Dog not going to bed at night, help????

Hi Charmed, you poor thing you must be knackered.

The arrival of the baby is a big thing for everyone in the house, including the dogs. But try not panic just yet.

First thing I would suggest is finding a local kennel and booking the dog in for a night or two. It will allow you have a good night sleep (well as good as possible with a baby!) and you can approach the situation with a fresh head.

While he's in the kennel, ask them to really really concentrate on exercise, particularly on the day you're collecting him. If he's very tired he will sleep much easier.

If it works, you might be able to organise a walker to top up the walks you're already giving him. Honestly - a tired dog is a content dog.

How do you react when he barks? How long does he bark for? Does he eventually stop, or do you stop him? His routine is probably all over the place, try get him back into a routine and start leaving him in his room for a short time during the day. Almost as if you are starting from scratch with the training. I know it's difficult with a baby in the house, but if you can ignore him barking it would help, he will learn that it gets him nowhere.

Failing that, you can get a spray collar (please don't get an electric one) http://www.multivet.net/en/products/antibark/ I would never usually advocate using a tool like that but you are in a very difficult situation and it might help. Try upping his exercise first though, I really think it would help.

Congratulations on the new baby.

Whispered wrote: »

Hi Charmed, you poor thing you must be knackered.

The arrival of the baby is a big thing for everyone in the house, including the dogs. But try not panic just yet.

First thing I would suggest is finding a local kennel and booking the dog in for a night or two. It will allow you have a good night sleep (well as good as possible with a baby!) and you can approach the situation with a fresh head.

While he's in the kennel, ask them to really really concentrate on exercise, particularly on the day you're collecting him. If he's very tired he will sleep much easier.

If it works, you might be able to organise a walker to top up the walks you're already giving him. Honestly - a tired dog is a content dog.

How do you react when he barks? How long does he bark for? Does he eventually stop, or do you stop him? His routine is probably all over the place, try get him back into a routine and start leaving him in his room for a short time during the day. Almost as if you are starting from scratch with the training. I know it's difficult with a baby in the house, but if you can ignore him barking it would help, he will learn that it gets him nowhere.

Failing that, you can get a spray collar (please don't get an electric one) http://www.multivet.net/en/products/antibark/ I would never usually advocate using a tool like that but you are in a very difficult situation and it might help. Try upping his exercise first though, I really think it would help.

Congratulations on the new baby.

+1 All great advice!

The other things i would suggest -

Would there be any chance that he's just colder in the utility room these nights? If you make it a bit warmer in there at night, and maybe give him some toys/rawhide chews/food based toys (kongs) etc to keep him busy. (Also try increasing his exercise like Whispered said!) These are all simple enough but can sometimes make a real difference.

As for the new baby in the house, sometimes the new/different smells and the change in routine can really disturb them, some people recommend adapting the dog to the new routine and to the baby's smells before the baby ever comes home from hospital. Seeing as baby's already home though, something that might help is if you make an effort to make a fuss of him when the baby is around, and give him little attention when the baby is absent; the idea is that they get positive associations with the new baby.

It would be no harm to reinforce his general obedience training either, i.e. if you spend 10 mins every evening doing sit/stay exercises, and also get him into the habit that 'nothing in life is free', i.e. asking him to sit before you feed him/pet him etc. All of that will reinforce some basic rules in his head.

If you can try to settle him back into a fairly stable routine again it would help him too (i know this is incredibly hard with a little baby, but just simple things like always feeding him at the same times, putting him to bed at the same times etc).

That's all assuming there are no signs of aggression or jealousy between the dog and your new baby. If there is any at ALL, then I'd say your options are: dog behaviourist, complete separation of dog and baby, else rehoming him. That's extreme measures though, doesn't sound like it really applies to your fella, but just throwing it out there!

I hope you figure out something that works soon, sounds like you are under serious stress! hopefully it will all settle down for you soon!

What kind of walking routine have you got going for him?
Maybe he is getting little to no walks lately with the baby, so he probably is full of energy.