Dog Settling at night

zedhead · 27-08-2020 10:59am #1

(Apologies for the long post)
We rescued a now 11 month old terrier cross 2 months ago. When we first got him he had the initial settling in and finding his time to show us his personality. As with a lot of rescue dogs he has some issues and we are doing are best to help him with that.

He sleeps in our kitchen/dining room and any time he is alone in the house he is in there. He is a bit of a chewer, with soft things being his favourite so we can't leave him alone in the hall where shoes are kept or sitting room or he will chew the couch. He also still has a few accidents in the house at times and would rather save our rug/sofa from this. The kitchen is the most chew friendly zone, but we have still lost some of our blinds and he likes the corners of the skirting. He has plenty of chew toys and while the chewing of the blinds and skirting is lessening its still happening.

Our biggest issue is his reactivity. We are working with him on the lead outdoors as he reacts quite badly to other dogs. We got some one on one training and have the techniques to try and resolve this though I am aware it takes time. The problem is there are 2 big glass doors in our kitchen. One with vertical blinds that he can move to stand in front of to watch, and the others well he has chewed to bits (though we did tape a black bag to the outside of that door to try and block his view. He has a tendancy to stand and growl out the window, even where there is nothing there and will randomly just bark for 2 - 5 minutes. If a cat comes into the garden then he goes absolutely mental.

This seems to have settled during the day. We try to leave him alone for bursts so we can prepare him for if we have to go back to the office and for when we do have to leave him alone for a few hours at the moment. And for the most part during the day he is fine. He sleeps on his blanket (chewed his bed to bits) and occassionaly will potter around. He gets lots of interaction at lunch time (set training activities and some play) and he gets his very early long walk to avoid dogs and a shorter walk to work on the reactivity training at around 5pm. He tends to get 1hr 15 minutes to 1hr 30 mins walk per day.

Our main problem now is at night. After the first couple of weeks settling where we had nights of crying/barking he had gotten into a fairly good pattern. He would settle quite quickly and he may go to the window and bark for a couple of minutes but then settle again. This past week he has completely reverted. He just will not settle. He goes from being so chilled out on the couch with us, then after he comes in from his night time toilet break he just will not settle. We have tried sitting with him until he lies down and waiting until he is relaxed - but as soon as he sees us leave he is up like a shot. We have a camera set up so we can check in on him so we know once we leave he then paces and goes and stares out the window and will inevitably start barking like at nothing. We tried to ignore it to see if he will stop but he won't and we are conscious of neighbours so eventually have to go down to quieten him. We take turns and the past 4 nights its taken almost 2 hours of this to get him to settle and go to sleep.

The trainer suggested trying to find a quieter place for him to sleep with no windows, but there isn't really anywhere in the house. We could close him off into the space between the kitchen and utility room with a baby gate (too much chew stuff in the utility for him) but I think its a very enclosed space (though probably the same size a crate would be) and would feel bad shutting him in at night.

Is there anything else people might suggest to help settle him?

Graces7 · 27-08-2020 2:23pm

zedhead wrote: »

(Apologies for the long post)
We rescued a now 11 month old terrier cross 2 months ago. When we first got him he had the initial settling in and finding his time to show us his personality. As with a lot of rescue dogs he has some issues and we are doing are best to help him with that.

He sleeps in our kitchen/dining room and any time he is alone in the house he is in there. He is a bit of a chewer, with soft things being his favourite so we can't leave him alone in the hall where shoes are kept or sitting room or he will chew the couch. He also still has a few accidents in the house at times and would rather save our rug/sofa from this. The kitchen is the most chew friendly zone, but we have still lost some of our blinds and he likes the corners of the skirting. He has plenty of chew toys and while the chewing of the blinds and skirting is lessening its still happening.

Our biggest issue is his reactivity. We are working with him on the lead outdoors as he reacts quite badly to other dogs. We got some one on one training and have the techniques to try and resolve this though I am aware it takes time. The problem is there are 2 big glass doors in our kitchen. One with vertical blinds that he can move to stand in front of to watch, and the others well he has chewed to bits (though we did tape a black bag to the outside of that door to try and block his view. He has a tendancy to stand and growl out the window, even where there is nothing there and will randomly just bark for 2 - 5 minutes. If a cat comes into the garden then he goes absolutely mental.

