my night owl!!

[pinky71]

my little guy is 9 months..he generally sleeps in his bed in the kitchen...He has never been a good sleeper..He constantly loves to tip toe into my bedroom to check in on me throughout the night..The other night at 3.00am he woke me up with a ball in his mouth wanting to play..Sometimes i pick him up because he puts his paws on the edge of my bed and travels all along the edge to wake me up..He can easily jump on and when he wants to he does..Its during the night and early morning is when he doesn't want to jump on but rather wants me to wake me up and pick him up..Last night was funny, i think he was cold because he whined for me to pick him up and wanted to snuggle with me by putting his little face on top of mine.. He generally is not a snuggler...I love him to death and i guess i do spoil him, but boy does he rule my sleep!!! I haven't been able to sleep in since I've had him at 11 weeks! Anybody have any theories why he doesn't sleep throughout the night? Does anybody else's doggie have a strange sleep pattern?

[Verbena]

Awwww he is just too cute

[Marhcarter]

Huey's messed up sleep pattern is purely our own fault. I work nights, hubby works days. Huey will sleep anythime someone is in the bed. If I am home and awake at night, he will lay on the sofa with me for a while then go get into the bed with his daddy for a while. Poor thing doesn't know when he is supposed to sleep, so he sleeps all the time ans is also ready to play anytime someone is awake.

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by pinky71

my little guy is 9 months..he generally sleeps in his bed in the kitchen...He has never been a good sleeper..He constantly loves to tip toe into my bedroom to check in on me throughout the night..The other night at 3.00am he woke me up with a ball in his mouth wanting to play..Sometimes i pick him up because he puts his paws on the edge of my bed and travels all along the edge to wake me up..He can easily jump on and when he wants to he does..Its during the night and early morning is when he doesn't want to jump on but rather wants me to wake me up and pick him up..Last night was funny, i think he was cold because he whined for me to pick him up and wanted to snuggle with me by putting his little face on top of mine.. He generally is not a snuggler...I love him to death and i guess i do spoil him, but boy does he rule my sleep!!! I haven't been able to sleep in since I've had him at 11 weeks! Anybody have any theories why he doesn't sleep throughout the night? Does anybody else's doggie have a strange sleep pattern?

First of all...and I'm going to be honest here... Dogs are packing animals and they generally don't like to sleep in another room away from their family. Also, if you don't like your dog up on your bed (or it's an issue for your partner...), then I would recommend that you crate train him so he can sleep right next to your side of the bed and have you as a comforting view ALL NIGHT LONG and he'll be so calm and happy to know he's not apart from his family. There will be a learning curve in teaching him not to whine or bark in the crate, but he's already 9 months so it should be a breeze. As long as you have been training him and he's heard you say "No" or some kind of negative sound when he's been naughty...it will be easy to crate train cus all you have to do is say a negative in an unpleasant way and he'll stop and be quiet. It's up to you to make him behave and teach him manners. You sound like you're not enjoying his waking you up in the middle of the night...it's on you to change his behavior. He's a dog...you're in a leadership position...lead.

I have my boy in his cozy crate perfectly sized for his little frame, he has a couple of toys (no squeeky one....lol), a polar fleece blanket within a tiny doggy bed (he's 2 and a half pounds so he very tiny and I can fit all these things and he's still able to stretch out or curl up, his choice). I keep him on a big chair that has tall elbow rests (no way he can tip over the crate no matter how how he tries...tho he would never), and he is eye to eye with me, level wise...so he can watch me sleep. My other dog is 16 pounds and she sleeps ON the bed between my husband and myself.

I honestly have never understood people who get dogs and raise them in the kitchen. Night time is dark and lonely... Yes they eventually learn to stop the whining and crying but a packing animal has no business being alone at night in seperate quarters than their pack... Please don't tell us that you also work thru out the day...so he can be alone all day...then again at night. I'm not judging you so much as I'm putting a voice to a dog's thoughts... If he wanted to be alone, he'd been born a CAT lol I hope you try crate training...so he can be with you more.

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by Verbena

Awwww he is just too cute

Really...? bad behavior is cute? (You have so much more to contibute here for her...) I don't dispute his adorable way...it's just he's a baby at night left and being taught to be on his own and not with his family. Alone. He's sending a clear and true message in an adorable canine way...God bless dogs. I hope and pray she takes him into her room so he can be with his mommy...

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Huey's messed up sleep pattern is purely our own fault. I work nights, hubby works days. Huey will sleep anythime someone is in the bed. If I am home and awake at night, he will lay on the sofa with me for a while then go get into the bed with his daddy for a while. Poor thing doesn't know when he is supposed to sleep, so he sleeps all the time ans is also ready to play anytime someone is awake.

Totally agree with you... Sad for this precious baby that is asking to just shared space at night when the house is quiet and it's dark. Imagine a dog choosing this?? Would never happen.

[gracielove]

Gracie gets more active in the evening. I think it is because of the cats. Anytime she hears them making noise in the rest of the house she has to go see what is going on. She has always been queen of the cats and keeps them in line. She has pet steps to get up and down off the bed or I would be picking her up frequently.

Maybe your little guy can't see quite as well at night to jump up on the bed. It does take a lot for them to jump up sometimes.

[joeyyy2010]

Mine sleeps with me, but my lab is crate trained and has the chance to come out of she wants, but prefers her crate. Its been her security since we got her and thats just her preference.

