shyfig

Should dogs have a regular bedtime and how long should they sleep for? What is your dogs bed time routine and where does he sleep?

Thanks everyone for your advice and sorry I haven't responded for such a long time. The good news is I opted to try a Thundershirt before going down the path of a behaviouralist (which the Vet recommended) and it is working wonders. I have had it since last Friday and have put it on Jed either when he starts barking or when we go to bed. The longest barking session we have had in a week is one night of 15 minutes...with plenty of pauses and Jed eventually stopped himself and went back to bed. I've had a couple of nights with no barking at all...and the other nights some barking and very quickly Jed has stopped and resettled himself. A big difference from the 3 hrs plus non-stop barking and growling sessions. A very good outcome for us :D

Could you please add me too...thanks!

Thanks Aussienot for your reply.

No problem. 3 weeks of sleep deprivation will do that to you! As it turns out that he is not barking at the same time each night (although there is a pattern), I agree that it's best to seek professional help. It seems you have a lot going on, and it may be worth mentioning the sleep issues (if there are other causes) to whoever you see. If you call Jane Harper I trust that, with her reputation, she would refer you to a medical specialist if she sees a reason to. Thanks for your advice and understanding

He starts at the same time each night. AS I asked in my last post...in what capacity do you know them? I'm a completely different person and have no knowledge of either of them. I was just asking the question because it seemed the obvious question to ask (as a dog trainer who works with problem behaviours). If he starts at the same time each night, a likely explanation is that something in the environment is triggering him, and from the sounds of it, it's something that really upsets him. If you know of anything that starts at that time of night each night (even if it seems unlikely), it might be something you can rule out. I apologise profusely Aiden2 for thinking you were another poster All your suggestions have been looked at...interestingly enough the barking started on and off about 7.00 tonight. I had to ask the vet for more sedatives for tonight as I have to do an at home sleep study....and I have virtually had zilch sleep for nearly 3 weeks now. The Vet will not administer any more medication which means I must find a behaviouralist who can assess and help. I am reassessing the behaviour and considering the possibility of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

He starts at the same time each night. AS I asked in my last post...in what capacity do you know them?

In what capacity do you know them both? My situation Briefly: Jed is a BC 11 months old we have had him for 6 mths. He has been perfectly quite at night (as during the day except for a few short bursts of barking here and there), until about two weeks ago when he started barking at 12.00 midnight for up to 4 hrs straight without a break. When he barks he stares at me and backs away and there has been nothing to relieve him except for some sedatives which I used for a few nights. My vet suggested a behaviourist...I asked if she knew of someone...she said Cam Day as she has met and occasionally worked with him. I live in regional New South Wales in Tenterfield and we are 3 1/2 hrs south of Brisbane...800km north of Sydney and 2 hrs east of Lismore. Cost for quality service is my concern.....and I am a single mum on a Carers payment so any money I spend will really be like gold. This is why I am trying to seek opinions.

Just wondering if my boy (11 mths) is an unusual BC in that he loves a walk or two of a day but apart from that is a total couch potato! This actually suits my family in many ways but what do others think? I tried to post this in the BC sub-forum but it wouldn't let me start a new topic.

I have a Border Collie who is 11 months old and we got him at 5 months. Teaching him not to jump up on people is still an ongoing process although he is getting better all the time. And he LOVES to jump up on most anyone that comes...he gets so excited. I have taught Jed a sit-pat command that he has learnt so he knows that there is a more appropriate way of getting attention. Each time he has jumped up I say "Jed...sit-pat" and when he obeys he gets lots of praise and pats. Most visitors that come are happy to participate in this part of his training and this has been a huge help. Initially food rewards were used then simple praise and pats. Jed also knows that the sit-pat command is different to the sit command. Now at 11 months he knows the command very well and sits in front of whoever he wants to greet but if a pat hasn't happened within about 2 secs he jumps straight up in the air, yaps and lands straight on his bum again and waits. I figure he's reminding us that he is in sit-pat position in case we've forgotten. Incidentally my 83 year old mum he has never attempted to jump up on. He seems to sense that she needs to be treated very gently.