This seems to have settled during the day. We try to leave him alone for bursts so we can prepare him for if we have to go back to the office and for when we do have to leave him alone for a few hours at the moment. And for the most part during the day he is fine. He sleeps on his blanket (chewed his bed to bits) and occassionaly will potter around. He gets lots of interaction at lunch time (set training activities and some play) and he gets his very early long walk to avoid dogs and a shorter walk to work on the reactivity training at around 5pm. He tends to get 1hr 15 minutes to 1hr 30 mins walk per day.

Our main problem now is at night. After the first couple of weeks settling where we had nights of crying/barking he had gotten into a fairly good pattern. He would settle quite quickly and he may go to the window and bark for a couple of minutes but then settle again. This past week he has completely reverted. He just will not settle. He goes from being so chilled out on the couch with us, then after he comes in from his night time toilet break he just will not settle. We have tried sitting with him until he lies down and waiting until he is relaxed - but as soon as he sees us leave he is up like a shot. We have a camera set up so we can check in on him so we know once we leave he then paces and goes and stares out the window and will inevitably start barking like at nothing. We tried to ignore it to see if he will stop but he won't and we are conscious of neighbours so eventually have to go down to quieten him. We take turns and the past 4 nights its taken almost 2 hours of this to get him to settle and go to sleep.

The trainer suggested trying to find a quieter place for him to sleep with no windows, but there isn't really anywhere in the house. We could close him off into the space between the kitchen and utility room with a baby gate (too much chew stuff in the utility for him) but I think its a very enclosed space (though probably the same size a crate would be) and would feel bad shutting him in at night.

Is there anything else people might suggest to help settle him?

I honestly think that a crate or a smaller space with thus less to stimulate him would work. Trust the trainer? You and he need to sleep at night so the les space/stimuli the better? You must be exhausted. Filled with admiration for you.

tk123 · 27-08-2020 2:48pm

If you're in Dublin OP, chances are that he's hearing fireworks? They've started going off every evening for the last week or so

:mad: From comments on our local FB page they're going off at the same time in different locations.

zedhead · 27-08-2020 2:52pm

Graces7 wrote: »

I honestly think that a crate or a smaller space with thus less to stimulate him would work. Trust the trainer? You and he need to sleep at night so the les space/stimuli the better? You must be exhausted. Filled with admiration for you.

Thanks Graces. Would it take a few days to get him accustomed to the smaller space - rather than just shutting him in there tonight. We would need to move the baby gate from the stairs each evening

tk123 wrote: »

If you're in Dublin OP, chances are that he's hearing fireworks? They've started going off every evening for the last week or so :mad: From comments on our local FB page they're going off at the same time in different locations.

Yeh he has been hearing the fireworks. Mostly they are done by bedtime though and the TV/readio drowns them out - however on Tuesday night there was one big one that went off, sounded like a bomb. we both had to sit with him for around 30 minutes to stop him shaking and calm him down. To be fair it gave me a fright too.

Graces7 · 27-08-2020 3:43pm

zedhead wrote: »

Thanks Graces. Would it take a few days to get him accustomed to the smaller space - rather than just shutting him in there tonight. We would need to move the baby gate from the stairs each evening

Try tonight? And stop thinking if it as shutting him in? He is simply going to bed! Put him to bed in there tonight without any fuss and see how it goes? He won't hear the fireworks etc None of us needs a huge space to sleep in. I used to love sleeping in a wall bed ( you know what they are!) And thinking back I had a collie who was seriously not OK and it was only when I put the two dogs together in a small shed with a bed of hay that she stopped barking at night. I could still hear in the house and she settled so fast.

Then YOU can get a proper sleep too

zedhead · 27-08-2020 3:55pm

Graces7 wrote: »

zedhead wrote: »

Thanks Graces. Would it take a few days to get him accustomed to the smaller space - rather than just shutting him in there tonight. We would need to move the baby gate from the stairs each evening

Try tonight? And stop thinking if it as shutting him in? He is simply going to bed! Put him to bed in there tonight without any fuss and see how it goes? He won't hear the fireworks etc None of us needs a huge space to sleep in. I used to love sleeping in a wall bed ( you know what they are!) And thinking back I had a collie who was seriously not OK and it was only when I put the two dogs together in a small shed with a bed of hay that she stopped barking at night. I could still hear in the house and she settled so fast.

