How to get pooch to get enough sleep

November 7, 2008 11:06 PM

How do we get our (adult) dog to sleep more?

My boyfriend and I (who live together) adopted a 3-year-old lhasa apso mix about 6 wks ago from a rescue group. He has some issues with growling when petted and has become aggressive on a couple of occasions--but almost always at night. He's usually fine during the day.

He was abandoned and possibly abused, but since he's nice most of the time and only cranky at night, we think he's not sleeping enough.

He sleeps on the bed with us for most of the night (we've started trying to keep him off, but he'll hang out on the floor and get up there when we're asleep and don't notice). At around 8 every night, he gets really antsy to go to bed, and anytime we go near the bedroom, he runs in there, but runs out once he sees we aren't coming. I go to bed around 1, but my boyfriend stays up later, and we keep the dog out there with him because we're trying to get the dog to bond more with him since he has become very protective of me.

Right now one of us is home nearly all the time, and if we're home, he wants to be in the same room as us, awake. For a while he would go sleep under the bed from daylight until noon or so, but stopped doing so. He won't really nap at all like most dogs, and even during the night, almost every time I wake up in the night, I look over and his eyes are open.

He's like a child that gets cranky without enough sleep/daily naps, but we can't make him sleep.

How can we get our dog to sleep more? Other than making sure to be out of the house for hours each day. Would getting him a crate be helpful? We were considering this as a method to keep him from sleeping on our bed, but are worried he'll get even less sleep if he's upset.

posted by fructose to pets & animals (18 comments total)

Try giving him a children's benadryl. Benadryl is on of the human meds it's safe to give your dog, and it might knock him out like it does to some people. Plus, if he has allergies, it will help with them, too.
posted by internet!Hannah at 11:12 PM on November 7, 2008

Your dog identifies the bed as the place to sleep. Have you given him other places particularly set aside for sleep? Like, does he have a dog bed in the living room and under the desk? Crating seems like a big intervention if you've not started with the more obvious options.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:17 PM on November 7, 2008

have you tried taking him out for a walk before going to bed? granted, my dog (also a lhasa) is the undisputed world champion of sleeping no matter what, but he settles in for the night much quicker when we've gone for a late walk.
posted by lia at 11:18 PM on November 7, 2008

He has a bed that he will lay down in, but he doesn't sleep in it very often, no matter what room we put it in.
posted by fructose at 11:53 PM on November 7, 2008

six weeks is nothing - he's probably still getting used to the new surroundings and finding out how things work around your house, which might explain why he's so antsy. I would however begin drawing a clear boundary with the bed. kick him out, let him decide if he wants to sleep in his dog bed or on the floor but don't let him stay in bed. this of course is just a personal preference. I'm sure he will mellow out eventually.
posted by krautland at 1:09 AM on November 8, 2008

Try giving him a children's benadryl. Benadryl is on of the human meds it's safe to give your dog, and it might knock him out like it does to some people. Plus, if he has allergies, it will help with them, too.

The dosage is one milligram per pound, usually, in case you'd like to try this. It's perfectly safe, I give it to my dog all the time because he has terrible allergies.
posted by InsanePenguin at 2:22 AM on November 8, 2008

How much exercise does he get? Are you taking him for long walks several times a week?

If you don't want him in the bed and you don't want to crate him, use a leash to secure him near his own bed, just out of reach of yours. This, combined with a verbal correction every time he jumps into bed with you, can break the habit.
posted by jon1270 at 2:58 AM on November 8, 2008

Speaking as someone who adopted a rescue dog...

while mine never showed any aggression issues (the opposite, actually - submissive almost to a fault), he definitely took some time to acclimate to the new surroundings. He also had a dog bed right off the bat that he refused to use (at first) but now loves so much that when I *want* him to come up on the bed with me, I feel guilty. So, time should help, as will copious amounts of exercise - the cliche of "a tired dog is a good dog" is cliche for a reason.

As for the aggression - the fact that he's willing to come up on the bed with you of his own volition (I would say) shows that he feels threatened situationally, not threated by you specifically (otherwise, I would expect him to avoid you altogether). I am by no means an expert, much less an expert on abused animals, but I think time and your continued treating him right will alleviate the growling and such. And though you did not list the circumstances surrounding the aggression (aside from the aforementioned petting) I would hazard a guess that he's still learning his place within the new "pack" and hasn't yet realized he's not the alpha? (I know, a lot of people disagree with the whole Caesar Milan alpha-male concept, but dogs ARE pack animals by nature. I'm in no way advocating giving him an alpha roll, just suggesting that he's skittish because he hasn't figured out his role within the pack.)

