Where does your dog sleep?

The Sweeper

Never thought I'd be posting this, but here it goes.

The dog's in the bedroom.

Gus will be seven months on 1st December, and is not a small dog - adult weight will probably be that of a large lab, around 35kgs. He's a random bitsa non-breed called a Bull Arab, an Australian dog favoured for hunting wild boar.

He's a sweet, sweet natured dog, but he is a pup, and he can be badly behaved around my cats. It's been a steep learning curve for them and for him.

Recently Gus has entered his teenaged phase of selective hearing. He ignores me when I call him. He pretends total deafness when told not to do things. He was becoming really boisterous.

Gus had been sleeping in the family bathroom in the middle of the house (open plan bungalow). He was behind a babygate, but never shut away with the door closed. He couldn't be trusted, with his toilet training, to sleep elsewhere in the house. If he wouldn't settle indoors, whinging and whining in the bathroom, I would put him outside to his run with a treat, and he would sleep between the garage and his run overnight, especially on a warm night when he wanted to chase moths.

In my current situation, working a lot, minding seven animals on my own, so on, I felt my bond with Gus slipping because his behaviour was worsening. He was fast becoming 'the bloody dog' and I was obviously becoming 'that woman who tries to make me do stuff I don't want to do'. Gus isn't particularly food driven so he isn't bribeable with treats most of the time - especially not during this teenaged disobedience phase.

I don't have the time to exercise Gus more than he's already exercised, no relatives I could pay around me, and no dog-walkers in this area. I've tried to set up a few puppy play-dates with some folks in our obedience class, but they haven't worked yet - still might, I have my fingers crossed. There are no dog facilities within a half hours drive of us - no dog parks, no beaches, etc.

So what to do? How do I increase my time with the dog and thus the attention he pays to me and the quality of our relationship?

I moved Gus's bed into my bedroom, and let him sleep in there, that's what.

He's slept in my room the last three nights, and I cannot BELIEVE the difference. First, he lets me know if he wants to go out - he fidgets and whines and I can take him out to the toilet and then he very happily trots back to bed with me. He's more attentive and pays attention when I ask him to do something, looking at my face repeatedly for direction (something he had stopped doing). My recall is improving and his body language is happier to see me during the day when we interact.

He's not allowed on the bed, though he tries every night (one paw comes up onto the bed and he gives me the 'maybe?' face, and gets the 'Medusa' face right back).

It appears to be a terribly cheapskate way to increase the time I spend with him, given we're both asleep for most of it, but I can now say that the eight hours a day my dog spends on his own is when I'm at work - he spends the other 16 hours a day with me, and our relationship appears to be improving drastically as a result!

Galway K9

Beside me in bed, cuddled up real tight and warm with my arm around him

sellerbarry

My little shih tzu downstairs in the kitchen. 2 Blankets wrapped around her.;)

Whispered

The Sweeper wrote: »

He's not allowed on the bed, though he tries every night (one paw comes up onto the bed and he gives me the 'maybe?' face, and gets the 'Medusa' face right back).

Love it.

The Paws

He goes to bed in the TV room. He used to sleep in the kitchen before but we moved him to TV room during winter months because it is warmer there - by the dying fire. He loves it!! He has a little bowl of water behind the couch to drink during the night if he wants to. He sleeps in his basket but sometimes on the armchairs etc! When he hears me coming in the room - he jumps off the armchair and pretend to be sleeping on the floor!!

Mr. Manager

We have a foam pad thing that lies in the kitchen at night and our 2 dogs sleep there.

The missus is away for 2 weeks on work and I've had them sleep at the foot of the bed on the floor as the house is very quiet and lonely

Carl Sagan

We've two dogs and they sleep indoors. We've put a few old blankets/dog blankets down for them around the place because they tend to move around during the night. I wouldn't mind either of them sleeping in my room, but definitely not on the bed.

Rabbitandcavy

Normally in the dining room on the couch, but some mornings I find them in the kid's rooms, in my room or in the sitting room. I can't imagine them sleepin outside, when I put them out for a sniff around and a pee for a half an hour before bed, they will cry and scratch the door if they think you've forgotten them

magentas

seriously, who the hell would do this?
Outdoors somewhere - wherever it can find shelter.

Our neighbours have their dog locked out at the back of their house 24/7 never walk him or let him indoors
the poor thing has absolutely no shelter, one day it was p!ssing rain I looked out my window to make sure my fella was in his kennel (which is insulated and he sleeps inside but I still wanted to bring him in:o) and the poor dog next door was shivering trying to take cover under an empty sandpit that was lying against the lawnmower
so cruel:mad:

Galway K9

where's that?? i might do something about that.:)

toadfly

Galway K9 wrote: »

where's that?? i might do something about that.:)

I'll help :mad:

pH

magentas wrote: »

seriously, who the hell would do this?
Outdoors somewhere - wherever it can find shelter.

Our neighbours have their dog locked out at the back of their house 24/7 never walk him or let him indoors
the poor thing has absolutely no shelter, one day it was p!ssing rain I looked out my window to make sure my fella was in his kennel (which is insulated and he sleeps inside but I still wanted to bring him in:o) and the poor dog next door was shivering trying to take cover under an empty sandpit that was lying against the lawnmower
so cruel:mad:

I'm not defending animal cruelty, but isn't that the way millions of cows, sheep (and horses?) spend a wet cold November afternoon? (and yes many of these animals are brought into shed for the very very worst part of the winter - but they're all probably still out now) I know we keep dogs for different reasons, my own dogs are indoors with humans pretty much all the day, I'd never leave them out in the rain, they sleep in my bedroom - I'm a huge softie with them -and I really don't see the point at all of suburbanites keeping "yard dogs" full stop - however - I still have to ask - is a dog much less well equipped to spend a wet afternoon outdoors that cows or sheep?

toadfly

pH wrote: »

I'm not defending animal cruelty, but isn't that the way millions of cows, sheep (and horses?) spend a wet cold November afternoon? (and yes many of these animals are brought into shed for the very very worst part of the winter - but they're all probably still out now) I know we keep dogs for different reasons, my own dogs are indoors with humans pretty much all the day, I'd never leave them out in the rain, they sleep in my bedroom - I'm a huge softie with them -and I really don't see the point at all of suburbanites keeping "yard dogs" full stop - however - I still have to ask - is a dog much less well equipped to spend a wet afternoon outdoors that cows or sheep?

Dogs are domestic animals...cows aren't.

pH

TillyGirl wrote: »

Dogs are domestic animals...cows aren't.

Most definitions of domestic animals would include cows, domestic being used as a contraction of domesticated although I accept there is another meaning used by some "of the home". Either way, we're playing word games, given the dog is outdoors and alone anyway, is it any less capable with dealing physiologically with a cold wet November afternoon than a horse, cow or sheep?

Galway K9

It depends on the animals survival instincts, coat, and what it is used to. ALl animals need somewhat shelter be it a tree / stable / or indoors.

seamus

pH wrote: »

given the dog is outdoors and alone anyway, is it any less capable with dealing physiologically with a cold wet November afternoon than a horse, cow or sheep?

It may depend on the breed. I would hazard a guess that dogs which have traditionally been used as working dogs - think collies, rotties and huskies - would have been bred for weather-hardiness moreso than dogs which were bred for other purposes which didn't involve tramping around outside all day.

My staff, for example, has great difficulty regulating her body temperature. When it's cold, she's shivering after about five minutes. When it's hot, she's panting and collapsed in the grass after a five-minute stroll.

Galway K9

well pointed seamus and deliberatley bred for domestic purposes.