Want Yorkie to Sleep in *MY* Bed

[Twinklesprinkle]

Yes, I DO realize this is inherently the opposite of what most desire!!*However, as a yorkie*owner for 20+ years, I've always had them sleep in bed with me & NEVER had any undesirable consequences.*

My newest lil' man, Frankie, has been trained/accustomed to sleeping in his crate (which is in my room) from day 1. He is now a little more than one year old & I'd like for him to sleep with me.*

Before Frankie, it had been about 8 yrs since last getting & training a puppy so I cannot remember how we transitioned our other dogs from sleeping in the crate to on the bed. **

Anyway, I decided to give it a shot last night. OH BOY!!!!!
Frankie was super excited and wanted to crawl all over or jump on my head & give kisses. Super cute but it was supposed to be night-night time! Lol. So I created a makeshift "pillow fence" near me so it forced him to stay within a smaller, enclosed area on the bed. He eventually settled down & after some petting & scratching, he fell asleep. Five minutes later, he's back to jumping around, giving kisses & trying to wiggle through the pillow fence. Once again, *he did relax and fell asleep but only for a few minutes. Then, I repeated the above but to no avail. I finally acquiesced and put him back in his crate where he fell (& STAYED) *asleep all night.*

So, can anyone recommend some tips to essentially "train" Frankie to sleep in my bed? I have read about using toys and treats but I don't want him to equate being in the bed with playtime (which is when he gets those things). He's seriously got more energy than a busload of Kindergarteners & the ONLY time he honestly relaxes/sleeps is while in his crate.*

Any advice would be IMMENSELY appreciated!!! ;-)

[vbmapes11]

Well I started my puppy out in my bed so I'm coming at it a little different, but when she is hyper and not wanting to go to bed at night I give her some rawhide. For her rawhide calms her down and makes her tired. She usually falls asleep chewing it. When I first got her she wanted to lick and scratch me from excitement. I would just cover my face with my hands so she couldn't get to it and she has stopped doing that altogether. I'm not sure if any of this will work for you but for me sleeping with her is the best part...she loves to cuddle.

[ArmaniMan]

I had the opposite problem- mine were so excited to upgrade to the bed that they stayed really still and quiet all night at the beginning like they were hoping I would forget they were there! LOL! Maybe after the newness of being in bed wears of, he will settle down.

[Maximo]

Try putting the crate on the bed for awhile. If that works, try the crate on the bed with the door open. Finally, try removing the crate.

The hurdle you have to overcome is that Frankie equates his crate with bedtime. Everything else is fun time.

My oldest had no interest in sleeping in my bed until after he was a year old. He insisted on being in his xpen with the gate latched. It wasn't until one cold morning when I picked him up out of his bed and brought him into mine that he decided it was good to sleep on the big bed.

[RileyDC]

Riley has been sleeping in my bed for about 3 months, now... At first, he was just as you said... super excited and would not settle.... so I would put him right back in his xpen.... he finally just got it....I put his snuggle puppy down on the bottom of the bed.
Now, if it starts getting too late, he sits in the living room staring at me and whining. When i ask if he is ready to go to bed he runs and grabs his snuggle puppy and bolts onto the bed. He won't go to bed, without me, though. LOL!!!!!!!

On the weekends though he tries to wake me sooo Early. Lately, he has been really good. I will just tell him, No Riley... It is Too Early. I then just roll back over and ignore him and he will settle down and sleep for another hour or so....... He is peepee pad trained so he will use that in the middle of the night, if he needs to.

There were also a few night where he would wake at around 3 or 4 in the morning, wanting to play..... jumping all over the bed and putting toys in my face..... when that would happen, right into the Xpen he would go...... [I really Love and Need my Sleep] Lil Stinker!! =)