What trainer/behaviourist did you end up having success with? Any info would be appreciated. I went with Jane Harper. Her business name is Dogd on Track. Quite a few Dolers had used her with success and I was very happy with her. One of my dogs resource guards and is dog aggressive, so she really helped solve the issues when we bought our second dog home. Thanks for the recommendation. Have just had a look at her website and I'm very impressed with what I read. Do you have an idea at all of her fees?

OK...thanks for your input

What trainer/behaviourist did you end up having success with? Any info would be appreciated.

Recommended by my vet who has had one on one professional dealings with him. He is in Brisbane and this is his website: www.pethealth.com.au Has anyone heard of him or had dealings with him?

Just like animal abusers have no place in our society? Tying rats tails together and watching them hurting each other while trying to escape is abuse by any standard. I think you might need a basic biology lesson. Rodents are most certainly animals. I'd throw in a few Psychiatry consults too!

This post is really quite disgusting. I am amazed you are not ashamed and embarrassed, regardless of whether you participated or not. The fact that an animal is vermin or a pest is no excuse for inflicting cruelty, something you are apparently endorsing. Just appalling. Disgusting is an understatement!! And that you gloat? Unbelievable!!

Vet attempted to check his eyes yesterday but wasn't too successful as all Jed wanted to do was kiss and cuddle her! She will have to sedate him to examine him properly. No other changes re: me.

I have been on the hereditary diseases sub-committee of the BCC of NSW for about 25 years, was one of the team that organised the research that led to the development of the CL test and I have never heard of any hereditary condition that could cause those symptoms at that age. It could be an infection or tumour in the brain. I do know of a dog that had a tumour started by a infection, after he inhaled mould spores. Exposure to toxins can also affect the brain as well. The other possibility I didn't think of was that mentioned by some others on here. Could your house be haunted ? Dogs and horses pick up on supernatural energy long before humans do and can be very spooked by it. CL can appear as early as 12 months according to some information and the vet is preferring to contact OptiGen just to try and verify some info re Jed's parentage on the Sire's side. As far as any "paranormal" activity...it would have to be related directly to me as all his energy and responses are directed straight at me for the entire time...It is like Jed is saying "who the hell are you?"...."I recognize the house, the cats, the kids but you I have never seen before..get out!!". Perhaps I am possessed Wow...perhaps I need: A vet A geneticist A behaviouralist An exorcist Ok, was just clutching at straws because I know of several incidences of dogs and horses going nuts in places that are supposed to haunted. That is really bizarre if the behaviour is directed at you. With CL they don't seem to even acknowledge that there is a person there and react to nothing at all. There is no point in contacting Optigen because they don't have the CL info for Australian dogs. The test was developed here at the Uni of NSW and all the data is stored there. Optigen are just licenced to do the test in Nth America. 15 months is about the earliest that I have ever heard of CL symptoms, but if Jed's dam is CL normal by testing, he cannot possibly be affected by it, no matter who his father is and what his DNA status is. If you want more info on CL you need to contact Prof Alan Wilton at the School of Biochemistry, Uni of NSW. Edited to add - CL in other breeds like English Setters, can occur earlier but it is a different form of CL to the one in Border Collies. We sot of know that by doing the genetic sums for CL Jed is not affected but the vet is in fact contacting Prof Wilton regarding this plus some additional checks more as a process of elimination. Of course I would rather it be a haunted house than any neurological problems that might cause him suffering.

