My dog won’t sleep!

[ItsMutinyontheBunty]

Any advice? We have a border terrier who is almost one. In the last week she’s been unsettled at night. She’s been up and down. She sleeps in the kitchen and has done since she settled here. Suddenly she’s up. She bangs on the door. Taken her out for a wee, cuddled her, left her fresh food (was definitely the problem on Tuesday night). Every time I leave her she’s up and banging! It’s not so bad this week because I’ve been off work but I’m ill and exhausted and I’ve had about enough! No significant changes. She has an Adaptil that’s been changed recently.
I don’t want to start bringing her upstairs because she’s had accidents recently so she’s not allowed up. Plus she’s done 8 months on her own at night so I know she can manage usually. The only thing I can think is she hasn’t had her first season yet but there are signs it might happen soon. Could this be making her unsettled? Any advice appreciated!

She wants to be with you.

I wouldn’t be randomly feeding her in the night as she will just think that’s a result and will do it again . I agree with the pp that she wants company , you’d all get more sleep by putting her a bed near you .

Sorry, but it's cruel forcing a dog to sleep alone downstairs. All she wants is to be near her family. Get her a bed of her own for your room. Everyone will be much happier.

I will give her more food in the day to top her up. She suddenly turned her nose up at the food she’d been having for months! She’s happier now she’s switched so maybe that will help over the next few days.
I’m really loathe to bring her upstairs because she had so many accidents I couldn’t get the duvets washed in time (and she’s been potty trained a long time). Also add has anxiety and gets panicked if the dog is upstairs.
She settled with me sitting in with her so I’ll keep doing if she wakes again and see if that’s a compromise. If it keeps happening I’ll have to bring her up!

Has the vet checked her for kidney infections? If she's having accidents when previously trained and banging to go out at night, maybe she's actually ill?

Hi DalarnaHorses I don’t think it’s a kidney infection, she’s weeing normally and we haven’t let her upstairs for a couple of weeks and she’s had no accidents since.

She woke again so she’s in with me in her bed. Hoping this will be enough to settle her. I was in hospital one night this week and only got a couple of hours sleep so I’m exhausted!

Ah, I see your training is going swimmingly

Reading your post I wondered about coming into season and then you added that at the end. The hormonal swings they go through can unsettle all sorts of aspects of behaviour.

Take her to the vets and get her checked. Do ask if you need to take a sample of her wee in with you

It could be hormonal or it could be that you’ve got up a few times in the night to her and now she has learnt she can get you up in the night. If it’s the latter you’ll just have to tough it out and ignore her for a few days until she sleeps all night.
If you think she’s cold give her a warmer bed. Ours sleep on an old duvet in cover folded in half. If she gets hungry you can just leave some biscuits out.
We have never had dogs in the bedrooms or on sofas and the dogs are quite happy

I would get her checked over at the vet, just in case. Could potentially be hormones a urine infection or even stomach ache if she’s been off her food.

If you are ill and have spent a night in hospital, she could be picking up on that and that’s making her anxious enough to feel the need to ‘check on you’ during the night. Some dogs are particularly sensitive to illness in their family.

She did settle in with me (and she’s still asleep!). I will get her checked out because it’s not like her. I did realise I washed her bed and maybe it’s not comfortable any more and that could be why? I’ve ordered a new one and will see if that helps.
Thanks for all the advice. I’ve recently separated from my H and although I’m generally functioning okay it’s hard not to have someone to ask in the middle of the night!

I think she will be coming into heat. We had a couple of wee incidents when ours was coming on. We also had barking after we went to bed.

If you decide you want her in the bed, The Nappy Lady does waterproof double duvet covers. My eldest occasionally pees on the duvet just for the joy of it, so it’s been a god send.

Just to update this - I did take MutinyDog to the vet. Turns out she’s having a phantom pregnancy! This explains the anxiety and nesting behaviours. (They did scan, definitely no puppies in there!). The vet prescribed some medication to stop the milk production and suggested lots of exercise. A few good long walks and she’s more settled again, although she has been in with me most nights, that’s fine, it’s what she needed. She’s starting going into her bed again but if she wakes I take her out for a wee and bring her upstairs if she’s unsettled. Thanks for all the advice, it was definitely the right thing to a. have her in with me (one night she lay her head on my belly she wanted to be so close!) and b. To take her to the vet.