Then YOU can get a proper sleep too

Thanks, my partner has the tools out to move the baby gate and as soon as its done we will move his blanket into the space and see if he will lie there while I am cooking dinner. He usually lies on his blanket while I cook. I don't think the space will block out the noise but he won't be able to go and look out the glass doors which hopefully will calm him.

zedhead · 28-08-2020 8:08am

So just to give an update - it appears to have been successful. I moved his bed into the space when the baby gate was up but left the gate open. Practiced some place training with him and he stayed in his bed the whole time I was making dinner. Even when I left the room to go upstairs and get something which almost never happens. I shut the gate once or twice while I was still in the room in sight for a few minutes just to see if he would react and he seemed fine.

Bed time came and he went to bed, i waited around 5 minutes while i tidied up the kitchen and then closed the gate. He stood up at that point but didnt cry or scratch or anything so I pottered around a bit and then just sat by the gate and waited for him to settle. Then went to bed and monitered on the camera. He took about 30 minutes to go to sleep, but he was mostly messing with/chewing the corners of his bed and his rope chew. No crying or barking at all.

Of course in my head he looked really sad and I was so worried (im a terrible mother hen, my partner thought i was being stupid) but I got up this morning and he was fine. He seemed a little unsure when I opened the gate but we went out for his walk and since coming home he is back in his bed (with the gate open) and doesn't look like he has any intention of moving, so he obviously likes it in there.

My only concern is the space the the thouroughfare between the kitchen and utility/toilet so during the day we have to walk through to get into it (for laundry, bins and toilet) but i passed him twice while making breakfast and he lifted his head to look at me but didn't seem bothered.

So thank you so much for the advice Graces. No fireworks last night, so we will have to wait and see how he handles that in the space but its looking good.

Graces7 · 28-08-2020 8:43am

zedhead wrote: »

So just to give an update - it appears to have been successful. I moved his bed into the space when the baby gate was up but left the gate open. Practiced some place training with him and he stayed in his bed the whole time I was making dinner. Even when I left the room to go upstairs and get something which almost never happens. I shut the gate once or twice while I was still in the room in sight for a few minutes just to see if he would react and he seemed fine.

Bed time came and he went to bed, i waited around 5 minutes while i tidied up the kitchen and then closed the gate. He stood up at that point but didnt cry or scratch or anything so I pottered around a bit and then just sat by the gate and waited for him to settle. Then went to bed and monitered on the camera. He took about 30 minutes to go to sleep, but he was mostly messing with/chewing the corners of his bed and his rope chew. No crying or barking at all.

Of course in my head he looked really sad and I was so worried (im a terrible mother hen, my partner thought i was being stupid) but I got up this morning and he was fine. He seemed a little unsure when I opened the gate but we went out for his walk and since coming home he is back in his bed (with the gate open) and doesn't look like he has any intention of moving, so he obviously likes it in there.

My only concern is the space the the thouroughfare between the kitchen and utility/toilet so during the day we have to walk through to get into it (for laundry, bins and toilet) but i passed him twice while making breakfast and he lifted his head to look at me but didn't seem bothered.

So thank you so much for the advice Graces. No fireworks last night, so we will have to wait and see how he handles that in the space but its looking good.

Well done! Dogs and cats see a small space as a safe place. My cats are all in hiding today as we have a gale. Bella has chosen a cardboard box I was about to throw out which she can barely fit into.

The less stimulation the better and they all need that safe small space? A nest?

And he knows and trusts you now and rightly so.

em_cat · 28-08-2020 11:57am

tk123 wrote: »

If you're in Dublin OP, chances are that he's hearing fireworks? They've started going off every evening for the last week or so :mad: From comments on our local FB page they're going off at the same time in different locations.

Yep don’t get it, it’s been months here in D8. I mean are they road testing them before the Halloween stock or what??? Op, sorry I don’t have much to add to your post, but I do sympathise.

Tabnabs · 28-08-2020 12:17pm

Sounds like he would get just fine in a crate and if you find a suitable location it would not impact on the running of the house.

Graces7 · 28-08-2020 1:37pm

Tabnabs wrote: »

Sounds like he would get just fine in a crate and if you find a suitable location it would not impact on the running of the house.

