He's gotta go...

...out of my bedroom!

Yup, it's the weekend and I am up because I can't sleep due to Troy licking his bits and snoring. It is really effecting my quality of life now! I feel very frustrated and angry, and so is my GF. We are snapping at each other over this.

I have had Troy about 2 and a half months. I work full time but he is walked midday by my brother. As I am not home as much as I would like to be Mon - Fri it was suggested he sleep in my room to help us bond but it has turned out to be a huge mistake.

Troy did have very bad anxiety where he would pee and poop when left a lone. He doesn't do that now BUT will still moan and cry if I leave him in a room by himself and I move to another area of the house, though he will stay if told when the doors are open...

He will follow me EVERYWHERE in the house. Strangely he is fine when I LEAVE the house!

So, I am thinking of removing him from my bedroom on a night, but as this is all he knows, plus he has separation anxiety when I am in the house, I know for a fact he is going to scream the place down.

So do I bite the bullet, leave him in the living room and let him scream the place down every night?

Or let him sleep on the second floor with the doors open (I sleep in the attic), assuming he might be a little better that he can sort of see where I am?

Or, do I really need to try kerb this in house separation anxiety first?

Is there anyone else living alone, that works full time AND their dog does not sleep in the same room as them? That would make me feel a bit better as it seems a little cruel when I think if the amount of hours he will be buy himself but I guess he will be asleep after all!

Thanks

I would just try him in another room with the door closed an stick to it no matter if he cries. He will soon learn you'll not come for him and you must stick to your guns!! Kitchen is usually the best place incase of damage.

My kitchen is small and he has a crate so he would be in that, he sleeps in it every night so is used to it.

I've always had mine sleep with me after the first week or so. There are some incidents but overall worth it to me

If he didn't snore and lick his bits at 3-4am and wake me up I couldn't care where he sleeps. But unfortunately I am not getting no sleep and my girlfriend is being affected also.

He is a very vocal and noisy dog.

I'm a good sleeper so even when she wakes me up I go right back to sleep. You could try a bed next to yours so he could be in the same room without waking you up

I ain't a good sleeper lol Once I'm up that's it, can't sleep!

He has a crate next to my bed but depending on the position he sleeps in he can snore alot. Not to mention the licking of his bits an moaning to get out.

sasha moans,snores has a wash in the middle of the night and wakes us up just to say hi im here,welcome to the world of the staffy!some times they just need to know your there for them cos they love you soo much ,sorry not much help we've had it for 8 years!

I sympathise Gee. Charlie is an horrendous snorer and when he is licking his bits it sounds DISGUSTING! I'm used to it, and he does stop if I tell him, but it sounds like it really is causing you problems so I would just put one of your tops or something that smells of you in his crate, put his crate in the kitchen or wherever you want to put it, and just leave him to it. If he's had food and water and been to the toilet before you put him in, you'll know that the only reason he is whining is for attention, and in that case, just let him get on with it. You will have a rough couple of nights, and it'll feel as if he'll never get used to it, but he will, and you and your gf will finally be able to sleep again. Just be prepared for 2 or 3 nights of constant whining, a night or 2 or intermittent whining, and that should be it. Good luck!

haha i often think oooo shall i let memphis sleep in our room tonight then he starts his snoring farting licking moaning and i some change my mind lol.
infact i dont even think he would go anyway as he likes his own bed to much

i can honestly say the thought of my dogs in my bed room (let alone my bed ) fills me with horror! Never have they been upstairs in my house let alone in my room and they never will.....they aint bothered though, what they dont no wont kill them lol

scarlett slept down stairs for the first few weeks but now shes toilet trained she sleep in our bed but she doesnt make a sound she just cuddles up to you, she did go through a week or so licking her bits which kept waking me up and we soon found she had a urine infection could it be thats troy has one?

I doubt it's an infection, just normal staffy behaviour.