Good luck with your new friend, and kudos for rescuing an animal.
posted by namewithoutwords at 3:11 AM on November 8, 2008

You could try Rescue Remedy around bedtime.
posted by susanvance at 7:25 AM on November 8, 2008

As others have said: more exercise, more training and more time. You can't make him sleep and please don't drug him to try and make him sleep. It can take months for a dog to truly settle in. More training (ideally in classes) will help establish a bond between you sooner, and will also help establish appropriate interactions between you, and that can help with making him feel more comfortable (as well as with his insecurity issues like the growling). But give it time.
posted by biscotti at 7:32 AM on November 8, 2008

He growls mostly at my boyfriend when he pets him anytime at night. He rarely growls at me, but does occasionally.

He goes on 2 walks a day, and some days we take him to the dog park. We also play fetch in the house with toys and tennis balls, but he doesn't have much attention span for that and prefers gnawing on toys an ripping stuffed ones apart completely (he only has one left that we took all the stuffing out of).

We've been training him by keeping him on a short leash when we walk, and he has learned to walk beside us. We make him sit before he gets on the couch, and he's only allowed to come on invitation, same as with the bed. He also has to sit before he gets food or treats. If he growls, we tell him to get down off the bed or couch, and he usually does so with no problem, but occasionally snarls.

We want to hire a trainer or go to classes, but it's not financially feasible right now for us at all, unfortunately.

Thanks for all the tips! It seems like we've had him forever, but I guess it's mostly a matter of time and keeping up on the training. I don't want to give him Benadryl because he seems to be very sensitive to any medication. He's very stubborn, and a lot of his behaviors are apparently common to the breed, so we'll keep working on it.
posted by fructose at 7:49 AM on November 8, 2008

fructose: I guess it's mostly a matter of time and keeping up on the training..

It sounds like you are doing all the right things.

If you want training but money is an issue, some cities offer low-cost community education classes that include dog-training among their offerings. It's a great way to socialize the dog as well as to learn to understand how your little guy thinks. You and your boyfriend can both go and participate. You will also meet other cool people with new dogs, good for future playdates.

If the dog seems to have issues with your boyfriend, have him feed the dog. He should also play with the dog (no aggressive games like tug-of-war!), walk him with and without you, and give him frequent treats and affection.

Adjusting to his new life can take your dog up to 6 months or longer. My Australian Shepherd rescue took about a year to adjust. It doesn't mean it will be hell for all of you the whole time he is adjusting; it just means it will take all of you a long time to get used to each other and figure out your own harmonies. In the meantime, though, there will be much fun and many joys.

So glad to hear of a rescue dog getting a second chance!
posted by isogloss at 9:41 AM on November 8, 2008

Sleeping is likely not the problem. Any dog trainer worth his or her salt will tell you this: if your dog is growling at you, ever, but especially if it ever involves the bed, he MUST lose his bed privileges. You say he's not allowed on the bed but gets up there when you're sleeping, but then you say he's allowed up there with permission.

If he continues to growl at you, it could escalate into a bite. And then where will you be, if you can't afford a dog trainer? Most people wouldn't tolerate a dog that bites them, so you need to treat this as potentially very serious problem that can be nipped in the bud now.

I suggest to you that you get a plastic crate, or a wire one with a towel draped over it to simulate a den/doghouse. Put an old blanket in there, and a toy that's quiet. Make him sleep in the crate at night for at least a month while he's still learning the ropes of his new family and atmosphere. If this were my dog, I'd make him sleep in the crate, with the door locked, but in my room where he could see me, for probably 3-4 months and then reassess.

If after a week or two he's not sleeping, even in the crate, call your vet and ask how much benadryl to give. Don't accept medicine dosing advice from people on the internet without verifying with your own vet.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 11:56 AM on November 8, 2008

