Sleeping habits

[Rooster11]

Hi there, I'm after some advice about my working cocker spaniel.
We have recently had an unplanned litter of puppies. Before the puppies, she would sleep downstairs in the house on her own rug from 10-6am every night.
Its a month now since the puppies have left for their new homes, however my dog insists on coming upstairs to sleep in the bedroom....i have tried shutting the door downstairs, but she scratches like mad for hours to come up...also living in terraced house, my neighbours can hear the scratching, so I give in and let her upstairs. Any thoughts/methods/advice would be much appreciated!.

[BonnieScot]

Bonnie slept downstairs with Rosie (our elderly border terrier) until this time last year. When we lost Rosie, I couldn't bear to leave Bonnie downstairs on her own and left the door open for her to choose. Well, doesn't take a genius to work out what she chose! I used to be quite strict about it and all the animals (cats too) slept downstairs. Now, especially with my daughter moved out and me on my own, I let them sleep where they want. Bon was crate trained as a baby but we don't have the crate any more, and she is good as gold in the house.

Maybe your girl has got used to the company of the puppies and now that they're gone she just wants to be close to someone through the night. I'm sure you can work on getting her comfortable with being on her own again if that's your preference. But if she's scratching for hours and you then go to her, she's learning that it works for her if she does it for long enough. And they are persistent!

 

[Rooster11]

Thanks for the advice... Over half of dog owners I speak to seem to let their canine friends sleep where they want!... Looks like I have a new hot water bottle at the end of the bed!.

[Gazrob]

Marley sleeps downstairs in the kitchen. He has since day one. There has been a couple of times where I've given him the option of sleeping in my bed however he chose to go back in the kitchen. I'm pleased because I can't sleep with a dog right next to me.

[Barry H]

When Jack was a pupster he slept on his bed in the kitchen with a baby gate across the door.  3 years on he still sleeps on his bed in the kitchen with a baby gate across the door...

I've relented twice at different times and taking pity, allowed him on the bed, but soon regretted it.   He gets too hot and mooches about trying to find the right spot - for ages.   Not liking the floor, he'll jump up again, have another mooch then jump down.  A minute later he's back up, curling up between my legs or on my feet so I can't move, sniffs in my ear,  and on one occasion laid on my neck - all within the first hour.  Didn't take me long to realise it wasn't going to work!

In the kitchen he can mooch about to his heart's content.  If I ever get up in the middle of the night (as you do), he's snoring away contentedly on his bed or on the mat by the back door where it's cooler.  I appreciate they're all different, but we get on much better with our own sleeping arrangements.

[Gazrob]

Sounds like Marley Barry. I recently let him sleep in my room because he hates fireworks however he was constantly moving around on my pillow under the sheets licking my ear etc. He actually likes sleeping in his crate in the kitchen I leave his crate door open now. He didn't like it at first but after a couple of days he quietened down. I'm pleased because it's the only time I get a bit of space from him.

[Theo961]

I feel for you! Reese sleeps downstairs in his open crate no problems at my house. However, since he was a puppy we would spend weekends when my partner was home at his house. Reese was fine at 1st then one night just made unholy noises until I got up with him, as my partner lives in a semi and was worried about his lovely neighbours. It went on he would be fine at my house and a nightmare at my partners. It's so hard when you have neighbours to consider, we have given in and my partner stays with me at weekends or if we are at his Reese is slap bang in the middle of the bed. Lol

[Finvarra]

Dylan sleeps in the bedroom, in a dog bed. He's allowed on the bed while I'm reading before sleep, then he goes in his bed and stays there until about 7 when he comes up and lays next to me, but he doesn't actually say hallo to me until I speak to him. Clever,boy!

Our last,dog,Milo,used to,sleep,in the bedroom too, but when he got,old he wandered about, and the noise of his claws,clicking on the wooden floor used to drive me nuts!

Lesley and Dylan

[bizzylizzy]

Its inconsitancy that confuses them gives them an exuse to get the better of you!  Humphrey‘s slept downstairs since he came to us and wasn’t allowed upstairs at all until I was ill in bed a couple of weeks ago. OH brought him up to see me and he was allowed on the bed to check I was still there. It  then took a couple of days to stop following me  everytime I went upstairs but how was he supposed to know? Retraining is always possible ofcourse but consitency is easier!