kamuzz Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 If they ran a Tresillian type place for dogs I'd be on the phone to them now. In fact, I've been tempted to ring Steve at K9 and see if he has an in-house program for dogs that won't sleep. I have a sleep disorder - battled with it most of my life and was actually starting to get it under control. Then - silly girl - decided to get a GSD. Knowing we wouldn't cope with a baby we found a 7 month old boy that was for sale by his breeder. Coda loves to play - early in the morning with Tessa dog next door. "Yip yip yip" in his best puppy bark. So we decided to bring him inside at night, before the whole neighbourhood went insane. Ha! He now has me perfectly crate trained. And I wake up around 2:30 waiting for him to want out, and then cat nap in 15 - 20 min stretches until it is time to get up for work. After a month of this I'm almost a basket case. Yes I know new mums have it tough too, but I didn't expect to have such a hard time with a puppy. Anyone got any bright ideas? I'm worried that after a month of this he is in a routine and perfectly happy. After all, he can sleep all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westielover Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Kamuzz - can you ignore him? When I got my first dog 6 years ago - for the first 4 nights he would start 'crying' at about 2am in the morning. Silly me used to go downstairs to his puppy pen and sit with him until he went to sleep again. I happened to take my pup in for vaccs on the 5th day and told my vet about the 'crying' in the middle of the night. He told me that by going to check on him I was sending him a message saying thay I would come when he 'called'! The vet told me to ignore the behaviour. On the 5th night my pup cried at 2am ...... I sat silently at the top of the stairs, out of my pups view, for 45 minutes until he stopped ...... it was the longest 45 minutes of my entire life - and the fact that I lived in a townhouse at the time made me even more on edge ....... anyway, lucky for me - he never did it again!!!!!! Can you apply the same principle to Coda? It might make take a few nights - but apparantly going to him and acknowledging him or letting him out of the crate is telling him that you will come when he calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 Can you apply the same principle to Coda? It might make take a few nights - but apparantly going to him and acknowledging him or letting him out of the crate is telling him that you will come when he calls. Absolutely! But he really is thirsty when he yells for out. (Different bark to when he is complaining about being in the crate.) Wouldn't that be cruel? The last couple of nights I have tried giving him his dry food wet to see if that will help him not get so thirsty at night. (Know it is not good for their teeth, but thought maybe one problem at a time.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 He can cope without a drink for a few hours more...it's only if he needs to pee/poo that he gets let out. Give him his dinner at around 6pm-6.30pm and give him access to water up until two hours before you go to bed. Give him his last pee break just before you go to bed with no access to water - he will get the idea. Both my boys know not to drink on their last break so they have full access to whatever they want - but they hold out till it's time for me to get up and get ready for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westielover Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Ohhhh - sorry - I didn't catch the thirsty part! Oops! I tend to to take my foster dog out for his last nightly pee just before I go to bed - but I also leave a water bowl in the crate. You can buy those water bowls & holders which you can hook onto the crate wire - I place it near the top for bigger dogs. I don't know if I have been lucky - but taking the foster fur kid to the loo just before bedtime and then leaving water in the crate as well - seems to tide him over until morning when I let him out for again for a pee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 (edited) Is he in a wire crate? If yes then you could get him a crate bowl/coup cup that hangs on the crate, and give him a small amount of water. Cover his crate overnight- leave the front and perhaps a bit of the back open for air flow. I only use sheets or cotton doona covers, nothing hot like a blanket. Sounds as though you are in as much of a routine as he is, try going back to sleep- I bet he will stop stirring eventually once you do. Mel. ETA: I think you would do more harm than good by with holding water overnight i.e. kidney problems particularly when you feed dry food. Oh and get yourself some 'tranquil calm' tablets from the health food store, natural tablets that help you stay asleep. :rolleyes: Edited September 1, 2006 by Staff'n'Toller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpots Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 ETA: I think you would do more harm than good by with holding water overnight i.e. kidney problems particularly when you feed dry food. Oh and get yourself some 'tranquil calm' tablets from the health food store, natural tablets that help you stay asleep. Or earplugs :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Being this desperate for sleep, I'd be using Ace just for a few nights to reclaim some sleep for yourself, it may also help him sleep through in the process. Just a thought :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted September 2, 2006 Author Share Posted September 2, 2006 (edited) Being this desperate for sleep, I'd be using Ace just for a few nights to reclaim some sleep for yourself, it