If it's disturbing you, kick him out of the bedroom! Your sleep & household harmony is important!! Yes, he'll scream the place down for a couple of nights, maybe even 4 or 5. But he will get used to it & it may even help his seperation anxiety knowing that you are still in the same house & will come down to him in the morning.

Your & your gf's sleep may be distrurbed even more while he gets used to it, but at least you'll be in for a good night's sleep once he's settled! In the meantime take it in turns to wear foam ear plugs. They really do work!

Thanks for the replies.

Hmm...he is still in my room for now. I am making him 'stay' in different rooms from me for longer periods so he can get confidence that it is okay to be by himself in other rooms without me.

Once he is better I'll look into moving him from my room but I am dreading it LOL. Feel a bit sorry for him..I don't care about him being in my room, he is just too noisy.

It's really difficult. That's one reason why I never let Dempsey sleep in our room. Our last dog slept with us, on the bed, and apart from the fact that he took up most of the room (how can a stafford - a small dog, really - make themselves so big?) he also snored & grunted in his sleep, and if he heard a noise outside that he didn't like he'd bark in our ears!!!

I feel bad because I leave the house at 6:45am after walking him. My brother comes down at about 12:00pm and I get home at about 4:30pm and go bed about 9:30pm.

So a lot of the time he is by himself and wiah I had more time with him and kinda feel like letting him sleep in my room makes up for it a bit some how!

I know what you mean, but really your health (and your gf's health) will suffer if you're not getting any sleep!

Really a personal choice and everyone is different. Suki farts, snores, growls, hits me in the face, nips my nose, barks, scratches and I'm sure I'm missing a few bad habits. I am a very sound sleeper though so even when she wakes me up it's not an issue for me.

If she were overly disruptive to either mine or the better halves sleep cycle we wouldn't let her up with us.

Gonna have to bite the bullet and leave him downstairs as I am up and on the sofa as I don't think my GF should suffer when she stays here so I took Troy downstairs and I'm on the sofa to stop him whining.

Don't know what the neighbours are going to say. I live in a back to back with thin walls so I'm sure they are going to hear him whine all night just like I will.

Oh well. Pisses me off that he is in his crate snoring right now and I'm wide awake on the sofa tired as hell

hmm, I couldn't put up with that!!
I know how you feel wen you say you feel guilty about the time he's alone, I think we all wish we could have more time with our pooches!

Would it make much difference if you crated him on the landing instead of your bedroom? From what you say he seems to like his crate so you could gradually close the bedroom door a little more each night to block out his licking and snoring?

There is a room right next to the door leading up to the attic where I sleep, I use it as a walk in wardrobe and laundry room LOL.

Do you think it would help crating him nearer to where I sleep? It would be warmer for him too, plus would be on the opposing side to the neighbours so hopefully they wont be disturbed.

He's gonna moan wherever you put him if he can't see you!!!

I'd just try and put him somewhere he may feel closer to you, somewhere nice and warm and comfortable and with one of your jumpers or something that has your scent on it.

I'd put him in, give him a kong and walk away turning the light off, don't go back to him, and pretend he is not there!! he'll be fine after a few nights,

maybe start it friday night and hopefully by sunday night he'll be ok and with it being the weekend it shouldn't disrupt everyone's week night sleep!!

I am a great believer in cage training, if you have it where you want him to sleep on a night. Get a nice, comfy dog bed and a couple of toys. Introduce him gradually to it by leaving him in for a while in the day. he will associate it as his little den and eventually spend the night in it.

I remember John Gordon writing in his SBT Encyclopedia about a training a dog that has issues barking or crying when left alone. He said to put the dog in a room on its own when you know it will start to cry/bark then when it starts immediately bang hard on the door once and firmly say quiet! Continue until the dog associates the bang and commands with his/her barking or crying. He said the Staffy will soon learn to associate the two and quieten down in no time. He said patience and persistence is needed on the trainers part.

Never needed to try but he was a man with experience in Staffies.

*Karen* wrote:He's gonna moan wherever you put him if he can't see you!!!

