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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Urgent Advice. I can’t take much more of this behaviour.

29 replies

LordOfTheLabs · 20/08/2024 21:19

I have a 6 year old Shih Poo; she sleeps in with me and is usually settled and sleeps all night in her basket. She returned from boarding 6 days ago, she boards regularly and is usually fine adjusting back home .

The first night home, she settled well and there were no issues. On night two, she was constantly asking to be out of the bedroom and wanted to sleep on the sofa. Around 1am, I gave up and slept downstairs with her.

On the third night home, she would not settle upstairs at all. She was constantly crying and whimpering to be out of the room. I gave her access to our landing but she constantly wanted to be downstairs. I took her down multiple times to see if she needed a wee, she did not.

The crying and the whimpering and the upstairs and downstairs went on all night long and has done since for the last three nights. When she goes downstairs, she plonks herself on the sofa like Lady Muck.

I have averaged around 2 hours of undisturbed sleep in 6 days. I’ve had enough and my patience is wearing very thin.

I cannot let her sleep downstairs alone as she barks at the slightest noise (but she does not do this upstairs); we have had a previous complaint from a neighbour when she spotted a shadow at 3am and went beserk, crashing in to things . I’m therefore very wary of letting her get in to this habit of sleeping downstairs.

I have today installed a pet gate on our top floor landing to extend her access beyond my bedroom, I’ve bought her a cosy new bed and a cooling bed to lie on and placed those on the landing.

What else can I do? I can’t take much more of this.

She’s not in pain, she’s not poorly, she’s not hungry , she’s not thirsty. She’s fine and her happy normal self during the day, she is just like this at night time.

Any tips for what I should do when she starts with the whining and crying and demands to go downstairs?

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 20/08/2024 21:47

Which is worse, the crying to go down, or the maybe barking at something downstairs?

Original poster
LordOfTheLabs · 20/08/2024 21:49

@DustyLee123 the barking, I can’t risk my neighbours complaining. I feel she could get used to being upstairs again.

OP posts:
MissPeachyKeen · 20/08/2024 21:56

Have you spoken to the boarder to see if there's an explanation related to her stay?

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 20/08/2024 21:57

I'd get a vet check, she could have pain somewhere which is making her agitated.

BeachRide · 20/08/2024 22:00

Too hot? Could you get a portable AC unit on the landing?

SpanielPaws · 20/08/2024 22:02

Can you let her sleep downstairs with something like white noise on Alexa or the radio playing so it distracts her hearing? Sounds like she just wants to be on the sofa but I would get her checked out by the vet to be on the safe side.

Iwasonholidayonce · 20/08/2024 22:05

What was the shadow? Could you get curtains or a blind so she can't see anything at night? Like pp, I'd recommend white noise or radio 4 to mute background sounds for her a bit as she sleeps. My dog liked sleeping downstairs in summer as he gets too hot upstairs I've noticed, so it could be that (and this has changed as he's got older).

SuePreemly · 20/08/2024 22:06

Change in behaviour = immediate vet check, it's an indicator of pain

CeruleanDive · 20/08/2024 22:07

She’s not in pain, she’s not poorly

How can you know for certain?

sunsetsandboardwalks · 20/08/2024 22:08

She needs to see a vet - any ongoing change in behaviour like this is often a sign that something's not quite right.

But I would also speak to the boarder and see if anything might have happened to spook or scare her while she was staying there.

Original poster
LordOfTheLabs · 20/08/2024 22:09

I’ve booked an appointment for the vet for tomorrow to rule anything out, but I do think she’s just being an entitled madam. She is completely fine during the day and has been doing zoomies in between her long naps , because obviously she’s tired after her late night shenanigans.

OP posts:
Elizo · 20/08/2024 22:10

Any chance of using white noise? My dog completely calms when she hears it. If she wants to be downstairs you could put it on. Maybe it’s better to tough it out upstairs. I feel your pain, Thar feeling it won’t improve - but it will!

Parkmybentley · 20/08/2024 22:11

Vet to rule put pain/injury/intestinal issue

Crate at night

Ginfortwo · 20/08/2024 22:44

I would chance just letting her lie downstairs alone and see how she gets on. Maybe lock her in the living room if she sleeps there? Close curtains/blinds so no shadows. Its worth a try and might give you a chance to get some sleep

steppemum · 20/08/2024 23:06

if the vet check is clear, then I would NOT be going downstairs with her. She is fussing, and then getting what she wants.

Our dog sleeps outside our bedroom door (his choice, he can go downstairs). Some times he scratches at the door to come in. I open the door and firmly send him back to his bed.
He tries it on after we have been away and he has been sleeping in the same room as dog sitter/ ds, and he doesn't want to sleep on the landing.

It takes a couple of nights of firmly re-establishing routine and then he gives up. By going downstairs you are allowing that as a posibilty, so the next night she tries it again. She obviously likes the sofa.

When she whines, firmly send her to her bed. Get back into yours and pretend to be asleep.

