CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Behaviour & Training => Topic started by: shimsham on March 13, 2012, 09:03:38 PM
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Hi. Is there any experienced cocker owner who would have a one 2 one chat with me if i PMed them my contact numbers.
Sandra
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What sort of information are you after? I have some experience but it depends what help you are in need of. There are far more knowledgable COL'ers than me but I'd be happy to help where I can.
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I was thinking the same as Abbi - perhaps if you gave us a bit more of a clue about what you needed you might find the right / best person to speak to :)
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Hope everything is ok with Jessie :huh:
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Not sure if I can help, but I've sent you a pm :)
Hope everything is okay?
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Basically its her sleeping habits. We have a jack russel who has always selpt on the bed ith us, he's coming up 4. \jessie is nearly 5 months and won't sleep in the kitchen on her on. We don't mind sharing with her, BUT, she wants to put her head on the pillows and it tends to squash us a bit. We place her basket on the bottom of the bed and she'll sleep in for awhile but then otchers up. Any ideas how we can get her to stay in her basket.
Sandra
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TBH I can see her point of view :005: She wants what the JR is having :005:
Have you tried a babygate across the kitchen doorway and both dogs in the kitchen, or a crate (if you have room) in the bedroom?
(Or invest in a kingsize bed ph34r)
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Ha Ha. The bed is a king size,just wondering what size we will need when she is fully grown?
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Ha Ha. The bed is a king size,just wondering what size we will need when she is fully grown?
Superking ;) Jeff sleeps between our pillows :luv:
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Sorry, I'm answering in a bit of a hurry, so I hope that what I say doesn't come across as abrupt. :)
There are two rules that need to be followed here:
1) Consistency, consistency and more consistency. Whatever you decide the rule is for Jessie's sleeping arrangements, you need to stick to it. It will mean getting up several times a night to sort things until she gets the hang of it, it will mean that you have disrupted sleep but you need to establish a rule and stick to it. All of our dogs sleep downstairs. When a new dog arrives that is unsettled, it might mean that I sleep downstairs too and then sleep at the top of the stairs for a week or two, but they stay where I want them to. (The only exception ever to this is if one of them is very ill).
2) Treat all dogs the same. This has been the most valuable piece of advice I've ever received. If you live in a multi dog household, you must treat dogs equally. So, if one dog is allowed on the bed, the other dog should be allowed on the bed. (You may need to establish where on the bed the dogs can sleep).
I live with six rescue dogs with various challenging behaviours. I do modify my behaviour to meet their individual needs - for example I will give Buddy a tummy rub when he is in his bed and upside down, I won't go near Milo when he is in his bed... but that's down to their individual issues), BUT in terms of what is allowed on their part, its the same for every dog (ie. none of them are allowed past the stair gate up the stairs).
I hope this helps, I'm sure you'll work through this with Jessie and end up with all of you sleeping well :)
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I think this is a difficult one as you haver allowed her on the bed and also your JR. For what it's worth I have allowed all of my Cockers to sleep on the bed and never had a problem, until I got Henry. He's a wriggler, and is on and off the bed all night. He also curls up at the top of the bed and then wants to snuggle under the duvet. However, I am getting used to it.
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Well, she is still young and will want he attention/comfort, but equally, she will want what the JR has. Consistency IS the key here so set the standard and stick to it.
Posie sleeps on our bed because we let her off with sleeping in her pen once or twice. Once we'd broken that rule we couldn't go back without a lot of sleepless nights. As it is, we get sleepless nights anyway because she's now in the habit of getting one f us up every couple of hours - sometimes we get up and she jumps into our spot >:( The bottom line s to decide what YOU are happy with and then set that standard.
With regards to the pillow-hogging :005: well what do you expect? Perhaps less comfortable pillows for you would help :shades:
Posie isn't much bothered about my pillow but will dominate my wife's pillow. I think it boils down to what she can get away with. There's nothing nicer/nastier than rolling over in he night to find a wet nose in your face.
What I will say is that you'll get some people will be horrified by what some of us let our dogs do, but the important hong is that us and our dogs are happy, healthy, safe and loved. :luv:
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When I got Tiffany (at 4yrs) she wouldn't sleep downstairs on her own. My other dog slept on the bed. What solved this for me was having a crate in the bedroom. Tiff went in the crate.
When my other doggie passed away Tiff still slept upstairs, but not in the crate anymore. Now I have Sasha, if I take her upstairs at night she sleeps in the crate and Tiff's on the bed.
Works for us :D
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I've never had dogs in my bed, or upstairs for that matter. Actually both my dogs now sleep in the garage in their crates, my collie didn't like sleeping in the house when he was a pup and Dewi just followed suit and is more than happy out with him. They have fleeces etc and WOULD wake me if there is an issue e.g. them being cold.
We've never had any issues about being woken in the night unless the dogs are sick, when changes are put into place for the time they are sick.
If you think two dogs in the bed is going to be an issue you're going to have to move both of them. Have you considered crating the dogs? You could have crates in your room, so they have the closeness but you have your space. If taught correctly dogs tend to love crates and see them as their 'dens'. If the dogs learn to accept that they sleep in there crates you may even get to the stage when you don't have to shut them in.
Again as people have said already whatever you choose you must treat the dogs fairly and be consistant.
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mine have their own comfy bed in the bedroom, despite them both trying to sleep on the bed when they first started to come upstairs patience and putting them back on their bed and rewarding them when they do seemed to work.
Mine now know when they are allowed on the bed - ie: when OH vacates it at the weekend :005:
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Mine sleep downstairs, bella (nearly 5 yrs) used to occasionally sleep on the bed but we decided we couldn't have both on our bed so in the kitchen they went and all has been well.
On the odd husband when is at work or when i'm sleeping during the day they sleep both with me, this is so they can wake me for toilet breaks. Molly 10months likes to sleep with her head next to mine she gets as close as possible, Bellas quite happy with the bottom of the bed.
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Murphy used to sleep with me/us. OH worked away Monday - Friday. Even then he would always be in his own bed in the hall when I woke. When Maddi came along we decided that they would both sleep in their own bed outside the bedroom and it's been great, no problems at all.
Even when Murphy was ill there and we had the bed in our room Maddi never tried to get into our bed. They too know when they are allowed up for a kip (or to use it as a wrestling ring)