Sleep!!!!

Ralph has been sleeping in a crate downstairs. He would normally start falling asleep on the sofa (!) about 8.30ish, and then it’s wee wee’s and off to bed about 10.30. He would sleep until 6.30-7.00 (still a bit early in my opinion) when he would howl for company.

We recently got him a new bed, and want him to sleep upstairs by our bedroom door. We’ve been trying it for a couple of weeks.

He settles well into his bed and sleeps, until about 2.00am – 4.00am when he gets up. I can hear him padding around, then it’s round to my side of the bed, and he’s up! Stamps over my head a bit and lays down between me and the OH. He then gets down a bit later, then up again and down... blah blah. This goes on until 7.00am when I get up.

Ok, so that wasn’t going to work. So we tried banning him from up on the bed all together. When he would pad round to my side and jump up, the OH would immediately shove him back down into his own bed, hoping that the consistency of him not being able to stay up on the bed would stop him from getting up all together.

He’s still doing it two weeks on and I look and feel like an extra from the Walking Dead!

Any ideas folks for keeping him in his bed? I so don’t want him in his crate any more at night as he’s still in there when we pop out. Don’t want him there at night too.

Well first off i think he did well downstairs in his crate , 10.30 to 6,30 is a good 9 hours , i think the mistake is taking him upstairs he knows where you are he can see you and wants to be with you in your bed any dog would .

I would return to the crate downstairs at night its not cruel and he will sleep better , if you want a longer lie in maybe go to bed a bit later ? , our pup sleeps in his crate and goes into it when we pop out shopping he doesn't fret at all, i believe a dog should know it's sleeping place and for us it's in his crate at night .

I'm with Mickgill. Debo sleeps in his crate and everytime my OH decided that DEbo is going to sleep with us it's a nightmare. When he's in his crate he's perfect,last walk 11pm and I wake up around 8.30am. And he lays on his bed calm,waiting to be let out. If you don't want him to be closed in his crate maybe leave the door open and see what's happen. He might still walk out the crate but you being upstairs won't hear him.

Thank you both for your feedback. AW! Why can't he just go to sleep!! hehehe!

If I leave the crate door open, I think I'll come down to my house eaten from the inside out! LOL!

Jellytot wrote:Thank you both for your feedback. AW! Why can't he just go to sleep!! hehehe!

If I leave the crate door open, I think I'll come down to my house eaten from the inside out! LOL!

That's why we close ours

Same here:).

Moo sleeps on my bed no probs and I wouldn't have it any other way, maybe you could try a baby gate over your bedroom door, he can see and hear you but not get to you

janey wrote:

Moo sleeps on my bed no probs and I wouldn't have it any other way, maybe you could try a baby gate over your bedroom door, he can see and hear you but not get to you

Exactly what I want to happen Janey! But he is up and down all over the place! A right fidget bum!

Lol, I feel your pain! Maybe when he gets older he may settle, but try not to give mixed messages, either he is up or not full stop, as I said a baby gate may be of help for that Xx

Yeah I know! I think we have decided not! I'll suggest baby gate to the OH, other than that I guess we keep at what we're doing, and don't give in just because it's four o'clock in the morning!!!

It's so hard to kick him off though, especially when I put my hand out and I get little kisses and he snuggles in! Ahhhggg!

I think the baby gate will work a treat! I have one you could use from when I first got Moo shame your not closer Xx

Ah thanks Janey. That's really kind. We are only in Biggin Hill, but I will just lift the one from downstairs up at night. See how we get on. X

why move him out the crate?
he was doing superb in there, 9 hrs is a long time.
ours sleeps on us/the settee till bedtime then goes to his crate, and
even though he is only 10 weeks old will go 6/7 hrs , in fact we have to wake him sometimes!!!

astubliffhacked wrote:why move him out the crate?
he was doing superb in there, 9 hrs is a long time.
ours sleeps on us/the settee till bedtime then goes to his crate, and
even though he is only 10 weeks old will go 6/7 hrs , in fact we have to wake him sometimes!!!

Because the crate wasn't for ever. Just whilst we were house training and until we could trust him not to chew.

Do you guys leave them to sleep in the crate their whole lives then?

no, no, haha!!
noah's crate is his little den, he will often disappear into it for a kip.
he as loved it since day one, the door is only shut at night and when we go out, we plan like you when he's out of his termite stage to replace the crate with a bed.

Jellytot wrote:

astubliffhacked wrote:why move him out the crate?
he was doing superb in there, 9 hrs is a long time.
ours sleeps on us/the settee till bedtime then goes to his crate, and
even though he is only 10 weeks old will go 6/7 hrs , in fact we have to wake him sometimes!!!

Because the crate wasn't for ever. Just whilst we were house training and until we could trust him not to chew.

Do you guys leave them to sleep in the crate their whole lives then?

I'm having the same issue as you at the moment with a few differences.. Steffi is only 3 months old, and she only ever was in her puppy pen at night for 2 weeks and ever since she has been sleeping with me in my bed no problems until the last week or so now she is up at 3am trampling all over my head and trying to play I also never wanted my girl in a crate she is part of my family and she lives like one of us.. Sorry I don't have any advice just wanted to let u know there are other walking around looking and feeling like

The whole thing about crate training is a personal choice and I know plenty of people who maintain the crate for night time through the dogs lives so we should never judge . Remember the crate is a safe haven or should be , not the prison cell . For us we wanted to let the dogs have free run of the house so it was our own choice to ditch them. The only thing I disagree with is if you have to go to work all day and leave the dog in there as it's a long time unless you can make alternative arrangements.

Interesting comments. We haven't had a very good night again! I wonder if it's just too soon to expect him to settle out of his Den.

To add to it, the OH had given him some kind of chew during the evening whilst I was out, and Ralph threw it up at 3.00am all over my carpet. Bless him. You should have seen his face. He knew it shouldn't be there. I said to him it's ok and gave him a little cuddle on the floor but my heart was melting. He was looking at the mess, tail down ears back and looking at me as if to say 'I'm so sorry'.

The OH was moaning - but who gave him the bloo*y chew in the first place. Shut up and get me some soapy water!!!


Dave, out of interest, how old were they when you ditched the crate, in fact, I'd like to hear from anyone who's ditched the crate and how old the dog was at the time?
x

Bis sleeps in her crate every night she loves it in there and often takes herself to bed and snuggles up in there well before we're going to bed. The reason being, we have reptiles and while she rarely shows interest in them the beardy crashes around a bit at night and she's tried to jump up at the tank once or twice, so she's safe in her den and they're safe in theirs

She isn't in her crate at any other time though and has the whole of the landing, hallway and kitchen whilst we're out. The crate is just for sleeping and initial introductions to other dogs/strangers coming into the home.