Twiglets1 · 21/08/2024 06:42

She sounds quite spoilt and like she thinks she should be allowed to roam freely throughout the house at night choosing where to sleep- bed, sofa, etc.

Our puppy sleeps in one room all night (the kitchen/diner) & accepts it because that’s all he knows. At night time it becomes his bedroom. Our previous dog was exactly the same over his 13 year life. Choose a room that is quiet at night & where you can draw curtains to block out the light so no shadows. Not your bedroom if she is the type of dog to disturb you which it appears she is.

I think your dog needs more boundaries and as long as she is in a warm, dark room with a comfy bed and water available, all her needs are being met and she can potter about the room in the night if she wants to but it won’t be disturbing you. If she barks it’s to get attention so she will stop if ignored. Unfortunately your neighbours may have to put up with some barking for one night or two but she will learn quickly.

user68712226 · 21/08/2024 06:50

I suspect it is just the change in routine. Ddog has a very consistent routine. She has a bed in a large walk in cupboard that is her space. It’s comfortable and very much hers. She will happily take herself off there if she wants to snooze. She’s being staying with a friend whilst we were away and came back a couple of nights ago. Literally cried for almost an hour the first night and then finally gave up. Second night she tried it for a period and then settled. Third night fine again.

Friend let her sleep on her sofa.

Killingoffmyflowersonebyone · 21/08/2024 07:32

Can’t believe people are calling her a spoilt madam! Poor dog.

She’s clearly not happy and very neurotic - she should have seen a behaviourist years ago if she barks at shadows. Shadow chasing can be serious.

Was this boarding session a similar length to the others?

Also no one except a qualified vet who has seen the dog and done a physical check can say they’re not poorly or injured. I’ve known dogs with broken legs trying to run around.

Original poster
LordOfTheLabs · 21/08/2024 07:59

Thank you for all of the advice. I contacted the boarder and have just received a response to say nothing out of the ordinary happened there.

Interestingly, last night was much more settled but I can’t fathom why. She slept on my landing the whole night; she had access to her cosy bed in her usual spot in my room but never came in at all.

She did wake a few times and was crying to go downstairs at one point. I took her down and put her straight outside to toilet, when it was clear she was just going to sit and enjoy the evening, I promptly picked her up and brought her back to bed. No fuss.

She then cried a few other times by the pet gate to get out , but I ignored her and after a few minutes , she went back to sleep. She’s still curled up on the landing now.

I did notice last night that she would sit and wait at the threshold to my room rather then come in. Her bed in here is in a small alcove. I’m wondering if, having had a much larger sleeping area at boarding, if she no longer likes her little alcove and wants a bigger space. It would make sense as she has settled much better knowing that she has full access to my landing now?

I don’t know, I was just pleased to get some shut eye!

I will keep the vet appointment but I suspect she’s just being a madam.

OP posts:
Original poster
LordOfTheLabs · 21/08/2024 14:56

She’s been to the vets.

Diagnosis: Spoilt pooch, testing her luck after boarding.

Having thought more about it and the circumstance's, I do think it’s her bed that’s the issue. I had to rearrange my bedroom and she was moved to the smaller side of the room, which took away a lot of her space (it was a necessity). She only moved to the smaller side a few days before boarding.

To have the freedom at boarding and then to have to come back to smaller digs, obviously upset her. I’m going to give her permanent access to my landing.

Wishing for a settled night tonight.

OP posts:
Twiglets1 · 21/08/2024 14:58

Good Luck @LordOfTheLabs and great username!

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 21/08/2024 15:03

Just chiming in to say that my ddog has also been choosing to stay downstairs more at night this summer (she has a bed outside my room - door VERY firmly shut between us), because I think she's been getting too warm upstairs.

It could be that your ddog is just too warm in her cosy little bed and is able to spread herself out more on the landing to keep cool.

Mine is a spoilt little madam too, but I won't stand for my sleep being disturbed...

notanothernana · 21/08/2024 15:41

My ddog did this after we went away for a few days. She also sleeps in our bedroom. We stayed firm, not letting her out of the room and she settled after a few nights. She was not distressed, just not settling.

We decided that if we went downstairs with her when she wanted to it would set a precedent. I said to dh, IF we let her out to go downstairs then she stays out. There was a risk she would then bang on door to come back in. (She's a big dog and also barks downstairs).

Bupster · 21/08/2024 18:13

Dogs don't sleep like humans do. They usually want to move around in the night, and often want to change beds to regulate their temperature or to stretch out. Regardless of why the change has happened, your dog is not spoilt or demanding or trying her luck - she's uncomfortable and needs you to help.

Nextdoor55 · 22/08/2024 09:09

She’s not in pain, she’s not poorly, she’s not hungry , she’s not thirsty. She’s fine and her happy normal self during the day, she is just like this at night time.

Something is wrong though. I'd hazard a guess that she's had some experience at the kennels that have upset her. You have made the connection with this by mentioning that she has just returned, she's not settling back for some reason.
I disagree that she's "a madam" dogs just don't have this sort of brain, they just "are". her behaviour is just an expression of something having changed.