MrsD Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 A little bit of background .... Jarrah my kelpie is incredibly intelligent & loyal, where ever I am, he wants to be. He has been sleeping in our bedroom next to my side of the bed for about 2 years now, he knows that is his "spot", it's nice & warm with a bed & blankets, he takes himself off to bed, loves sleeping in & staying in his bed in the mornings etc & has been as happy as a pig in mud that he can be close to me since the day he started sleeping inside. Until last Friday ... We came home from a week away with the dogs on Friday & when it was time for bed he took himself over to the other side of the room (next to the door) & lay down on the bare floor (we have a highset house with polished wooden floors = cold in winter). I didn't really think much of it because it wasn't a particularly cold night & I was only slightly more concerned when he did it again Saturday night but last night was quite a bit colder & when he dumped himself down on the other side of the room I started to get a bit more worried about it, so I called him over to get him on his bed. He walked over to the side of his bed, put his head down & sniffed the bedding he always sleeps on & backed away. I called him over again & tried to get him to get on the bedding again & he started offering behaviours & put his feet up on me which is what he does when he really really doesn't want to do anything . I tried a few more times & he wouldn't go any closer than the edge of the bedding (his bed is about 2 feet by 3 feet), I took the bed & bedding away, he still wouldn't go & lie down where it was although he would lie on his bed if I put it at the end of our bed instead of in the corner beside our bed. When we got into bed last night he went & lay down by the door again but at some point through the night he did move back onto his bed which was at the end of our bed (close to the door). I am absolutely at a loss as to why he is now refusing to sleep in that corner, when he goes & sleeps near the door he's not agitated like he wants to go out or anything (he's only just come in from being outside all night anyway), it's just almost like it's the furthest he can get from the corner where his bed was. When you call him over to the corner he doesn't like, he's not agitated, but he is slightly stressed ie he does the offering behaviours as an avoidance issue so he doesn't have to lie down there. ;) Apart from the not wanting to sleep in the corner issue he is his usual happy, crazy self, he'll spend his entire day either running around the yard or stalking me, he's had no change of food, no change in anything else about his world, we just went away on holiday for a week & when he came home, he wouldn't sleep where he's been sleeping for the last 2 years ;) :confused: :confused: I have no idea why, Dagboy threw in some suggestions like there being a snake under the house in that spot or termites or something like that but I went & looked today & can't see anything strange or different about the area from below, so I'm still none the wiser . Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC4ME Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Do you think that Jarrah just doesn't like you anymore Robyn ;) ;) No seriously have you cleaned the area, it sounds like something has marked that spot and Jarrah is not liking it at all. Clean all his bedding and the area around where he is sleeping see if this helps. If not you may have a ghost and you will need to contact Angie as I think her new DWD routine is Ghostbusters she should be able to help you get rid of any unwanted spirits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Did someone pee on his bed???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 One of mine is really fussy about his "spots" and occasionally deems his bed unsuitable for sleeping on He's been known to turn about 20 circles on a bed before deciding it's not right and going and sleeping somewhere else. I'd probably just give the bed and blankets a wash and see if that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 BC4Me - yeah he just hates me ;) , we went away for a week in thecaravan last week & he was crated for most of the time, he got home Friday afternoon & he sat on the verandah with his nose pressed against the glass peering in at me while the other dogs ran around like idiots wearing off their energy . ;) at contacting Angie - "who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!" . Poodlefan & wuffles, none of the other dogs are really allowed inside & certainly none of them have been up in the bedroom. I thought that maybe the bedding was the problem but when I took the bed & bedding away he would happily sleep on it when I moved it to a different part of the room, but still wouldn't set foot in that corner where it had been. He was definitely giving off stress & avoidance signals ie lowered head, lowered tail, offering behaviours etc, he is undoubtably King in the doggy heirachy here & he is not the sort of dog to be finicky about anything like that which is why I am stumped . I will wash the bed & bedding & the corner & see if that makes a difference, thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 (edited) Waft a lit sage stick around in the corner as well. Someone just told me that was good for getting rid of weird vibes in rooms/areas. Edited July 12, 2010 by Golden Rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DagBoy Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Waft a lit sage stick around in the corner as well. Someone just told me that was good for getting rid of weird vibes in rooms/areas. Bugger the sage smudge stick, I have told MrsD that we need to get some Old Spice. Look at your dog, look at me, look at your dog, look at me ... I am on a horse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Whatever you are on, you have been watching too much TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Whatever you are on, you have been watching too much TV Too many Old Spice ads "I'm on a boat ... I'm on a horse ..." . