night problems

[Guest Rachel]

Agatha is my first Cairn, she is a 7 months old cutie. During th eday she is great but at night she acts like a different dog. she HATES to sleep in her crate and wakes up at all hours of the night. Fianlly she just scratches for hours until we have had enough and let her out. we thing we found a solution and let her sleep underneth our bed. she wakes up at 6:30 now alot better then her 4am in the crate. Our problem is that she potties in her kennal at night, on our bed the few times we let her sleep there and i think she is doing it under the bed. Has any one else had this problem? I am hoping she will just grow out of it. any advise? When we first got her she had a raging uti for the first month, now we are dealing with her skin allergies.

[Rob D.]

When we first go Murphy, he sleep with my wife on the couch the first two nights.

Then the third night we put him in his kennel. I got up at 2:00am and took him outside to do his business, I did that for two weeks. Then it was 2:30am for two

weeks then 3:00am. Every two weeks it got a 1/2 hour later till we got to 4:00am. Then I stopped taking him out at night. I would take him out at 10:30 or 11:00pm and then my wife would take him out before she went to work at 6:15am. We got lucky with Murphy because he slept until I came and got to go outside. Before this time we took him outside every two hours during the day. We still had a few accidents but nothing after about 2 months. He only had one accident in his kennel but that was my fault I had to work late one day and didn't get home in time but he didn't do it in his kennel he backed his butt up against the kennel door so he didn't get it in his kennel. He's never done anything in his kennel. We always put

him in his kennel at night and when we are not in the house, even though he is

house trained. He also likes to go under our bed every now and then but he doesn't stay there for long. Try to give your dog a place other than his kennel that is dark where he can go and be by himself when you are at home. Like the saying goes "When we're away, the Murph will play, and get into God knows what" I hope I have helped you a bit with you new little friend.

[bubba]

When we got Cooper, he did not like being in his crate at night. He would also whine and scratch, wanting to get out. My husband figured out he did not like being separated from us, so moved his kennel next to the bed. He did not whine except when he wanted outside to go potty. After about three nights, he moved the crate a short distance away, and continued to do that every few nights. After about three weeks, the kennel was by the back door where we wanted it, no whining, and he never messed in the crate again. Now when I go out, he gets the run of the kitchen, which is blocked from the rest of the house w/a baby gate, and quite often when I come home, he is lying inside his crate waiting! I imagine it's where he feels safe.

pat.

[Scully'sMom]

I don't know if you are already doing this or not - however, we had a professional trainer come in and give us lessons (our Cairn was 7 months old at the time). I didn't want her in a crate because I thought it was "cruel" and she slept in a bed in our room from the very first night and slept all through the night without about only 3 accidents.

The trainer had us get a crate and when he put her in it she fought like the devil she can be and he had me get a towel or something large enough to cover the crate. That just made me ill to cover her up inside the crate. Within five minutes she calmed down and she stayed in there without a peep for 90 minutes. Covering the crate gives them the sense of security that they need because they are den animals. Also, he said it would be "cruel" to put her in there without covering it up (it's in our living room) because she would be able to see us and want to come play and it would be like taunting her. Whenever we put her in there we cover it up and she loves it.

Hope the tip helps.

[CathyAnn]

Yes, we use the 'parakeet' method of covering the crate, as well. I actually came up with the idea myself as we were experiencing problems, too. Figured it was worth a try and it sure did make a difference.

He goes in his 'box' frequently on his own. Still put him in there when we leave and at night. All we say is 'go nite-nite' and in he goes! We do frequently reward him with a lil treat, too.

Cathy

[Mama Kim]

Piper slept in her crate for about the first month we had her home. But then we went to my parents' home in Wisconsin for two weeks and her crate had to be in my room. She wouldn't sleep in it as long as she could hear/see/smell me, so I let her sleep on the bed and that's where she has stayed ever since! (Our other Cairn also slept on our bed so this is nothing new and actually what I ultimately wanted.) But I can't help with the potty accidents. Piper never soiled her crate and was pretty reliably house-broken by the time she started sleeping on our bed (at about 3-4 months of age) so she never soiled the bed either. Is your puppy housebroken during the day? Ot does she only have accidents at night? Maybe her crate is too big if she's wetting in it?

[hallswel]

Rebel slept in his crate the very first day he came home. After he was a year old and house trained we would leave the door of the create open and he could sleep any place he wants. He prefers under the bed or his crate to on the bed. I didn't like the crate at first but quickly saw the benefits. Even when there is alot of activity in the house Reb will go to his crate to sleep. I thought that I would put it up but instead made a cover for it so now it is a designer create instead of the ugly wire.

[Mama Kim]

We crate Piper when we're gone so she is happy in her crate but I truly love that she sleeps with us. My husband is gone during the week and she snuggles right up next to me every night. It's just so sweet. But periodically throughout the day, she crawls in her crate for a nap. I think that's just so cute!

[Guest kushbo]

Using a leash at night worked for a few weeks worked for me. It's a good compromise between crate and total freedom.

My Cairn stays in his "house" during the day while I'm at work. I couldn't take the guilt of putting him in it during the night, too, but didn't want him roaming free while I was sleeping. Also he was very active at night, since he spent most of the day napping in his crate.

So, when I first got him, I kept him on a leash tied to the foot of the dresser and left a nightlight on so I could see what he was up to, and he could see me. I made him his own bed and placed it within range of the leash. After a couple weeks, he learned the sleeping arrangements and now stays close without the leash. He sometimes sleeps on the bed with me, but when he's really tired, curls up on his own.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Riley slept in a crate the first few months he was with us but now he sleeps in the bed. At 7 months of age he had to have surgery and I had to keep a constant watch on him so I put him in the bed with us - - he has been there ever since. Sometimes I will turn over and see a hairy little head on the pillow between my husband and me - - I swear he is just like a lil kid!!! Gotta love 'em!!!!!!

[Guest Rachel]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. Agatha seems to be doing ok but we are still having the occasional night time accident under the bed wehre she preferes to sleep/ Im just hoping at this point she will grow out of it. Sometime she cries to get in the bed and she will go underneath the cover and sleep like a liitle angel but as soon as she tries to get to the foot of the bed she is back on the floor because she pooties down there. do you think it is because the bed is too high and she can't jump off. anyone with problems like this. oh yeah, and we have com[lety given up on the crate at night she will only go in it during the day oh well.