# not sleeping well at night - any tips?



## susanb (Jan 19, 2012)

Gisgo is just about 7 months old. Up until the last couple of weeks he has slept really well during the night, and even until well after 9am on weekends!

Recently he has been disturbed through the night. We get up and take him outside, where he usually has a little wee, and then put him back in his crate and then he takes an age to settle again (if at all). Last night, for example, he was awake just after 1 (out for a wee, back in crate, settled about 1:45), then again about 3:30 (out for a wee, back in crate, settled by about 4am)and then again around 5. This last time, my husband took him outside where he did have a poo (that's Gisgo, not my husband ) and then my husband stayed downstairs and they both slept on the sofa together !

Perhaps we need to ignore him and just let him go back to sleep eventually - but its hard when we are wondering if he needs a wee or a poo....I don't think there is any way we can be sure that he doesn't?

We give him his last meal around 5pm and then usually walk him around 7 when he does usually have a poo. he also goes out for his last wee around 11:30. Should we move his last meal a bit earlier in order to get all of his final poo of the day over and done by bed time? How early could we go without him ending up being really hungry?

Or is he just not comfy in his crate? We have vet bed in there, and he seems to scrape that into a corner and sleep on the plastic base. 

He does love sleeping on my (new) leather sofa (not my idea!) and sometimes will sleep in the nice bed I bought for him. I could put the bed inside the crate, but not sure if that would help as he does not stay in it for long.

I am not ready to let him sleep outside of his crate as he would get up to so much trouble if he woke up and had the run of the sitting room. 

I am wondering whether to put his crate into our bedroom - but that seems a shame after all the effort we put in when he was tiny getting him happy to sleep downstairs. 

I am even looking into getting him some sort of "leather bed"....dread to think how much that might cost.

Anyone any other ideas?

Sorry for long message....and perhaps there is nothing for it but to ride this one out.....but I so tired and feel like I must do something!


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Hi Susan, was he night trained prior to being unsettled recently? Maybe he just likes your attention and a little trip outside and is trying it on! 5pm is fine for a last meal and if he goes outside for toilet before you go to bed he should be able to last till morning.

If he was night trained (no accidents in crate) I would be tempted to give him the run of the kitchen with his bed in there and a stairgate at the door .... and be prepared to ignore any barking for a night or two. Either that or leave him crated and ignore him till morning.


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## susanb (Jan 19, 2012)

No accidents in the crate for many weeks now and I am sure he can last until morning from 11:30 pm - especially as he has lasted quite happily until after 9am some days (and even then we woke him up rushing down to check he was okay!).

You may be right - perhaps he is trying it on....especially as the last 2 or 3 times my hubby has decided to sleep downstairs with him rather than put him back in his crate! Perhaps we just need to try some tough love for a few nights and see how we get on! (the kitchen would be even less safe than the sitting room - and has no curtains, so woudl get very light at sunrise)


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I agree with Sue  ... he may just be pushing the rules here ... he has been settled and sleeping well previously, but now he may be trying to get your attention during the night. You may like to just reinforce what you want ie either to crate him during the night, or to let him sleep in a room with a soft dog bed etc .. and stick to the plan, it may be hard for a few nights but he will soon learn you are not going to him when he barks .. 

He is quite capable of sleeping throughout the night, he maybe just being cheeky   

We are all here to help you .. it won’t be easy, but really is best not to react to his night time barking or whimpering .. xxx


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## susanb (Jan 19, 2012)

thank you both! As long as he has poo-ed and wee-ed before bedtime we will take the approach of ignoring him. I was expecting adolescence to come in the shape of ignoring our commands etc.....but perhaps this is his particular "thing" (still responds well to commands, so that is something to be grateful for)


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Yes definitely agree with JoJo and Sue. Ear plugs and pillows over your heads  he has realised he is on to a good thing, the little monkey!


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

aw it does sound so sweet though, he just wants some company 
We did probally the wrong thing and now Vincent sleeps with us on the bed


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