Agree.

zedhead · 30-08-2020 1:58pm

So we had two great nights of uninterrupted sleep and then last night the barking started again. There were 2 dogs barking outside at about 1am and we think that set him off. We had the radio on to muffle the sounds anyway but it didn't help. Went on for about an hour. If we went in he would settle and when it seemed he was fully relaxed and whoever was with him left it would start again 5 minutes later.

My partner is at the end of his rope today. We've only had the little guy 2 months and we both knew it would take time but it is a lot harder than we thought. With the reactivity our dreams of nice long family walks up the mountains are impossible. We find it hard to leave him in the house on his own and sometimes we just have to. We tried to see if he would settle in his bed so we could pop out for an hour today but he sensed something even though he had his kong and he cried and barked so my partner went alone.

The training is working for the basic things like sit, stay, lie down, but in terms of any sort of desensitising work we are not seeing results.

Graces7 · 30-08-2020 3:31pm

zedhead wrote: »

So we had two great nights of uninterrupted sleep and then last night the barking started again. There were 2 dogs barking outside at about 1am and we think that set him off. We had the radio on to muffle the sounds anyway but it didn't help. Went on for about an hour. If we went in he would settle and when it seemed he was fully relaxed and whoever was with him left it would start again 5 minutes later.

My partner is at the end of his rope today. We've only had the little guy 2 months and we both knew it would take time but it is a lot harder than we thought. With the reactivity our dreams of nice long family walks up the mountains are impossible. We find it hard to leave him in the house on his own and sometimes we just have to. We tried to see if he would settle in his bed so we could pop out for an hour today but he sensed something even though he had his kong and he cried and barked so my partner went alone.

The training is working for the basic things like sit, stay, lie down, but in terms of any sort of desensitising work we are not seeing results.

Someone far wiser than I will ever be who has trained difficult dogs suggest he sleeps in your bedroom. When I told her re the chewing she suggested a crate. He is insecure and needs you at this stage. it is separation that irks him? If he can hear you breathing...

Not "impossible" those walks and worth fighting for and working for. Take heart?

Try going out quickly with no fuss, and listening from a way away that he cannot see you to see how long he will bark? You may be surprised.

These problems can take a long time then suddenly ease. I see this with some of my rescue cats. Who have had a terrible life.

Get the crate and let him sleep near you? Many owners have their dogs abed with them as I do with any cat who wants that.

Please take heart?

Graces7 · 30-08-2020 3:34pm

Wondering what the shelter told you about him?

zedhead · 30-08-2020 3:58pm

Graces7 wrote: »

Someone far wiser than I will ever be who has trained difficult dogs suggest he sleeps in your bedroom. When I told her re the chewing she suggested a crate. He is insecure and needs you at this stage. it is separation that irks him? If he can hear you breathing...

Not "impossible" those walks and worth fighting for and working for. Take heart?

Try going out quickly with no fuss, and listening from a way away that he cannot see you to see how long he will bark? You may be surprised.

These problems can take a long time then suddenly ease. I see this with some of my rescue cats. Who have had a terrible life.

Get the crate and let him sleep near you? Many owners have their dogs abed with them as I do with any cat who wants that.

Please take heart?

Sleeping in our bedroom is really not an option.

We have left him a few times and we can monitor him on the camera. The first time he barked non stop, for 45 minutes until we got him. And its varied from there. The longest we have left him is 4 hours, and he did settle for a time in the middle before getting agitated again. The kong was a great help and we also left him some treats in egg boxes which also helped distract him lots. We've had a few real successes of leaving him alone - but again this week he just seems to have regressed with everything.

I think I am just a bit fragile today. I had a little cry earlier and he came over and just rested his little head on my shoulder. He is so great. We love him and we are not giving up on him, but a few days of sleep deprivation will take it out of you.

Graces7 wrote: »

Wondering what the shelter told you about him?

So they said he had been adopted as a puppy from a pound with his mother,and the family surrendered him after a couple of months because he snapped at a child. They and we think that there was more to it than that. THey didn't seem to have done any training with him, he didn't even know how to sit. He is still into the puppy play biting, and they clearly did nothing to try and address that. He is for the most part very placid, the vet even commented on how little he reacted to the podding and poking. He was great with our nieces once we told them to give him space and let him go to them. Not to hug him or poke him. And we watched his body language any time they pet him so we could tell if he was getting agitated with their touch and tell them to move away and leave. But he was great with them. He was also quite underweight when we got him too, which again speaks to how he was treated. And he seems to be afraid of any sticks, so we think he was hit (i had a fly swatter out for flies and he cowered under the table for 30 minutes until we could calm him).

