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The doghouse

How do I break this habit?

3 replies

queentroutoftrouts · 03/02/2015 00:18

I have taken on my mums dog has she has had to move into a residential home. She is 3 and has always slept on my mums bed from being 10 weeks old, is it too late to break this habit? I have tried leaving her in her bed and closing the door, leaving her downstairs and put blankets down in the spare room to see if she would settle on her own but nothing is working she just barks or howls constantly. I do not particularly want her on our bed because of hairs and dirtying the bedding but if push comes to shove she will have to I just want to see if there is anything we can try first. In the day she is fine being left and has no problem staying on her own it's just at night Sad.

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AnnieHoo · 03/02/2015 00:45

Can you try putting blankets and pillows down (or a duvet with a cover) beside the bed and say "bed". Make sure dog stays there and knows it's not allowed on your bed. Doggy will cry and moan asking to come up to bed with you but keep pushing him/her back down and saying "no" "bed!" And guiding to his/her bed.

After a while you can gradually move the dogs bed towards the door and then outside the room.

Maybe I'm too soft but that's what I'd do.

The alternative is to suffer the "crying" all night and ignore them completely until they are broken and give up.

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JingleBellsJuliet · 03/02/2015 10:13

Bed on the floor next to your bed, if dog tries to jump up, remove her back on to her own bed and repeat several million times throughout the night

I looked after my friend's dog for three weeks at Christmas and he's allowed to sleep in bed with them. I don't have my own dogs in bed, so I'm not making exceptions for any dog! We had a rough couple of nights, as he was a determined little sod, but I'm more determined, and after a couple of nights, he didn't even try it again. It takes time, but you can break the habit eventually.

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Nearasdammit · 03/02/2015 11:50

Does it have a crate?

I think I'd be inclined to treat it as a puppy - ie teach it to love its crate, have it beside the bed, then a little further away, then on the landing and so on until it was sleeping where you want it to.

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