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Training and Behavior

Public Group active 1 year ago

Why do they do what they do? Training tips more…

Sleeping thru the night (4 posts)

  • Profile picture of Kelly Crimmins Kelly Crimmins said 1 year ago:

    I have not slept thru the night since our rescue joined the family 2 years ago. Recently we have changed several daily procedures to help – dinner too late (dinner is now between 3-5), bathroom breaks (an outdoor visit before bed), glands (she has them expressed monthly), hunting the backyard at night (no good solution on this one) and of course lots of exercise (she has gone for 3 hours bike rides thru the woods but that did not work). While these changes certainly have helped it does not guarantee a blissful night.
    We have tried the usual things such as the tv on, radio, heartbeats, nightlights, crates, chairs, ottomans, beds, blankets, stuffed animals, herbs, warm milk, massage, quiet room, our room, even drugs. The vet has ruled out any physical issues.

    Any ideas??

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  • Profile picture of justweims justweims said 1 year ago:

    Is she waking you up to potty? Or is she just restless or? I guess I’m not sure what she’s doing to prevent you from sleeping?

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  • Profile picture of Kelly Crimmins Kelly Crimmins said 1 year ago:

    When she gets up she is either running up and down the stairs or stands in the bedroom and stares at me. I guess I am a very light sleeper when it comes to my dogs.
    The problem is that I am not sure why she is waking me. Sometimes it is checking the out backyard or bathroom breaks or glands or not enough stimulation. After addressing all of those daily I am still getting up (just not as frequently).

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  • Profile picture of justweims justweims said 1 year ago:

    Got it! I know exactly what you are talking about because Riley does this to me too. He’s a starer. He stares holes into me until I get up. I either get up, or I tell him to go lie down and leave me alone. I can usually tell when he truly needs to go out to potty as he adds pacing to the door when he really needs to go, but otherwise he just wants to go just fool around outside.

    If it’s been 2 years, she probably has you trained. Her behavior has been rewarded so there is every reason for her to keep doing it forever, so, to break the habit, I would have her sleep in a crate at night. I think for an adult, potty trained dog who has had ample opportunity to eliminate before going to bed should not have a problem getting through the night without a potty break. She will probably hate being in the crate and will try harder (and in obnoxious ways no doubt) to get you up with this change, but you’ll have to be more stubborn than her (a hard feat sometimes with Weims!)

    Good luck!

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