I am a little annoyed which how they handled the reactivity. They said he was good with other dogs and it was only when they handed him over she said "he gets a bit excited when he sees other dogs on the lead, so maybe just turn around and go the other way". We saw on his first walk it is much more than a little excited. I tried to get more out of them but couldn't really, apart from him being good off lead. I just can't trust him to let him off lead as his recall is not good enough when distracted. We are going to do some work with him with my parents dogs and see if we can get him socialised with them at least.

Graces7 · 30-08-2020 5:26pm

(((HUGS))) I think you are doing great! You really are and yes, sleep is vital.

Seething re the sticks. One of my latest threesome of rescued cats was a street stray and a year after she came ( and that is how long it took for her to trust,to let me see) she exhibited an utter terror of going through the door ie in from out. And of me standing. I spent an hour crouched by the open door just talking to her, persuading her it was OK, that she is safe. Clearly she had been shut in and hurt, After that for a while I could see her plucking up her courage, pausing then CHARGE! Now she never hesitates., The odd thing was that right from the start she loved to come on my bed and wrap around my wrist as she is doing now. It IS slow work and often one step forward, two steps back .. She loves you and that is at the heart of it.

I will share this with my dog expert friend when next we talk.

Graces7 · 31-08-2020 5:02am

A neighbour once when her son had gone overseas was worried re his dog missing him so she put a well worn item of his clothing in the dog's bed. Some use a small clock.

zedhead · 31-08-2020 9:05am

Graces7 wrote: »

A neighbour once when her son had gone overseas was worried re his dog missing him so she put a well worn item of his clothing in the dog's bed. Some use a small clock.

We actually did something similar the first time we were going to be leaving him for more than an hour. I had bought him a stuffed squeeker toy and we slept with it in the bed with us for 4 days before giving it to him before we left. It definitely helped and its actually still his favourite of his stuffed toys. He has gotten the stuffing out 4 times, but I keep sewing it back up for him. So I might try a tshirt or something this time. (don't like to leave him alone with the soft toys since he rips them to shreds)

Graces7 · 31-08-2020 9:26am

zedhead wrote: »

We actually did something similar the first time we were going to be leaving him for more than an hour. I had bought him a stuffed squeeker toy and we slept with it in the bed with us for 4 days before giving it to him before we left. It definitely helped and its actually still his favourite of his stuffed toys. He has gotten the stuffing out 4 times, but I keep sewing it back up for him. So I might try a tshirt or something this time. (don't like to leave him alone with the soft toys since he rips them to shreds)

I know how hard it is but you have a strong, sturdy puppy of great character there! Once he is tamed and.... redirected!

The barking collie I took in was over 7 and so ill treated it was never going to fully succeed. She was appallingly thunder phobic ; once broke through two doors and escaped when I was out and was missing eleven days, and then there were farmers with crowbangers.

Kind folk here may remember her.

Your little one is so young and you are giving such devotion.

Fine weather today; long walk to tire him out?

tk123 · 31-08-2020 9:35am

I think you have a few things going on OP and your frustrations - which are normal - are just boiling over. For the settling at night I'd go back to basics here - just crate him in your room at night. It's not forever - just until he's settling well in the crate and you've built up his confidence and comfort level in the crate. You can then start to move it out onto the landing etc etc and build up the distance. The most important thing is that you're going at the dogs pace.

zedhead · 31-08-2020 10:20am

Graces7 wrote: »

I know how hard it is but you have a strong, sturdy puppy of great character there! Once he is tamed and.... redirected!

The barking collie I took in was over 7 and so ill treated it was never going to fully succeed. She was appallingly thunder phobic ; once broke through two doors and escaped when I was out and was missing eleven days, and then there were farmers with crowbangers.

Kind folk here may remember her.

Your little one is so young and you are giving such devotion.

Fine weather today; long walk to tire him out?