may also help him sleep through in the process. Just a thought :rolleyes: On me or the dog??? Covered his crate last night. Somehow he managed to pull the blanket into the crate and slept on it. Hey - it could be worse as he didn't shred it. He did his "I need out" bark at 3.00 ish and then at 3.30 again. Then there was peace until he wanted out of the crate around 4:30. So I ignored this and let him whinge until 6:05 when I let them out. He promptly spent the next hour going yip yip yip at Tessa. He tries to dig his way out - has actually bent the bottom of the crate and he managed to move it away from the wall with all his carrying on. The general consensus is ignore him. This post was also very helpful. Although how Steve manages to pick crate and dog together is beyond him. He's staying in the kitchen for now. Edited September 2, 2006 by kamuzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 I crate all my dogs of a night and I was having trouble with them urinating in the crate overnight - which is I think what you wish to avoid. I changed the feeding regime of the adult dogs to the mornings and then withheld water from about 6-7pm every evening. They go to bed at about 9.30pm and between 7pm and 9pm I take them outside for several 'wee' trips and again just before they are crated so they are as 'empty' as possible. Also at the same time changed to all natural feeding thus avoiding the dry foods which tend to make them very thirsty. Result - no wetting overnight - I'm happy because there is no mess for me to clean up of a morning and they must be more comfortable too. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 ETA: I think you would do more harm than good by with holding water overnight i.e. kidney problems particularly when you feed dry food. Oh and get yourself some 'tranquil calm' tablets from the health food store, natural tablets that help you stay asleep. I've not had problems with my dogs and withholding of water - if water was left with them they drink and need to go to the toilet earlier - not to mention Sabre is likely to tip it everywhere. Which is why they have 2 loo breaks, of which the 10.30 one doesn't give them access to water, which leave them as empty as possible - and i'm up at 6am to let them out again. However they have plenty to drink thru the day, and in their other breaks - it's just the last break they don't get any further water -and it seems to have been fine for them - perhaps i'm just lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 Being this desperate for sleep, I'd be using Ace just for a few nights to reclaim some sleep for yourself, it may also help him sleep through in the process. Just a thought On me or the dog??? Give the dog Ace and have yourself a couple of nice glasses of red :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 I crate all my dogs of a night and I was having trouble with them urinating in the crate overnight - which is I think what you wish to avoid.I changed the feeding regime of the adult dogs to the mornings and then withheld water from about 6-7pm every evening. They go to bed at about 9.30pm and between 7pm and 9pm I take them outside for several 'wee' trips and again just before they are crated so they are as 'empty' as possible. Also at the same time changed to all natural feeding thus avoiding the dry foods which tend to make them very thirsty. Result - no wetting overnight - I'm happy because there is no mess for me to clean up of a morning and they must be more comfortable too. I ended up changing my feeding time as well, if i fed the dogs at night they would ALWAYS have to goto the loo - i started feeding in the morning and they both sleep through the night (99% of the time!) Mine are crated from about 7pm till about 5 am (not my choice, they put themselves to bed at 7 and wont come out again!) So they go all that time without water, they are fine! Mine also have run of the yard during the day (unless i am home and they are in with me) so they can drink as much as they want to ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 Feed earlier ,if dog wants to go toilet take out onlead only giving command toilet ,do not allow pup to go out on its own at this stage you must make it clear the break is for toilets not playtime or whatever time.If the dog whines tell it "No" even tap the crate if need be be patient very consistant but dont let the dog set the rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted September 3, 2006 Author Share Posted September 3, 2006 be patient very consistant but dont let the dog set the rules yes - think that might just be the problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 K9: gee sounds like a fun dog lol.... The dog is too driven for the lifestyle your giving it... It finds itself looking for more where ever it can find it... You need a program to relax the dog, then it wont wake up till morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 Crashed out Coda (proving he can be sleepy when it suits him) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 K9: then he needs to be woken up, so he will sleep when you do.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpots Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 is the old saying true ? " feed your watch dogs in the morning and your working dogs at night " meaning that a dog will sleep on a full stomach...watchdog sleeps during the day, working dog (or house dog) sleeps at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 K9: if you have a dog with a lot of drive the only thing they will sleep on is endorphins from drive satisfaction... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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