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Post by doggoneit on Mar 10, 2006 8:37:51 GMT -5
Gang, I have a big issue with my 4yo male pug.
Background: We have two pugs, one 5yo female, one 4yo male. They sleep in the kitchen where we have a half-door we close to keep them in there for the night (big kitchen about 25x18). We go to bed around 10pm, let them out right before and don't feed them before bed. The male is rather hyper and active for a pug.
Problem: He has an awful habit of waking before us (5am - 6am) and banging on the kitchen half-door, barking and whining until we come down. Once we are down there, he doesn't want to go outside (though sometimes we find a present on the floor, but not always) - all he wants to do is go in the family room and lay down with us on the sofa and fall back asleep. This started about 18 months ago.
We have tried ignorning him, but he is LOUD and always wakes us, there is no getting back to sleep and he is relentless (sometimes an hour or more of it). I have no idea of how to break him of this. Any advise?
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Post by amyjo on Mar 10, 2006 9:40:51 GMT -5
Why can't the doggy sleep in your room? He just wants to be with you. He is a pack animal and it is his nature. You don't have to let him in bed, but just be in the room, maybe even in a crate. That said if you are insistent the dog sleep in the kitchen, then you MUST tough it out and stop going to him. Every time you give in you just teach him that his behavior works and you encourage him to up the intensity and keep it up even longer next time - for he knows you will eventually come to him if he does.
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Post by doggoneit on Mar 10, 2006 15:27:31 GMT -5
Thank you for the reply. I forgot to mention, sleeping in the room isn't an option for various reasons I won't go into here. We have been not going to him. The problem is that he goes so long that eventually we are getting up anyway. So, as far as he knows, we got up for him. Perhaps it will just take longer than we had hoped.
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Post by Aussienot on Mar 10, 2006 18:39:37 GMT -5
It's not separation anxiety, it's simply that he's learned how to get what he wants. He decides when it's time for the pack to rise, he makes noise, the pack rises. Smart dog.
Because it's an ingrained pattern at this point, retraining him to wait quietly until you are ready will take ears of lead and nerves of steel. (Note for future dogs, one or two sleepless nights when you first get them pays back in a lifetime of sleep.)
I would suggest getting a wire crate that he will be trained to sleep in when he is in the kitchen at night. I won't go into the details of crate training, because I'm sure there's a post here that describes it. In essence, you need to train him that going into the crate is good , and that he only gets out when he is quiet.
Start in the daytime with really short - 1 -2 seconds in the crate. Stay next to the crate. Reward him in the crate for quiet, then let him out. Never reward if he is fussing or trying to get out, and never let him out when he is making noise. Gradually extend the amount of time he is left in the cage. When he can stay quietly in the crate with you in the room, start leaving the room for a few seconds before returning and rewarding if he is quiet.
Then it's just a matter of extending the time he stays alone and quite. The key message to teach him is that he only gets out of the crate when he is quiet.
It's not necessary to crate your other dog, but if you set up the crate scenario so that your male dog enjoys the crate, you may find the female wants one too!
Please also read the threads on Nothing in Life is free. This might be a good time to introduce yourself as leaders of your pack.
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Post by Brooke on Mar 11, 2006 23:54:32 GMT -5
Here is an article on Crate Training dogden.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=articles&action=display&thread=1084255326You may want to consider also using the crate speratically during the day while you are home even if you are in the room. Sort of a desensitization method. Only give attention or let the dog out while they are quiet. If you have to walk through the room don't give ANY attention at all unless it's quiet. If they start making noise when you go to the crate turn around and walk away. and as soon as it's quiet return. Treats are also good with praise for good behavior. Also don't use the crate as a corrective method. It's ok to use it as a sanity break if they are getting too rambunctious but don't put the dog in making it seem as if you are obviously upset. It's good for them to have a little "quiet time" even if they aren't necessarily quiet when they are first getting used to the crate. It will happen. Just give it time and be consistent.
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Post by doggoneit on Mar 13, 2006 8:10:20 GMT -5
Thank you for your advise. We did crate train when they were puppies, but looks like it is back to the drawing board for him!
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Post by amyjo on Mar 13, 2006 9:04:12 GMT -5
Even if the dog barks when you get up, consider not going to the dog until he is quiet...So that could mean changing your morning routine to avoid the kitchen all together. I would go so far as to move the coffee maker to my bedroom if I was fighting this battle.
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Post by doggoneit on Mar 16, 2006 15:57:09 GMT -5
Another good idea. Thank you.
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