How can I train the dogs to sleep downstairs?

[HelenHywater]

I have 2 dogs who are around 3 years old. To start with they slept in a crate together downstairs and were fine - they didn't bark or wee/poo and went outside when they woke up. After about 18 months the children decided they wanted them in their rooms - again all fine, slept all night, no pooing or weeing until they woke up and went in the garden

This week the kids are away and I don't want the dogs in my room. So I've left them downstairs - locked in to the open plan sitting room/kitchen. both mornings I've come down to a wee (the first day) and a wee and poo the second day by the back door. (I don't know which dog is doing it although I suspect it's the little dog). Both mornings I've got up earlier than they normally get up when they're in the kids rooms. How can I teach them that they need to wait until I get up and let them out? They can go all night. They normally go in the garden. It looks like they are trying to get to the garden.

I don't really want to reintroduce the crate.

How long are they left downstairs? it must be too long or the change in routine is upsetting them.

If the dogs are going back into the kids rooms when they are home it seems pointless trying, why can’t the dogs sleep in the kids rooms without them there ?

I think firstly you need to decide what you plan to do with the dogs long term. It sounds to me that because they are missing pack and confused about their sudden change in sleeping arrangements the adrenaline is “speeding things up” some dogs do anxiety poos- this might not be this extreme but things are definitely moving a bit quicker. So I don’t think it’s a case of they can wait.

I see a number of options, open the kids room doors and let them sleep somewhere a little familiar.
Or
as you would a puppy set an alarm and let them out at 2 or 3 in the morning for an extra empty

but you need to remember that these are animals not machines-you haven’t prepared them for this is anyway, just expected them to cope with a change of sleeping arrangements that they don’t understand. I think you need to prep better in future- either train long term to sleep downstairs, or the sleep downstairs during the week and are allowed up when invited at a weekend. This might work well for wet winter dogs when you don’t want them upstairs

If I leave the kids doors open, they start to roam around in the middle of the night disturbing everyone. I could try them in the room without the children and see how that goes tonight.

You're right I didn't particularly prepare them for this - what would be halfway house to being downstairs on their own? They don't seem particularly upset and go to sleep really easily - I went up at about 11 last night and was up at 6.30 and they were asleep before I went up. They go to bed with the children earlier at 9 and stay in their rooms until they get up or I let them out.

I could let them go back to their rooms when they get back, but my preference is for them to be downstairs!

There was some prep before in that they slept in the crate downstairs and occasionally went upstairs with the children. But gradually the children took them up more and more until they were never downstairs.

The prep would be downstairs from time to time but knowing the kids were in the house so family is all under one roof, and coming up when invited. Then the kids being away is just one change rather than two.

I think you need to enforce this with the kids a bit more and have the dogs coming up as an occasional treat.

This.

If they are used to sleeping in the crate downstairs do that for a couple of nights then leave the crate door open downstairs . Put bed into crate and then remove the crate and just leave the bed.

I've never allowed dogs upstairs initially. Maybe a safety on the stairs for now while retraining.

Do you walk them in the evening?

I'd make sure they have had a walk before bed so definitely have an empty bowel and bladder.