Night Owl!

[Kayleegator]

Twice in the last two weeks, Kaylee has been wakeful and loudly whiney in her crate, several times a night. I have gotten up to let her out, thinking it was a poo issue or something, but no, she wants to patrol and play and bark. The second time I get up, I take her out on the leash: no poo. The third time I get up, I scold her and shut the door to the room where her crate is. She whined for about 15 minutes before she settled for a couple of hours. Last night, the fourth time I got up, I told her NO! and 'Down Stay' and set the nasty Spray Bottle right in front of the door to her crate. (I wouldn't really use it on her while she's crated: that's sanctuary) At least she finished out the night with no more fuss.

 

Her daytime poos are normal, and she's not indicating any other health issues.

 

She is not fearful, she isn't thirsty or hungry, she just doesn't want to be in her crate, and this after being crate-trained since she was 12 weeks old! (She'll be One soon)

 

She goes back to bed with direction, but she'd rather not.

 

These have been breezy nights here, but not unusually so, and she hasn't been wakeful for most of them.

 

Any idea what's going on?

 

I am tired and grumpy, feel like I've been up with a baby.

[grinning.girl]

I thinks (IMO) that she was testing you out, and now knows that you will do what she asks you to.

 

I would ignore her.

 

when my pup did that and wouldn't stop. I put a blanket over her crate. just to cover up the sides, not the doors, but that was good enough for her and she shut up after a bit.

 

but if you really think there is anything wrong you should consult a vet.

 

ETA:

 

OR maybe her bedding could use refreshing.?!?

 

ETA again.

 

Have you thought about letting her sleep with the crate door open?

[2 Devils]

Tempe did something like that but she ended up having accidents her in crate if we did not let her out. Come to find out Tempe needed a night light - stop laughing. As long as we leave the light above the kitchen sink on, Tempe slept through the night. We leave it on now just because it is habit. Her whole needing a night light started when she was about 8 months old...

 

I would try covering the crate, ignoring her or even let her out once if nothing put her away and if she starts again - correct her.

 

You may also want to work on mental exercises before bed time.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Daisy did the same thing at about the same age. Only problem for me was, her crate was in my room. First night 1 hour of irritated barking, second night same thing, third night I let her sleep with me. I couldn't handle it, she was out right barking, i'm sure the neighbours loved it too! (Duplex, master b-room share a wall!) I went to the pet store and bought a puppy gate and let her sleep in the hall way. Worked like a charm! Now, she either sleeps with me (I am alone at night in a big house and I'm a chicken!) or on her bed in the hallway, she doesn't care either way.

 

My thoughts would be to either ignore her if you can like others stated and hope this passes or try something like I did if it's possible. Thinking games along with physical games before bed may help to calm/tire her better like 2 Devils said.

[bc friend]

Most of the time if my dogs are whiny in the crate, they haven't been exercised enough. As in they slept all day when I was at work and I didn't work them enough when I got home. However, similar to 2 Devils, I have an old cat that won't sleep thru the night w/o her night light being on - she yowls up a storm w/o it!

[2 Devils]

BC Friend - I am happy to hear I am not the only one with an animal needing a night light. I know Tempe is odd but needing a night light was even odd for her.

 

Tempe slept from 10pm until 6am from the day we got her until the whole needing a night light thing started. So yes, the change in needs or sleeping habits can happen months later...

[jamesqf]

Maybe there's some kind of critter outside that needs to be barked at? That's what dogs are supposed to do: bark at strange things invading their territory. Niki has been going - no, not just going, but jumping up and running - outside a couple of times a night to bark at the neighborhood bear. She even has a distinctive bear bark, sort of a quick woo woo woo woof, instead of the slower woof, woof, woof that most strange things get.

[mbc1963]

Maybe there's some kind of critter outside that needs to be barked at?

 

That was my guess, too. I opened the windows two nights this week, for the first time this spring, and Buddy annoyed the heck out of me, sitting by the window and barking occasionally. I let him out to go to the bathroom, but he didn't need to - he just wanted to sniff and bark. It seems as though there are cats or skunks or something passing directly under my bedroom window.

 

Mary

[Mona Howard]

My Kelly is 7 mos. old and sleeps outside her crate now. She's crated when

we are not home. Since being allowed to sleep besides the bed she sometimes

wants to play or be petted instead of being quiet. She now knows the command:

"Kelly, it's sleepy time" means go lie down and be quiet. It works pretty well until

about 7 a.m. when she swats the bed with her paw, meaning, "okay, I've been

good long enough, get your lazy carcass out of bed".

The way I trained it was to slap my bed with my hand when she was being rambunctious

while saying the command in a grouchy voice ( no pretending there ). After a few

nights she caught on. Now she goes off to lay down with an offended sigh.

[Skyler]

Dont know what the weather is like where you live but has she really seen warm weather at her age? She would have just been a wee pup when it was getting cold here in Indiana and not really experienced Spring yet. Could be the critters and its possibly Spring fever.

[esox]

Alex is only crated when no one is home. When it is time to go to bed I tell her bedtime and she gets right into my (our/her?) bed. I shut the door, give her a treat, and we go to sleep. I have a cat door in my bedroom door and she sticks her head out if anyone else gets up first and they come get her.

 

Esox

[bc4ever]

About a month before Christmas last year, Scooter started balking at getting in the crate, something he'd never done before. He took to it the first night we had him. One night, he jumped into the recliner and wouldn't move, so I put the baby gate in the doorway and let him have the run of the room. He slept through the night and thereafter when it was bedtime, we'd just tell him to go to bed, and he'd head for "his room." I had been wanting to let him roam durning the night anyway, so after all the Christmas things were put away, I increased his territory, in increments. He has a chair in the den that he's allowed on, and a sofa in the rec room in the basement. I close the doors to the rooms I don't want him in during the night and he's done just fine--no little surprises n the morning, no furniture or trash disturbed. Maybe your BC is just needing some wandering room. Just a thought.

[Janet808]

Aaawww! We have a little night light too in the kitchen, it wasn't for Misty as much as for ourselves, but maybe that's why we don't have an issue with her at night. She usually only wakes us up (and this isn't often) when she needs to go potty. She did start barking one night, but I think she heard something outside as I had the dining room window open and her crate is in the living room not far from it. So most likely she heard a noise. You hate to ignore it, like someone else stated, because your pup may just need to go potty. I had heard about covering the crate and that seems to help in most cases, so that's a good idea. Also, maybe like someone else also suggested tire her out some before bedtime. Whether it's a walk or teaching tricks, etc. When my husband takes Misty down to the boat yard to run around, she's one tired pooch! We've even caught her snoring! LOL Good Luck!