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genabee Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Could there have been a spider or a mouse or something there at some point? Where in relation to you did he sleep while on holiday? Maybe he thinks the new spot is at the end of the bed/doorway, rather than the corner? Don't totally dismiss the spirit idea... I know it is a bit out there, but I have been spooked by ghosts so I am sure dogs can be too! Did anyone die recently? Or previous occupiers of the house? Maybe they are hanging out in the bedroom and he thinks their weird!! Don't you just wish he would come out and tell you what the problem is!!?? I would love to know what runs through their little heads at times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 You say he is next to your bed - could you have accidently trodden on him getting out of bed or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 What happens if you put the crate and bedding he's been in/on while on holiday in his normal sleeping spot? Will he go it it and lie down? Worth a try... The new spot is near or in direct line of sight of the door. He may be guarding you from something he senses - and the door is the only entry point to the room. It is school holidays here at the moment and feral teenagers roam at night... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Waft a lit sage stick around in the corner as well. Someone just told me that was good for getting rid of weird vibes in rooms/areas. Bugger the sage smudge stick, I have told MrsD that we need to get some Old Spice. Look at your dog, look at me, look at your dog, look at me ... I am on a horse Yeah well it worked for you to get Mrs D onto your side of the bed didn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Waft a lit sage stick around in the corner as well. Someone just told me that was good for getting rid of weird vibes in rooms/areas. Bugger the sage smudge stick, I have told MrsD that we need to get some Old Spice. Look at your dog, look at me, look at your dog, look at me ... I am on a horse Yeah well it worked for you to get Mrs D onto your side of the bed didn't it? :D :mad Well last night we tried tdierikx's suggestion of getting the bed he slept on while we were away & putting it in the corner. At first he was a bit iffy about it, but he finally settled down & when I woke up this morning he was curled up on his bed happily snoring away . I will wash the other bed & bedding & give the corner the once over as well & then see how we go with the original bed again, the other bed usually stays in the caravan but if I have to I will leave that one in the bedroom, I don't really care what bed he sleeps on, as long as he's warm & comfy . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Fingers crossed that Jarrah continues to behave himself and uses his "chosen" bed in his normal spot every night now... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiechick Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 No self respecting kelpie would sleep anywhere near anyone wearing Old Spice, even if there were horses and boats involved :D One of my kelpies does a very similar thing every now and then with his usual spot on the couch - won't get onto that spot for any reason and takes himself off to his crate if you try and make him - although he will happily jump onto a chair or the bed or another spot on the couch instead. It usually lasts around 2 or 3 days and then he is back to normal. I think kelpies are just a little bit special at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr_inoz Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Waft a lit sage stick around in the corner as well. Someone just told me that was good for getting rid of weird vibes in rooms/areas. Bugger the sage smudge stick, I have told MrsD that we need to get some Old Spice. Look at your dog, look at me, look at your dog, look at me ... I am on a horse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Guess what? Mine's taken fright of HER bed tonight. And we have not even been away. The last few weeks she has been sleeping inside. She appears to have been loving it. She's getting older nad has a bit of arthritis and we decided to retire her from night guarding duties becasue of that and keep her a bit warmer (she does have coats etc anyway). But now she is back outside. By choice. The very same mat she was freaking out about is on the raise bed outside. She is on it out there and quite clearly has no intention of coming back in. I feel for her. It's bloody cold out there - even tho she is sheltered and coated. But what can I do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Rules Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 Guess what?Mine's taken fright of HER bed tonight. And we have not even been away. The last few weeks she has been sleeping inside. She appears to have been loving it. She's getting older nad has a bit of arthritis and we decided to retire her from night guarding duties becasue of that and keep her a bit warmer (she does have coats etc anyway). But now she is back outside. By choice. The very same mat she was freaking out about is on the raise bed outside. She is on it out there and quite clearly has no intention of coming back in. I feel for her. It's bloody cold out there - even tho she is sheltered and coated. But what can I do? The novelty has worn off? Old habits die hard? How about a heated dog bed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noisymina Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 (edited) Thanks Golden. She has slight incontinenece, so I'm not sure a hated bed would be a good idea. Besides - no power point out there. I'll see how she goes. I can make heat wheat packs if need be, so that might be an option. Once she gets really cold, she might change her mind. Edited July 15, 2010 by noisymina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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