[Verbena]

Originally Posted by gontygirl

Really...? bad behavior is cute? (You have so much more to contibute here for her...) I don't dispute his adorable way...it's just he's a baby at night left and being taught to be on his own and not with his family. Alone. He's sending a clear and true message in an adorable canine way...God bless dogs. I hope and pray she takes him into her room so he can be with his mommy...

You don't know me. I had two hrs sleep. Be nice

Yes. He is cute. He is trying to tell her that he does not want to be alone. First of all you need to tire them out before bed. Also give them a designated area for sleeping weather in is in your room. Crate training or in an ex pen.

[gontygirl]

Originally Posted by joeyyy2010

Mine sleeps with me, but my lab is crate trained and has the chance to come out of she wants, but prefers her crate. Its been her security since we got her and thats just her preference.

I agree with crates... It's a nice peaceful space where they know to go that is just for them.

[gontygirl]

Bed time should be bed time for everyone in the house as far as I'm concerned. It's when the family/pack all go to sleep and lie down and keep still. The reason one trains their dogs to have down time is often for 4 reasons:

1. When the humans are "down", so should the canines (as leadership lies within the alpha actions and when I'm down it's a rule of thumb for everyone to be down).
2. If the dog needs to be quiet and in a down due to being too hyper at an inappropriate time.
3. Has an injury.
4. Is out of town and needs to be either in a crate QUIET (or hotel bed, whichever suits you but QUIET).

There are times when your dog(s) need to know that there is "No play" and/or "Quiet" time. It's beneficial to you as you should provide a routine for him (he'll always be aware of what's next, which makes for a happy dog...). You become a fantastic guest at anyone's home with your dog(s) anytime. Lastly being a good hotel guest isn't a bad idea either. Life is easier when your dog(s) know what the rules are. It's also with boundaries that all dogs blossom.

[Wallee]

While I used to put Wallee in the kitchen if we left the house, I have always had him sleep in his crate in my room with me. He will be 9 months old on the 27th and at night when I tell him it's bedtime he gets up from wherever he is and follows me into the room and goes straight to his crate. He used to sleep a good 8 hours however now that he doesn't tire out as easily the cats activity at night has gotten him up at some nasty hours too. I just get up and let him pee then take him to the living room where he climbs into one of the many beds we have here and goes back to sleep and I sleep on the couch. Unfortunately with the cats up and running around it usually isn't possible to convince him to back to his crate to sleep. I'm ok with it though as he does go back to bed.

[tokipoki]

Originally Posted by pinky71

my little guy is 9 months..he generally sleeps in his bed in the kitchen...He has never been a good sleeper..He constantly loves to tip toe into my bedroom to check in on me throughout the night..The other night at 3.00am he woke me up with a ball in his mouth wanting to play..Sometimes i pick him up because he puts his paws on the edge of my bed and travels all along the edge to wake me up..He can easily jump on and when he wants to he does..Its during the night and early morning is when he doesn't want to jump on but rather wants me to wake me up and pick him up..Last night was funny, i think he was cold because he whined for me to pick him up and wanted to snuggle with me by putting his little face on top of mine.. He generally is not a snuggler...I love him to death and i guess i do spoil him, but boy does he rule my sleep!!! I haven't been able to sleep in since I've had him at 11 weeks! Anybody have any theories why he doesn't sleep throughout the night? Does anybody else's doggie have a strange sleep pattern?

You need to post pictures of your cutie! Whenever I take a nap on the couch, I often times wake up with several squeaky toys tucked into my armpit or by my legs, usually with Toki napping near me too (after many failed attempts to wake me up for playtime lol).

As far as theories go for his sleep pattern, I'd say it's because your pup seems to have free roam of a big open area. I know that Toki would probably be snooping around all night if we didn't put her in her crate or in bed with us. Toki's crate is tucked into a corner in the living room and most sides are covered with a blanket...she'll sleep in there from 11 or midnight until 7 in the morning (she actually goes into her crate earlier in the evening by herself when she's feeling sleepy). Sometimes I bring her to bed with me and she loves sleeping under my heating blanket with me until whenever I get up

I think the most important thing is deciding when and where you want your puppy to sleep and adhere to a strict schedule to get a natural rhythm going. At least while he's a puppy and still learning a routine, it would make your life a lot easier to put him in a closed crate for bedtime (perhaps you can even gate off the kitchen so he can sleep in his bed?) and remove the toys.

I definitely don't miss that part of puppyhood where I wasn't getting very much uninterrupted sleep

[yavenay]

Sometimes i pick him up because he puts his [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green ! important]paws[/COLOR][/COLOR] on the edge of my bed and travels all along the edge to wake me up..He can easily jump on and when he wants to he does.

OMG....this is what Brandi does. She has been doing this for 5 years now. Every night for the last 5 years I have been waking up and putting her back in bed. Fortunately Brandi is not a night owl. She wakes up to go potty and then she goes right back to sleep.

[R_Z]

While I agree everyone is entitled to their opinion on how to raise their own dog, it should be in the spirit of this site to make recommendations on how one could and not should.

Our Yorkie sleeps in his bed in the kitchen doors closed. At the end of the day when it's time for bed, he volunteers to head to his bed and get comfy. We come in, during the winter tuck him in with a blanket, say good night and close the door. He has never whined, nor complained. We feel it's his safehaven and is more room than a crate.

While we personally do not believe in crating a dog, regardless of them being a pack animal or an animal cracker, what others choose to do is their business. So long as the dog is well cared for, happy and healthy, that's all that matters.