I have been on the hereditary diseases sub-committee of the BCC of NSW for about 25 years, was one of the team that organised the research that led to the development of the CL test and I have never heard of any hereditary condition that could cause those symptoms at that age. It could be an infection or tumour in the brain. I do know of a dog that had a tumour started by a infection, after he inhaled mould spores. Exposure to toxins can also affect the brain as well. The other possibility I didn't think of was that mentioned by some others on here. Could your house be haunted ? Dogs and horses pick up on supernatural energy long before humans do and can be very spooked by it. CL can appear as early as 12 months according to some information and the vet is preferring to contact OptiGen just to try and verify some info re Jed's parentage on the Sire's side. As far as any "paranormal" activity...it would have to be related directly to me as all his energy and responses are directed straight at me for the entire time...It is like Jed is saying "who the hell are you?"...."I recognize the house, the cats, the kids but you I have never seen before..get out!!". Perhaps I am possessed Wow...perhaps I need: A vet A geneticist A behaviouralist An exorcist

I took Jed to the vet this afternoon and she is very perplexed as well about this bizzare behaviour. The vet is going to make some further enquiries re: inherited disorders. I will arm myself tonight with the camcorder and try to shoot some footage to assist in getting some answers. Tomorrow night Jed can have a sedative which will hopefully ensure that I get my first decent night's sleep after 5 without. Monday the vet will contact me re: next steps. Thanks everyone who has replied....and I welcome any further input.

:D I have used this technique before to good effect - not sure though if it was my 'roar' or the fact that (because of child in aforementioned pram) my pelvic floor muscles are not a reliable as I would like and I sort of wet myself.. Maybe my very loud and confident interruption of attacking dogs focus was more effective because I was also seen as 'marking my territory'? Priceless More And again

Jed is 10mths old and his parents were cleared for CL...the Dam by genetic testing and the Sire by parentage although somewhere in the Sires "family tree" I think may be a carrier. I have actually researched CL and so far this does seem to fit the bizzare behaviour. (Tonight begins night 5...right on the strike of midnight!). I am tethering until I can manage to get a crate and there is absolutely nowhere he can hang himself. Tethering only happens for nightime sleeping and whilst he eats a bone...so maybe every 2nd or 3rd night. He has the full run of the yard and house all other times. I acknowledge your concern however and say thankyou. The point about a tethered dog feeling vulnerable compared to a crated dog feeling safe is an angle I had not thought of. We may well be looking at a visit to the vet.

This is going to sound a little weird but bare with me please. For 4 nights in a row.....at 12 midnight each night....Jed starts barking non-stop, sounding like he's growling (more like a gargling sound) and turning head side ways when he looks at me. He doesn't bare teeth but keeps backing away from me. Meanwhile his tail wags. The first night that this happened was before going to bed whilst I was sitting at the kitchen table. It was like he had not seen me before. The following nights it has happened after we have gone to bed. Jed sleeps on the end of my bed and is tethered so he can't wander unsupervised. This has worked well for the 6 months in which I have had him. Never has there been any major problems with him settling to sleep before. When he starts this new barking "behaviour" nothing....and I mean nothing has settled it down except when I tether him outside our loungeroom door (where I feed him) and he has immediately stopped barking and settled for sleep. (This was discovered through frustration on the first night after 3 hrs of barking). I of course have slept on the lounge with the door open so I can keep an eye on him. The barking has gone on for between 3 hrs (night 1) and 1/2 hr (night 4) stopping only when I have tethered him outside the loungeroom door on the side verandah. My two questions are: 1/ what can anyone make of this bizzarre change of character and 2/ does the description sound like he is being aggressive or just challenging? Jed is now 11 months old and apart from food and toy guarding (from cats) that I have posted about he is a beautiful, cheeky and responsive BC. This new behaviour has left me perplexed and a little worried. Opinions appreciated please!!

It is a trite noticeable that you are the one person.....a giveaway perhaps is that you didn't change your profile info. If you came to this forum with the intent of promoting the reliability of your "business" you have certainly failed. There are other more adult ways of debating differences on forums rather than conjouring up facticious support persons. I'd say grow up!! And your advice is just dangerous......how simple is that!!

Tenterfield is 2.5 hrs north of Armidale....2 hours inland from Lismore ....1.5 hours south of Warwick and 3 hrs south of Brisbane if that helps