Difficult few nights...

Geminon · 11-15-2011, 10:28 AM

So last week Geminon spent his first night out of his regular sleeping area (he has a kennel that we leave open with a doggy pillow/bed) and he's always been able to sleep there with no problem spends the night and wakes us up at about 6-7 which works out fine. But like a said before last week he spent his first night out of his bed area, he just didnt want to come up stairs so we left him downstairs and everything went perfect! He came up at the same time as usually scratched at the door and the day began (i checked all of the house and nothing had been out of place or destroyed through out the night).

He stayed like this for a few nights and then magically he decided he wanted to come back upstairs and sleep in his bed area (which is in the room my sister and I share by the way). Then at 2 in the morning my sister feels his claws on her bed and he's on top of her walking around and trying to get us to wake up to play! He hasn't done this since he was just a few weeks old.

He'll go into his bed then wake us up and get us to play this has been going on for the last 3 or four nights and we dont know what to do. He doesnt really want to go into his kennel either for some reason I dont' think anything has changed and it seems to fit him fine. We ended up putting his bed in the hall and closing the door last night as a last resort and he seemed to do fine but I feel a bit guilty because he'll whine a little at first.

I guess i just want to know is this normal behavior is there something we can do to make it eaiser for all of us in the house (our mom can barely sleep listening to us at night). Is it bad to leave him in the hallway with his bed? before he even came to the house we all prety much agreed that would be his area as he got bigger.

Sorry for the long message and ranting, maybe im making a big deal out of nothing?

carmspack · 11-15-2011, 10:37 AM

sorry , solution so simple , get some leadership going . This is the dog that bit you in the thigh to get you to leave the sofa so he could have a cushy sleep. Now he is in the habit of waking you at 2 in the A.M. to play .
I hope you are not accommodating the dog . Somehow I think you are "(our mom can barely sleep listening to us at night)" .
He does not want to go into his kennel for some reason ? -- It is not for him to decide . Put him in his kennel when and where you want and he will learn to love it . What's to be guilty about if he whines.

Put the family in charge -- not the dog !

This is still a young dog and things can turn out well, but let it continue and it will become very old hat , very tiremsome and then the dogs fate may be not so good.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

Geminon · 11-15-2011, 02:44 PM

We don't accomidate him and start playing at 2 in the morning, we get him off the bed and try to get him back in he bed/kennel. Will just putting him in the kennel and locking it up cause a negative feeling/memory associated with it? I dont want his safe place to become the place where you go when its not time to play. Thats my biggest concern with putting him in it so abruptly.
Would you adivse leaving him in the hall with doors closed so he can't come inside? Thats what we ended up doing last night and it didnt go too bad. But i dont want to confuse him with putting him in differnt places to sleep.
At what age is a good age for them to be out of the kennel all night? I thought we were at that point due to a pretty good week last week but I guess not yet...

Has anyone had a similar problem?

Twyla · 11-15-2011, 03:04 PM

Woolf is 14 months and still crated each night for sleep. The crate is available during the day if he decides he wants to escape for a bit. He takes his after meal breaks crated, simply because otherwise he would go right back into hard playing. It's so automatic now, that when he is done eating or the TV/lights are turned off at night, he goes to his crate. He has no fear of it.

If you decide to start crating at night, the first few nights will be rough, your pup will protest, most likely LOUDLY, but that will be due to the change in routine and loss of freedom not from fear.

A happy owner is an owner with a full night of sleep

cowboy17 · 11-15-2011, 03:45 PM

In his crate every night for sleep.
Every night.
No exceptions.
Problem solved. (He won't hate you for it)

11-15-2011, 10:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
Geminon Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: GA Posts: 36	Difficult few nights... So last week Geminon spent his first night out of his regular sleeping area (he has a kennel that we leave open with a doggy pillow/bed) and he's always been able to sleep there with no problem spends the night and wakes us up at about 6-7 which works out fine. But like a said before last week he spent his first night out of his bed area, he just didnt want to come up stairs so we left him downstairs and everything went perfect! He came up at the same time as usually scratched at the door and the day began (i checked all of the house and nothing had been out of place or destroyed through out the night). He stayed like this for a few nights and then magically he decided he wanted to come back upstairs and sleep in his bed area (which is in the room my sister and I share by the way). Then at 2 in the morning my sister feels his claws on her bed and he's on top of her walking around and trying to get us to wake up to play! He hasn't done this since he was just a few weeks old. He'll go into his bed then wake us up and get us to play this has been going on for the last 3 or four nights and we dont know what to do. He doesnt really want to go into his kennel either for some reason I dont' think anything has changed and it seems to fit him fine. We ended up putting his bed in the hall and closing the door last night as a last resort and he seemed to do fine but I feel a bit guilty because he'll whine a little at first. I guess i just want to know is this normal behavior is there something we can do to make it eaiser for all of us in the house (our mom can barely sleep listening to us at night). Is it bad to leave him in the hallway with his bed? before he even came to the house we all prety much agreed that would be his area as he got bigger. Sorry for the long message and ranting, maybe im making a big deal out of nothing?

11-15-2011, 10:37 AM	#2 (permalink)
carmspack Knighted Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: ontario - Posts: 3,325	sorry , solution so simple , get some leadership going . This is the dog that bit you in the thigh to get you to leave the sofa so he could have a cushy sleep. Now he is in the habit of waking you at 2 in the A.M. to play . I hope you are not accommodating the dog . Somehow I think you are "(our mom can barely sleep listening to us at night)" . He does not want to go into his kennel for some reason ? -- It is not for him to decide . Put him in his kennel when and where you want and he will learn to love it . What's to be guilty about if he whines. Put the family in charge -- not the dog ! This is still a young dog and things can turn out well, but let it continue and it will become very old hat , very tiremsome and then the dogs fate may be not so good. Carmen Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

11-15-2011, 02:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
Geminon Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: GA Posts: 36	We don't accomidate him and start playing at 2 in the morning, we get him off the bed and try to get him back in he bed/kennel. Will just putting him in the kennel and locking it up cause a negative feeling/memory associated with it? I dont want his safe place to become the place where you go when its not time to play. Thats my biggest concern with putting him in it so abruptly. Would you adivse leaving him in the hall with doors closed so he can't come inside? Thats what we ended up doing last night and it didnt go too bad. But i dont want to confuse him with putting him in differnt places to sleep. At what age is a good age for them to be out of the kennel all night? I thought we were at that point due to a pretty good week last week but I guess not yet... Has anyone had a similar problem?

11-15-2011, 03:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
Twyla Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 499	Woolf is 14 months and still crated each night for sleep. The crate is available during the day if he decides he wants to escape for a bit. He takes his after meal breaks crated, simply because otherwise he would go right back into hard playing. It's so automatic now, that when he is done eating or the TV/lights are turned off at night, he goes to his crate. He has no fear of it. If you decide to start crating at night, the first few nights will be rough, your pup will protest, most likely LOUDLY, but that will be due to the change in routine and loss of freedom not from fear. A happy owner is an owner with a full night of sleep

11-15-2011, 03:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
cowboy17 Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 143	In his crate every night for sleep. Every night. No exceptions. Problem solved. (He won't hate you for it)

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