Calling on dog owners - advice please

[supergolden88]

Hi everyone - hope this is the right thread to post this.

A week ago we adopted a rescue puppy from Cyprus. He is 7 months old Jura hound cross. He is loving, affectionate, gentle with people and other dogs and a little bit naughty/crazy as still a puppy.

One main issue we have is that he won't sleep on his own. He sleeps happily through the night if one of use sleeps on the sofa with him but whines and tries to go upstairs if on his own. He was in foster care before we got him and had several puppy pals he was sharing a bed with.

We have a dog crate we can lock him in but he gets very upset, noisy and bites the bars aggressively. The vet suggested we put him in the crate and let him cry it out for a day or more until he basically submits to sleeping there. Not convinced it's the way to go as he gets so upset.

Any advice from personal experience or any recommendations for books/trainers? We have started training classes - only done one so far though.

Thanks in advance

Lucy

[siousxiesue]

Hot water bottle cuddly toy type thing? If he's used to company..

(and what a lovely thing to do!)

[Huggers]

hot water bottle,(in a fluffy cover so he doesn't get burnt) loud ticking clock in or near basket,(sounds like heartbeat) toy and radio on very quietly- and well done!

[Saffron]

Is there a reason you're not allowing him upstairs? Allergies? Accidents? Could he not have a dog bed on the floor next to your bed?

If you want to lock him in the crate overnight, I would consider bringing it upstairs into your room, if it's at all possible. If you don't want him upstairs in general, you could easily teach him that he's only allowed upstairs to sleep in the crate.

Dogs are naturally gregarious pack animals. Locking a puppy alone in a crate overnight in a separate area of the home seems counterproductive to producing a well-socialised dog. xx

[taper]

Ticking clock in his bed is in old trick. Radio on low perhaps. And a piece of your clothing.

We used a crate. But initially when I put the dog in it, I slept in the same room. Gradually, as the dog got comfortable and secure in the crate, I moved out! Took about a week. We then gave the dog the run of a room with her bed in it, but locked access to upstairs. As they get older and get used to the new environment and this phase will pass.

[supergolden88]

Thanks everyone. We need to get a baby gate to block access to our bedrooms. The downstairs is all open plan so we cant really block him in a room unless we use the crate. Don't mind him sleeping on sofa as long as I can sleep in my bed! Will try the clock and probably get him a proper bed too.

I don't want him sleeping in our bed because I think we need some boundaries and the kids would get very frightened if a dog jumped in their beds during the night. So while I don't mind him visiting the bedrooms but I do want to discourage him from sleeping there.

[first mate]

As others have suggested, put crate by your bed, that way he knows you are close. If you force him to cry it out in a locked crate downstairs you risk him panicking and this could lead to other problems. Other option is you sleep downstairs for some of time until he is settled. Leave smelly t-shirt in with him.

[taper]

Yes, we used a baby gate over the stairs. Gives them a bit of freedom but with parameters

[supergolden88]

We have a baby gate now and last night was up until 1am telling him to go to bed... Hilariously the alarm on the little clock I put behind the sofa cushion for the 'heartbeat' effect went off that the worst possible moment!

[JohnL]

I remember the whining/crying our King Charles Cavalier made if left alone.

He ate the carpet too and made a dirty protest/

He just got to go anywhere in the end :(

[civilservant]

when we got our new pup, we put him in a crate in the sitting room on his first night with us. i was in a sleeping bag next to the crate. But he cried all night and no-one got any sleep, so the next night he came upstairs with us and has slept under our bed ever since!

our first dog slept in a crate for the first couple of years of his (too short) life. we got a crate for him because the breeder advised it was the thing to do. it was obvious that he hated it, and it was noticeable how much happier and more settled he was when we stopped using it.

[bonniebird]

Crate next to your bed, where you can talk to him and reassure him, they like to be with people, good luck xx