so got some sleep. Had half hour of whining and I couldn’t take it anymore so got out of bed and shut the bedroom door, which worked a treat she went straight downstairs and stayed there until I went down in the morning at 7.30.
Just got into bed for tonight, took her about 2 mins to come up but I have calmly taken her back downstairs to bed about 4 times and she has stayed down there for a while now ( touches wood) hope she had a good long sleep now so we can.
RB Will said:
Woop Woop! Didn't hear a peep from her all night. Fingers crossed this continues.
Good result, your persistence appears to be paying off.We lasted a grand total of 1 day before our GSD came upstairs. My wife is a shift worker so the dog loves sleeping on ‘her’ bed when my wife’s at work, otherwise she has to slum it on the floor.
She also kicks the wardrobe from time to time, must be a shepherd thing!
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff