A couple of problems

[taniac]

Jovi hits 6 months this weekend and I don't know if he's starting adolesence but I'm having a couple of issues.  The first one I know me and the OH have reinforced so it's not all Jovi's fault.

Last week Jovi woke up about an hour after putting him in his crate for the night, he was barking so the OH went to see if he needed to go out.  He was really thirsty and due to the heat and the fact we normally restrict his water at night, he decided to leave the crate open.  For a couple of nights in a row we left the crate open so he could lie on the tiled floor, but of course we woke up to puddles.  I then tried to crate him on Sunday night and us up an hour later.  I let him out in the garden but he wasn't really interested and didn't want to go back in his crate.

Last night I decided that he was going to stay in his crate because I have a friend looking after him in a couple of weeks over-night and don't want him messing for her.  Well, he reluctantly went to bed, and started to whine/yip an hour later.  We ignored him for half an hour then I got up, put him in the garden, whilst I went to the bathroom, and then put him back in his crate.  He carried on for the next couple of hours.. The OH was ready to ring his neck  :roll: but I said we had to ignore him.  At about 5am the OH was worried that there was something wrong.  I said he could let him out again, but that he had to go back in his crate.  This was duly done, and Jovi still cried for another half an hour... The OH had enough and yelled at him to be quiet, which he was  :? and we finally got a couple of hours kip!!!

I'm sure this is just because he doesn't want to be in his crate, and he's trying it on, but by God can he keep the whining up... Am I doing the right thing?

Problem 2.. Jovi will not go out in the rain to pee!  Yesterday lunch-time he peed within a foot of me whilst I was reading the post, on the kitchen floor & when the back door was open!!!!!  :x  I went for a wedding dress fitting in the afternoon and when I got back the OH told me he'd peed twice more on the hall/kitchen floor..  Now it was like a tropical rain storm and I wouldn't have been keen to go out either, but it is the summer and I am worried about what's going to happen when we get to the winter?!!                    

[Cob-Web]

Hi Tania

My sisters dog, Deefer (yes, I know, how corny) hates the rain too; he was a 'summer puppy' as well!

I made sure I took Molo out to play in the rain yesterday (yes, in the tropical storm deluges....the neighbours were ready to have me sectioned  :wink:  ) as, like you, I have been thinking towards the winter!

Deefer finally got over his rain phobia when my mother, who he adores but doesn't see very often, donned her goloshes during a heavy downpour, and went outside, calling Deefer who was stood at the door, and generally acting as hyper as she could .

Eventually, he ventured out and had a great time playing. This was re-enforced by my sister who made sure that when he went out in the rain it was as much fun as possible for the next few weeks.

Well it worked for her....might be worth a try if you can bear it (my OH is convinced he will shrink if he goes out in the rain  :shock: )                    

[taniac]

I made Jovi come walking with us in the rain this morning (Neo does not care what it's doing.. although hail isn't that fun), but I bet he's had a good kip this morning, whilst I've been trying to stay awake at work!                    

[PennyB]

While my two were summer pups it did rain on occasion while I was housetraining (hey this is Wales!). Sometimes on those occasions even though it was the middle of the night and heaving down with rain I'd put Ruby on a lead (as she kept trying to get back through the catflap if I didn't) and take her out to wee/poo and take my umbrella/put waterproofs on and wouldn't go back in until she's done something.

To be honest if I'm decked out in full waterproof gear I don't mind walking out in the rain and my two absolutely love it especially the horizontal stuf and we go out for hours in it (which is probably why my two are so fit)                    

[TOPAZ BILLY]

Tania,

Abby has started on a similar track, waking up in the middle of the night for no real reason, I tried taking her out and giving her a drink but as soon as I shut the crate door she starts again.  I really thought we had got to the end of the sleepless nights but Abby has other ideas :x I know we just have to persevere, but at 3 in the morning its hard.

Oh and she also hates the rain, will often look out of the open back door as she has a wee :roll:

Michelle                    

[taniac]

How old is Abby??  Are you trying to ignore her... How long has it been going on?  Sorry but I don't know how many nights I can take of this, as he can keep it up for hours...

I also think the OH might do something truly terrible to him as he hates not being able to kip  :oops:

I ordered a bigger crate today (30") thinking maybe he'd be better if he had more room, so we'll see how that goes.. However the OH said when he was at home lunchtime, Neo was fast asleep in Jovi's crate, so it can't be that bad                      

[TOPAZ BILLY]

How old is Abby??  Are you trying to ignore her... How long has it been going on?  Sorry but I don't know how many nights I can take of this, as he can keep it up for hours...

Abby is only 4 months and she was awful for the first couple of nights and then settled down really well :? and she has been great up until last week or two, and for the last 3 nights she has reverted to the first couple of nights and will only settle for a couple of hours.

She also has the ability to cry/howl for hours :shock: I do try and ingnore her but it is hard and I find myself going to her every hour or so to check her.

She seems to be teething quite bad and has lost all her front teeth, apart from fangs (sorry dont know the technical term) in the last few days, and part of my sleep derprivation routine involves rubbing her gums with teething gel  

My hubby posess the ability to sleep through most of her antics :roll: if and when he does hear her he stamps around the house making more noise than she does :roll: Oh Abby has a 30" crate already so it can't be that.

I keep chanting this is just a phase, this is just a phase, this is just a phase.

Michelle                    

[taniac]

Oh dear, it sounds like her teeth causing her pain keeping her awake...

Jovi however has all his adult teeth now, so it's just him testing how firm I am on making him sleep in the crate.  He's ever so pleased when you go in to let him out, carrying a toy around in his mouth and looking very satisfied!!!!  

Little Minx!                    

[Kim]

Try giving Abby a frozen, raw carrot to chew on !                    

[suki1964]

Tania

Can you manage to see to him without putting a light on? I know with Alfie if I put on the lights he thinks its time to play so I usually just put the hall light on so as I dont break my neck. The other thing Ive learned is to put his toys away before I crate him because if he spots them in the garden then as far as hes concerned its playtime instead of poo time
9 times out of 10 this works and he settles straight back down. Maybe worth a try

Caroline and Alfie                    

[Louie]

Hi Taniac, maybe if you cover his crate through the night it might help him to feel a little more secure and maybe the fact that he can,t see out will help him to settle much quicker. I have to call my older girl Tina to go out if it is raining as she will hold it all day and won,t go to the door, she quickly runs outside and does what she needs to do and then runs back to the door to get back inside.                    

[taniac]

We tried covering the crate last night because my sister said that this was what they did with they took their Staffie to Staff club, however he just started barking after 20 minutes...  It seemed to make him worse because he couldn't see Neo.  My OH took the sheet off the front of the crate and gave him a strong talking to, quite funny listening to him "That's enough, I don't want to hear any more out of you, now lie down it's bed time"...

As far as I am aware he didn't start up again until 6am but I could have been so out of it from the night before I didn't hear him