I'd just try and put him somewhere he may feel closer to you, somewhere nice and warm and comfortable and with one of your jumpers or something that has your scent on it.

I'd put him in, give him a kong and walk away turning the light off, don't go back to him, and pretend he is not there!! he'll be fine after a few nights,

maybe start it friday night and hopefully by sunday night he'll be ok and with it being the weekend it shouldn't disrupt everyone's week night sleep!!

Good idea, LOL. Might give it ago on Friday. Why leave a Kong with him though? You mean something to chew / lick before bed and take his mind away from me not being there? Usually on a night he will just get in his crate in my room and go to sleep without a fuss.

Chiara wrote:I am a great believer in cage training, if you have it where you want him to sleep on a night. Get a nice, comfy dog bed and a couple of toys. Introduce him gradually to it by leaving him in for a while in the day. he will associate it as his little den and eventually spend the night in it.

Troy actually sleeps in a crate in my room. He goes into it when he knows it is bed time, I don't have to tell him and I lock it too.

He also has a crate in my living room which he has been in for a few hours when I have been out and he goes in there when I am cleaning up or when he has a messy treat etc.

mandy wrote:I remember John Gordon writing in his SBT Encyclopedia about a training a dog that has issues barking or crying when left alone. He said to put the dog in a room on its own when you know it will start to cry/bark then when it starts immediately bang hard on the door once and firmly say quiet! Continue until the dog associates the bang and commands with his/her barking or crying. He said the Staffy will soon learn to associate the two and quieten down in no time. He said patience and persistence is needed on the trainers part.

Never needed to try but he was a man with experience in Staffies.

It's pretty hard to do these things consistently while working full time unless I commit to it over the weekend. I'll possibly give it a try.

He slept well last night without a noise, never even snored! He is tricking me..think he knows I was thinking of crating him out of my room tonight!

Ha ha it's their sixth sense!!

Maybe he was tired after the run in with the gsd!

Well I'm very proud of my boy! Crated him in my 'laundry Room' which is the floor below my attic where I sleep. I left a t-shirt with my scent in the crate and gave him a Kong with peanut butter in which I froze. He was so into the Kong he didn't care I'd left him and turned the light off.

I think he wore himself out with the Kong then just konked out because I never heard a thing from him all night! He was quietly waiting for me this morning too

I'm sure it was more the kong than anything but it's a start. Typically even though I never heard a peep from him, my body clock still got me up at 5:30am! Grrrrr!

Yay well done Troy!!!

great news sounds like you both have a solution that you are happy with

Great news Ledger used to snore alot when I got him but he has either stopped now or I have just tuned out to it. I have no idea how he manages to take up so much space but if I do wake he will and a simple '5 minutes' and he curls back up behind my knees and goes back to sleep again I'm lucky in that I'm a deep sleeper but I do miss him now on the occasions when he decides to sleep in his bed or downstairs on the sofa/ in his crate

Yeah I miss having him around to be honest

But got to be consistent and at least I am getting some sleep. He was barking at something last night, first time I have actually heard him properly bark. He is a very vocal dog when it comes to moaning, whining, growling but he never, ever barks.

He has been fine every night with a Kong to keep him occupied but unsure as to when to crate him without the Kong? I think he may play up..LOL

blaze wrote:i can honestly say the thought of my dogs in my bed room (let alone my bed ) fills me with horror! Never have they been upstairs in my house let alone in my room and they never will.....they aint bothered though, what they dont no wont kill them lol

We have never had Baxter upstairs. The only time he is 'allowed' up is when it's his bath time, but other than that he sits at the bottom of the stairs and waits if we nip to the little boys room (if he can be bothered) and at bedtime he has his crate in the dining room.

He has always been in the kitchen/dining room form being a puppy. we put an old t-shirt of mine that my wife sometimes wore to bed in with him and this really worked a treat. he could still smell us and was settled.

Stick to it, it's worth it in the end. we had a few nights of 'crying' but once the t-shirt went in this calmed him.