My advice is to be patient. He has lost his family and - no matter how abusive - they were his pack. He has been through several pairs of hands on his way to you -- the ACO, the pound, and the rescue group. He is scared. Six weeks is no time at all to a rescue dog (as others here have said). Every time things change - you move a chair, or pack a bag to go out - he is expecting to be abandoned again. Our border collie mix took over a year to settle in completely. Your dog's rushing into the bedroom and trying to get you to go to bed early is an indicator of this. He wants to get to the "pack sleeping place" where he feels safe.
I would suspect that the alpha dog thing may be why he growls at night. The bed is the high-status sleeping place (higher ground in any room is high-status, which is why dogs get up on the sofa and on the bed, given a chance). So he may be challenging your boyfriend when it gets dark (coming up to bedtime), trying to put him in his place. This is dominance behavior -- our female border collie growls then chases our male B-C off the sofa if he wants to get up late at night. Don't let him think that he can challenge your boyfriend. I agree with ImproviseOrDie that he must lose his bed privileges if he is growling at your boyfriend. From his perspective, he is trying to displace a rival for the bed. Put a few coins into a soda can and seal it with tape. Whenever your dog growls at your boyfriend, shake the can. This is aversion therapy -- the dog soon learns that growling has the consequence of a scary noise and he will stop doing it.
The other side is the need to bond with your boyfriend. Many abandoned dogs seem to be fearful of men. Try having your boyfriend feed him (exclusively if possible). Dogs tend to bond to whoever feeds them.
Finally, if you want your dog to sleep, make sure that he has a safe place to retreat to. Dogs like having somewhere that is sheltered (e.g. under a table or in a crate) and against a wall (so they can't be surprised from behind). You may find that your dog likes the bed much better if you move it somewhere sheltered. Place the bed under a table against a wall, or get a plastic (relatively light-blocking) crate in a quiet corner of the living room. He is probably not sleeping when he is with you because he is keeping watch in case you disappear (rescue dog syndrome). He'll relax in time. Dogs can wake very quickly with very low-level noises -- it is possible that he *is* sleeping, but he wakes up each time that you do. Don't be surprised if you open the door and find the dog just outside the bedroom door -- dogs like to be there when you wake (Pack feeding time!).
posted by Susurration at 12:00 PM on November 8, 2008

PS - when I said that "You may find that your dog likes the bed much better if you move it somewhere sheltered", I meant his bed, not yours ...:-)
posted by Susurration at 12:03 PM on November 8, 2008

Do NOT discourage growling - the problem is not the growling, the problem is the reason for the growling. Growling is a gift, the dog is using the only method he has to indicate that there is a problem and warning that he is uncomfortable. Discouraging growling without addressing the underlying issues at work merely increases the chances of a bite occurring by taking away the dog's warning system. I agree with crate training this dog, but definitely do not shake a can or anything else to discourage the growling. The growling is yet another reason to get this dog into training classes with both of you. You need to establish appropriate relationships with this dog, training is the easiest and best method to do this.
posted by biscotti at 2:01 PM on November 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

Thanks again

-- My boyfriend is the only one who feeds and walks him.
--The dog did bite my boyfriend about 3 1/2 wks ago, but it was when he was having a bad reaction to the flea medicine Vectra. The circumstances were also odd because he was just sitting there with my boyfriend then bit him with no warning. He was having crazy twitches and spasms for the days surrounding, and he never bit before or after, so the vet thinks it was due to his illness at the time (nerve reaction to permethrin), but this is when we started becoming really strict with training out of concern for safety.
--His foster family let him growl at them and basically taught him that if he growls he will get his way. He lived with several other dogs and it sounds like he asserted his will among the other dogs often. When he's around other dogs with us, like at the park, he just ignores them completely or avoids them.
--He is not allowed on the bed when we are awake anymore. He was in the past.
--We tried keeping his bed under the table where he likes to lay, but he's less likely to lay under the table if the bed is there, it's funny.
of sympathy for him.
--Crating him has been our instinct, so it's good to hear that it may be a good solution
posted by fructose at 9:58 AM on November 9, 2008

I might be kind of late to this discussion but here are my thoughts.

1. crate crate crate! We have two resuces and we crate trained them immediately. I was always a let them go where they want dog owner but my roommate (who is a dog trainer) insisted on the crate and I could not be happier about listening to her. Now, they love their crate and usually nap in there during the day when they wouldn't nap anywhere else.

2. If he is small enough, you might want to try a cat bed. My dog never really liked the "dog" beds we got, he basically ignored them or dragged them around the house but never slept in them. We got him this bed (turned it on its side so that the base would be bigger than it is tall) and he is in LOVE with it. This is a dog that would not sleep anywhere but in bed with me and now he sleeps in it about half the nights. I've even seen him drag it downstairs so he could nap in it down there if we were downstairs.
posted by magnetsphere at 9:29 AM on November 10, 2008