We got out for a good 45 minute walk this morning and will do the same again this afternoon.

tk123 wrote: »

I think you have a few things going on OP and your frustrations - which are normal - are just boiling over. For the settling at night I'd go back to basics here - just crate him in your room at night. It's not forever - just until he's settling well in the crate and you've built up his confidence and comfort level in the crate. You can then start to move it out onto the landing etc etc and build up the distance. The most important thing is that you're going at the dogs pace.

We don't actually have a crate. We are using a baby gate to make a crate like space in our kitchen so couldn't transfer it to the bedroom. He had a great night last night. Went straight to his bed and not a peep out of him all night. Went back in while I was up showering and getting ready for work. Did my first 2 hours work downstairs but he didn't move from his bed. I've since come upstairs but left the gate open and he hasn't moved, apart from getting up for a bit of a pet and cuddle from my partner when he went in for breakfast.

We are going to sit down tonight and go through everything we are both doing to make sure it is consistent, because we think any inconsistencies are not going to help right now. W will move forward and every time he regresses just take one or steps backwards in what we are doing and try again. I know there will be set backs, so I guess managing our own frustrations is as much part of the battle as managing him.

I am a little worried as we are going to my sisters this weekend for dinner, so we will be gone a few hours. Bringing him is not an option as she has cats. I'm conflicted about whether or not I should crate him as it will be night time anyway - we would probably leave around 7:30pm. Or leave the baby gate open then just put him to bed as normal when we get home. I'd be worried about him getting too distressed in there, and we would not be able to get to him.

Graces7 · 31-08-2020 11:33am

zedhead wrote: »

We got out for a good 45 minute walk this morning and will do the same again this afternoon.

We don't actually have a crate. We are using a baby gate to make a crate like space in our kitchen so couldn't transfer it to the bedroom. He had a great night last night. Went straight to his bed and not a peep out of him all night. Went back in while I was up showering and getting ready for work. Did my first 2 hours work downstairs but he didn't move from his bed. I've since come upstairs but left the gate open and he hasn't moved, apart from getting up for a bit of a pet and cuddle from my partner when he went in for breakfast.

We are going to sit down tonight and go through everything we are both doing to make sure it is consistent, because we think any inconsistencies are not going to help right now. W will move forward and every time he regresses just take one or steps backwards in what we are doing and try again. I know there will be set backs, so I guess managing our own frustrations is as much part of the battle as managing him.

I am a little worried as we are going to my sisters this weekend for dinner, so we will be gone a few hours. Bringing him is not an option as she has cats. I'm conflicted about whether or not I should crate him as it will be night time anyway - we would probably leave around 7:30pm. Or leave the baby gate open then just put him to bed as normal when we get home. I'd be worried about him getting too distressed in there, and we would not be able to get to him.

I would put him to bed where he feels safe before you go.
And you have to be able to go out.

Progress may be in fits and starts not consistent at first. he feels safe in there.

DBB · 31-08-2020 11:44am

Is he happy in the car OP? Would it be a runner for him to go with you, but stay in the car with a stuffed Kong (or whatever else works!), and you can check on him, let him out to stretch his legs etc?
Obviously, only possible if he's a happy fella in the car... again a crate would be a good investment for use in the car. Also obviously leave windows open to make sure there's air circulating inside, and make sure the car is in a shady, cool spot.

zedhead · 31-08-2020 11:56am

DBB wrote: »

Is he happy in the car OP? Would it be a runner for him to go with you, but stay in the car with a stuffed Kong (or whatever else works!), and you can check on him, let him out to stretch his legs etc?
Obviously, only possible if he's a happy fella in the car... again a crate would be a good investment for use in the car. Also obviously leave windows open to make sure there's air circulating inside, and make sure the car is in a shady, cool spot.

He is ok in the car mostly, but he gets a little distressed if one of us leaves say to pop into the shops on the way home from a walk. So I don;t think leaving him in the car for a stretch of time would be ok. SHe also lives on a very busy road so it wouldn't be peaceful for him.

I might try out a little leaving routine one evening this week, around the time we would be heading out and see if we can settle him into bed at that time.

