remind me if i'm doing the right thing

[misdee]

the last week ralph has growled at the kids a few weeks. this has always happened when he was asleep in the living room and the kids startled him. he didnt snap, just growl.

so have started sending him back to his bed when asleep rather than letting him lounge out on the rug/sofa when kids are playing.

we're trying to let him have more freedom in the house, and recently progressed to leaving living room open overnight instead of shutting the dog in the hallway (he hasnt damaged a thing, but has claimed a sofa lol) i dont really want to shut him out when the kids are playing (they arent rowdy), as he is part of the family.

Hiya, could he be persuaded to sleep in his bed IN the lounge, in a corner say, and give up monopolising the sofa/rug ?

That way he would still be part of the family but out of the way of the children playing so less chance of being startled when woken up ?

My Digby, when asleep, if jogged/woken will growl in complaint of being woken up. Cats hate being woken too - when I have to move mine off my lap/chest to do something and she is asleep, she doesn't like it at all and I find myself apologising !

I may not be right here but I think it's fine to seperate them sometimes.
We seperate ours when the DCs have all their toys out downstairs because puppy dog trys to eat them, especially crayons
As long as it's not all the time he should be ok.
Its for the dogs benefit too really. I once looked over to see DD2 colouring big dog in, dog didnt seem to mind but...
Anyway, I would think it wouldnt be a problem to have to dog take his naps seperated from the DCs so they cant wake him and make him growl etc.

going to get another bed for him this week.

i dont mind seperating them, but seems a shame when he is meant to be part of the family. he is generally pretty good at getting out of the way if kids are being rowdy, or he just wants peace, and the kids dont bother him in his bed. i do think he was just startled a few times this week.

i always think 'let sleeping dogs lie' and tbh i hate being woken up suddenly as well.

I would continue to restrict his space at night - he does not see it as restriction but it just makes him feel safe.

If you really want him in with the kids (it appears that at times he needs some peace and quiet) I would give him a bed area and the DC are not to approach it if he is in it.

restricting his space at nights mean having another gate up which i hate (he can open doors), but if thats the right thing to do then so be it. will look at a restracting gate, more expense but am fed up of tripping over gates lol. seems like my house is becoming a gated community.

he still has access to his bed in the day, but wont let me move it in here during the day. he has just taken himself off to it now, so i know he does do it.

off to viovet website now to look at beds :)