Dog desperate to go to bed

[LunaNova]

Hi all,

We have two dogs, Nova (mixed breed, 5 years old) and Luna (spaniel cross, 3 years old).

Nova is really chilled and easygoing, Luna is very highly strung (as spaniels tend to be). Before lockdown we did agility training with Luna as well as a couple of good off-lead walks per day. Recently she’s been having extra walks as I’m also on maternity leave so I’m home all day.

Within the last year or so, Luna seems to have developed this habit of being desperate to go to bed at night. She will be chilled in the living room with us all evening, curled up on the sofa or in her bed, but as soon as 10pm hits she becomes frantic and paces the living room. This continues until we take her into the kitchen and shut her in, at which point she gets straight in her bed and sleeps. We’ve tried leaving the doors open to let her take herself to the kitchen, but she still paces until we physically shut her in.

It’s not so much of a problem as we tend to just put them to bed after 10pm now but sometimes it seems to get earlier, which is a pain if we’re watching a film or something as she will pace constantly until we take her to bed.

I’m wondering if the reason for it becoming earlier (It used to be half 10 consistently) is because I’m now home all day so she’s not getting the same quality of sleep in the day as she used to so she’s more tired. Or maybe because my husband is getting them up earlier than he used to as he brings the baby downstairs in the morning.

Any thoughts/tips?

Like I say it’s not the end of the world if we just have to put her to bed, it just always seems a shame to shut her away when we’re still up!

Thanks!

[WorraLiberty]

It might be a mix of the extra walks and having you home all day.

At least she's not like my Saluki Lurcher. Her bed is in our bedroom and she constantly paces until one of us goes up to bed with her.

It's like having your Mum telling you to go to bed when you're in the middle of watching a film

[LunaNova]

@WorraLiberty haha it feels exactly like that! She even knows when an episode of whatever tv programme we’re watching has finished and it spurs her into “let’s go to bed” mode . At least I know we’re not alone !

I guess I always assume that because her energy is normally never ending that there’s no possible way she could be tired (can spaniels actually be tired? )

[PollyPolson]

Dogs should sleep about 12 maybe even 14 hours a day even Spaniels. I expect that your dog is more comfy in the kitchen bed,knows the family routine that not much is happening for the next few hours so just wants to settle down. It is pretty common.

[Muh2020]

Totally normal.
Yeah, our golden cocker used to take himself up to bed at about 11pm nightly. Tired out.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

My Staffie X takes herself off to bed usually around 10.30 pm. Then, if I am still up about an hour later she will come to the living room door and stare meaningfully at me. I have to say, "I'm just having a coffee and will be going to bed in a MINUTE" before she goes away. If I fail to carry this out, she'll be back!

[dancingonmycervix]

I had a black lab growing up. It used to bark at you until you went to bed from around 11pm! Never barked otherwise.

[LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow]

one of ours used to recognise the Frasier theme tune and ask to go to bed....all well and good when it was originally aired...10-1030pm at night, but when they started reruns at odd hours we'd have to mute it or he expected to go out for pee, have a biscuit and for it to be bedtime.

another one was very much dh's dog...she'd sulk if he went out of the house without her unless he was in uniform and then she'd mill about with me/kids but of an evening once the children were in bed she'd bugger off to her box and ignore me.

one of the pups we walked LOVED his bed and he'd ask to go to bed if he'd had enough of us....only thing to hold him off would be the fire...he LOVED the fire

[ItsInTheShed]

@dancingonmycervix

I’m glad you said that! We have an 8 month old black lab .... he barks at me to go to bed from 8.30 onwards! It took a while to understand what he wanted and I had no idea dogs do this

I find it quite cute and actually forces me to go up early as I’m a bit rubbish at getting enough sleep in

[Floralnomad]

Our dog is like this as well he starts anytime between 9.45 - 10pm general barking and staring at me , I assumed it was habit as I usually put him out for his last wee at 10 and then he has a biscuit and comes up to bed with me to watch TV .

[Studycast]

I’m wondering if the reason for it becoming earlier (It used to be half 10 consistently) is because I’m now home all day so she’s not getting the same quality of sleep in the day as she used to so she’s more tired

Yes I think dogs need more daytime sleep and rest than people realise. Some need between 14-18 hrs a day. Lockdown has been tough for my pair as we are at home all day, as a result of which, they are over-stimulated. The older one in particular is ready for bed at 9pm.

Does your spaniel have enough alternative places to sleep during the day? This is important because dogs are 'polyphasic' sleepers so they need to sleep in different places. So give him a few different alternative quiet areas if you can with different textures (sheepskin, beanbag) to sleep on and space to stretch out for proper REM sleep.

Also, although outdoor exercise is good, dont neglect mental exercise as well or you can end up very a very physically fit dog who is mentally stressed and exhausted. There are lots of mental challenges for dogs (tracking etc) demonstrated on You Tube.

[LunaNova]

I've really enjoyed all your stories , dogs can certainly be funny little creatures!

At least it seems more common that I thought! I've never had a dog that does it so it seemed odd to us! At least if I know she wants to go to bed we can deal with it better

[Lurchermom]

@WorraLiberty

It might be a mix of the extra walks and having you home all day.

At least she's not like my Saluki Lurcher. Her bed is in our bedroom and she constantly paces until one of us goes up to bed with her.

It's like having your Mum telling you to go to bed when you're in the middle of watching a film

Mines a Saluki lurcher too - and she does this in the middle of the day! In fact if we aren't walking, eating or playing she wants to be in bed. With us!

[Paranoidmarvin]

I used to have a springer that at 8pm on the dot would go to his bed in the kitchen and not move or make a sound until morning.

[Fiftiesfresh]

4 year old cocker here. Absolutely likes to go to bed anytime between 9 and 10pm...just starts giving us the stare down, so he gets let out then off he goes into his bed, not a peep until the morning.

[LunaNova]

Interesting that a lot of the stories seem to be a lot of the typical high energy breeds! It must be a "party hard, sleep hard" kind of lifestyle haha!

Our other dog is the laziest thing ever and she would lay on the sofa all night with her legs in the air if we let her .

[namechangenumber2]

10.25pm our 3 year old dog is sat waiting to be let out in the garden, without fail.

No idea why that time, no pattern to what we watch/theme tunes. She just knows!

[darktriad]

My dog is always desperate to get to bed too. Even though she's currently asleep in her basket, she has one eye open, ready to dart upstairs the minute one of us goes to bed