I'd love to be able to bring him with me, but realistically we have to be able to leave him to go out to dinner. Which we would do at least once a month usually. Any time we go to my partners family he can come as they have no pets, but my parents and sister both have cats and he really can't handle being around cats at all. Hopefully if we socialise him with my parents dogs we can at least go and meet them for walks and have them come over to ours with their 2.

bertiebomber · 31-08-2020 8:03pm

this might seem silly but if you wrapped a t shirt which you have worn over a hot water bottle and give him a nice treat before you go he might settle down & sleep make sure hes had a good walk prior to your date for dinner. he might find a bit more secuirity if he had a real dog bed not just a blanket on the floor one he can curl up in often for sale in lidl etc and not too expensive needs a bed that is his not a walk way is not a place of his own . Then where ever you place it hell know its his.

zedhead · 01-09-2020 7:49am

bertiebomber wrote: »

this might seem silly but if you wrapped a t shirt which you have worn over a hot water bottle and give him a nice treat before you go he might settle down & sleep make sure hes had a good walk prior to your date for dinner. he might find a bit more secuirity if he had a real dog bed not just a blanket on the floor one he can curl up in often for sale in lidl etc and not too expensive needs a bed that is his not a walk way is not a place of his own . Then where ever you place it hell know its his.

He's a chewer so I would be almost sure he would chew and burst a hot water bottle but its a great idea. I think I will leave him with the worn tshirt though.

We did buy him a real dog bed - but he got all the stuffing out of one side the second day he had it. Both the vet and the trainer said a good blanket was fine until he is over his chewing. We have been reintroducing the pillow from it slowly to see if we can give him the full bed back. We started giving it to him when he was surpervised and removing it when he started to chew. Then overnight and now he's had the pillow for just under a week all the time and hasn't chewed it much so we will try the full bed next week, once I get a chance to sew up the side he chewed.

bertiebomber · 01-09-2020 10:44am

rescue dogs have lived insecure lives and to be honest its does take about 12 weeks for a dog to believe that he has found a home so dont give up on him . His very own crate is the business as its truly his own & worth the investment.
We have a little rescue & he is an emotional wreck when he cant cope he takes off & goes into his crate & we always cover it with a sheet then & hes happy until he feels like joining us later.

zedhead · 01-09-2020 10:55am

bertiebomber wrote: »

rescue dogs have lived insecure lives and to be honest its does take about 12 weeks for a dog to believe that he has found a home so dont give up on him . His very own crate is the business as its truly his own & worth the investment.
We have a little rescue & he is an emotional wreck when he cant cope he takes off & goes into his crate & we always cover it with a sheet then & hes happy until he feels like joining us later.

We have no intention of giving up. We love him so much and will definitely be willing to put in the work however long it takes.

Will look into getting his own crate definitely. Just need to find a space as cosy as the kitchen nook that we can put it for him. We've been looking into dog friendly airbnb's for our holidays in october and having a crate would probably be handy for that.

bertiebomber · 01-09-2020 11:07am

fair play to you am awalys happy to hear about the decent doggy people who do care! make sure the crate has plenty of room and is not too small he needs to be able to lie out flat and turn around and even have his dinner in there we have a cage and so he can see all around if he wants too or be covered if not.

zedhead · 01-09-2020 11:19am

bertiebomber wrote: »

fair play to you am awalys happy to hear about the decent doggy people who do care! make sure the crate has plenty of room and is not too small he needs to be able to lie out flat and turn around and even have his dinner in there we have a cage and so he can see all around if he wants too or be covered if not.

A stray dog followed me home when I was about 8 who became out beloved family dog. She was scared of absolutely everything when we first got her. Would pee if anyone tried to touch her, would run and hide from the lead, cower in the corner regularly. She was the most beautiful and gentle soul we had so many years of happiness with her.

Since then I have always wanted a dog and insisted it be rescue a dog. though my childhood memories of how long the adjustment period lasted were definitely rose tinted. Worth all the effort though. They just need a chance and some love and security, and someone who is not willing to give up.

volchitsa · 02-09-2020 6:21pm

bertiebomber wrote: »

fair play to you am awalys happy to hear about the decent doggy people who do care! make sure the crate has plenty of room and is not too small he needs to be able to lie out flat and turn around and even have his dinner in there we have a cage and so he can see all around if he wants too or be covered if not.

Yes, it's something I've said here previously - this is probably my favourite section of Boards. When I'm feeling a bit rotten about the state of the world, I come on here and I read examples of how people love their pets and do so much to make their lives happy, and get so much back too of course, and it just cheers me up so much.

Dog Settling at night

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