- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
2nd Trimester
NBR: Vent about my dog.
Okay, I know she's just a dog. I know she doesn't do anything on purpose. She has a habit of hopping up on the bed when DH and I are fast asleep and somehow working her circular sleep dance and then stealing covers from both of us. We normally fight it in our sleep, twisting, and pulling the blankets so that when we wake up, we ourselves are contorted in the comforter, trapped for a few awkward moments.
She does not know the command "go", "go away" "down" "off". So she just watches you and tilts her head as you point off the bed and say these strange words "get down" "Mugsy, MOVE!!" So eventually I shove her off the bed and race to the bathroom where I JUST make it in time.
I swear I'm going to pee the bed one of these times. I wake up between 2-4 times a night to pee, sometimes she's there, sometimes she's not. I love my dog. She's 2 years old, American/English Bulldog... dumb as rocks, but I love her. It's hard to get mad at her, but this simply can't keep happening because I'm going to piss all over myself one day. Not to mention once the baby gets here and we need to be able to get out of bed quickly.
The only upside is when you leave she takes your spot, head on pillow and everything, so when you get back your spot is still warm. DH has tried to enforce the dog bed as her bed, but she was in a litter of 13, she's a pack animal, and she wants to cuddle between warm bodies.
It's getting the point where I'm considering my alternatives. Like instead of putting one big blanket on the bed, I could put 2, folded in half, opening to the outside. It reminds me of the episode of "I Love Lucy" where they are traveling with Ethel and Fred and they see Ethel's nightly routine for tucking in Fred very tightly so he doesn't fidget in his sleep. Or maybe I'll start wearing flannel pjs to bed.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: NBR: Vent about my dog.
She cries and squeeks and yelps like a bird. Keeps us up all night.
It's not easy, my Diamond cried/howled/yelped at night for a few weeks before she realized that if she was quiet, pieces of hotdogs would magically be pushed through the sides of her crate during the night. Putting a blanket on top of the crate helped too, she couldn't see what was going on and it calmed her.
Now she loves her crate and naps in it with the door open all the time.
There's your solution right there. Teach her those commands ("down" is a different command than "off" btw). If your dog is used to sleeping in your bed, you probably won't train her out of it (or even want to -- my dog sleeps on my bed) but she is only 2 years old -- still very young, ad it should be relatively easy to teach her that when you say "move" -- you mean it! She's going to have to learn these commands for when the baby comes, anyway. If you teach her to move when you say move, you will not have to fight with her.
Yo can also teach her bed manners -- that she can jump on the bed, but not twist the covers around you.
There are "refresher" courses available at most dog training places that will help you if there is a particular behavior you would like to train out of them. I plan to take my dog in before the baby comes so we're certain she's on her best behavior for us. She's two, also.
We've never allowed a dog on furniture or a bed. Dog's aren't humans, they are pack animals, and as such, when they try to sit on you or your furniture, they are trying to "claim" you. They want you to be their dominate, so you have to tell them what to do.
Also for the crate thing, they do tend to get upset in the beginning, but more toys or a treat if they stop will eventually calm them down in a couple weeks. She'll eventually become amicable with the crate and claim it as her space soon enough, to the point she won't want to be anywhere else at night.
Just a suggestion from someone who's never had a "furbaby" only hunting and working dogs.
Yep, pack animals, and mine (who is not "furbaby" but definitely a companion animal and not a working dog) knows that I'm the leader of the pack. For the record, she loves her crate and will go nap in it during the day (I keep it in my office where I work). We were big on crate training and she slept in a crate in our room when she was a pup, but when once she was trained we wanted a dog that would sleep with us. There's nothing nicer than having her keep my feet warm by sleeping them on a cold winter's night.
We trained her HOW to sleep on our bed. If we said, off, she got off, if we said hop up, she hop up, and if we said "place" and pointed to our feet, she would come over and act the part of electric blanket.
If you can't train the dog to behave in bed, you shouldn't have her in bed. And with crate training? You just have to stick with it and make it a treat for her -- treat her when she goes in her crate, make it a command that she is rewarded for same as any other. Even petsmart can help you with this.
same here, it too about a month and half before My Digger finally understood that He sleeps in his crate, not with us.. it works out pretty good for us.
Your dog just needs to be trained and you need to be patient and consistent with her. She has to learn commands, especially for when the baby arrives. I know it sucks listening to them cry in a crate at first, but you have to go the "tough love" routine. Even though she's your buddy, she is still a dog and should be treated like one. I have three dogs. If I don't want them on the bed, they're not on the bed. If I put them in their crates, they curl up and snooze. Once you start being consistent with her, you will start to notice a change, bigtime. Good luck!
P.S. All three of mine have Kongs. I put peanut butter in them (which is safe to give your dog everyday!) and that will keep your dog busy for a bit in the crate. Definitely get her a doggie blanket for in there, too.