How do I get sleep around my insomniac dog?

January 26, 2005 5:26 AM

DogFilter: My dog has taken to waking me up in the middle of the night. Help.

The past few days have been very busy, and she hasn't been getting the attention she deserves. Fair enough. But now, she's keeping me awake all night long- walking all over me, sniffing me with her little cold wet nose, and jumping off the bed to stand and bark at me on the floor. I think she's getting too much sleep during the day, so she's not tired at night. Any suggestions? Hopefully now that things have slowed down, I'll be able to tire her out properly during the day again, so this stops happening.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero to pets & animals (21 comments total)

It sounds like you are describing a behavioral problem, so my solution is likely to be of limited use, but here goes anyway.

Our oldest dog did this for a short time last year; it turned out she had a urinary tract infection. She was trying nicely to get our attention each night, then sort of esclated the behaviors until we woke up and took her out. She just needed to go more than ususal, and couldn't wait until morning.

Do you take her out when you wake up with her at night? Does she go right away? Maybe she isn't being rude she just needs help.

Good luck.
posted by AgentRocket at 5:36 AM on January 26, 2005

She's totally inside-housetrained, and doesn't seem to be going any less than usual. Also, she's been staying inside because of the cold weather. So I don't think that's it, but I'll definitely keep my eyes open, thanks AgentRocket.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:40 AM on January 26, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

Since you say things have been busy lately, it may be a simple disruption to her routine. Things are "different" and she doesn't like different. In the meantime she craves attention/reassurance from the pack's leader.

I wouldn't dismiss AgentRocket's advice though. Keep an eye on her.

Good luck!
posted by terrapin at 7:01 AM on January 26, 2005

Perhaps she just isn't getting enough exercise. Could you hire a dog walker or pet sitting service to take her for a walk or two while you're away at work?
posted by scratch at 7:07 AM on January 26, 2005

Was your dog crate trained? If so, you might want to consider crating her during the night.

Our dog has always slept in a crate in the other end of the house. The main reason for this is she is a breed that snores and makes other rude noises (she's a pug).

Another thing to consider is your dog is now waking you because she knows it works. She gets the attention she wants.
posted by SteveInMaine at 7:13 AM on January 26, 2005

our younger lab went through this after i was out of town for about three weeks, crying and eventually barking until someone got up. we figured he just wanted attention because he didn't seem to need anything when i got up. so what we did was: make certain he went outside to relieve himself right before we went to bed; make certain he had water and a full bowl of kibble; then just ignore the hell out of him. it was really hard because we were awake anyway, but it worked. after about four nights, he settled back into the routine of staying quiet all night.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:25 AM on January 26, 2005

Do you take her for a walk in the evening? My dog started waking in the middle of the night, and I found that taking her out for a quick walk before going to bed helped her settle and sleep through the night. Even if your dog doesn't really need to go out, at least it would be a little exercise / wind down.

I agree with SteveInMaine too though, dogs are like kids, they know how to get what they want... And, like kids, they respond really well to a schedule. I'd say try to get things back to normal, and do your best not to give her too much attention if she wakes you at night.
posted by sarahmelah at 7:32 AM on January 26, 2005

I agree with SteveinMaine on the merits of the crate ... we have crate trained our Golden since day one and he associates the crate with quiet time either during the day or overnight ... there is no fuss over getting him in the crate since we use a favorite treat of his to coax him in -- an ice cube -- which works even in winter.
Good luck
posted by terrier319 at 7:48 AM on January 26, 2005

Yup I'd recommend a regular short walk 'round the block' sometime every evening. Good for dog *and* owner!
posted by carter at 8:14 AM on January 26, 2005

One more vote for scheduled walks and play time. Our dog gets rambunctious at the same time every evening because he knows it's when we're usually home and available. When we're out late or go to bed early, he throws his toys around and complains loudly. It sounds like your dog is forcing herself on you at the time she knows you have nothing else going on. (Dogs are so damned smart sometimes.)

Set aside some play time for your pooch each night before bed, and couple it with a walk. Take her out nightly even if she doesn't seem to want it. This will get her used to your schedule, and discourage her forcing her agenda on you. I take my dog out nightly, sometime after 9 p.m.; sometimes he's playful, and we have fun, and sometimes I have to wake him and drag him outside. But he knows the routine and doesn't bother us at night.

On the days where we're too busy to give our dog the attention he needs, we stave off his nighttime playfulness by giving him a good bone to work on. This keeps him busy and content until he tires for the night. It's a reward for the dog's patience, in a sense, and it works.
posted by werty at 8:23 AM on January 26, 2005

Thanks for the advice, gang- I think we'll do some fun walks this evening. I'll keep the thread posted on whether or not I get a full night's sleep.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:34 AM on January 26, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

This is going to sound somewhat ridiculous, but I swear it's the most effective way to deal with any dog behavior problem. We trained our most recent dog (she's 14 now) using pack dominance training and she's the most well behaved dog we've ever had. The key is to be in charge of her, and not the other way around. This is done through body language and crate training. Another part is to never share affection of any kind with your dog when it is displaying undesirable behavior. No cooing voice. No reassuring pat. Certainly no treats. In fact, many trainers recommend that you never share affection of any kind without asking your dog to perform. (Beware of any advice to use an alpha superior position. This can cause aggression problems.)

Read this page for more information on pack dominance training. It can really help with dog behavior problems of ALL kinds, not just aggression issues. That crazy dog whisperer guy, Cesar on National Geographic, uses pack dominance body language training to deal with problem behaviors and his "miracle" results are a direct result of this type of obedience training.
posted by xyzzy at 8:39 AM on January 26, 2005

This is only unusual when compared to previous behavior. Our dog gets us up about two-three times a night to be let out to the toilet, but we don't find this unusual.
posted by wackybrit at 10:10 AM on January 26, 2005

Re: dominance theory, more and more trainers and behaviourists are completely changing their thinking about this topic, not least because much of it is based on completely inaccurate interpretations of wild canid behaviour. I encourage you to read some of the articles linked here for more information.

I agree about exercise, the vast majority of behaviour issues can be at least somewhat alleviated by providing the dog with adequate exercise, both mental and physical. More exercise, coupled with regular fun training sessions, should both help alleviate this problem and give you a better-behaved dog in general.
posted by biscotti at 10:11 AM on January 26, 2005

I had a dog that did this. He woke me up needing to pee, and enjoyed the outing, so he started waking me nightly. A couple nights of ignoring him worked.
posted by theora55 at 10:25 AM on January 26, 2005

I agree with biscotti regarding dominance theory.

If one is interested in reading more about humans' relationships with their dogs, I highly recommend If Dogs Could Pray, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationship with Dogs by Suzanne Clothier. Brilliant book.

My guess is that SteveInMaine is right when he says "... your dog is now waking you because she knows it works. She gets the attention she wants." When we stopped crating our dog overnight, she would get up earlier than her usual time and try to get my attention. At first I gave her the attention because I feared she would have an accident or something. I found that if I ignored her (pretending to snore actually helps) she would go right back to her bed and wait until we got up.

Off topic, but since SteveInMaine brought it up... We too have a snoring dog (Boston Terrier) who also has the stankiest farts. My wife says when the dog and I get going, she gets to hear us snore in stereo. :)
posted by terrapin at 12:51 PM on January 26, 2005

terrapin: My wife says the same... I don't believe her.

By the way, our Cleo! (yes, her name has an exclaimation point) has fewer gas problems if she sticks with the Iams, and we keep her away from the people food.
posted by SteveInMaine at 1:02 PM on January 26, 2005

My dog has been conditioned to believe that the alarm clock means its time for her walk in the morning. It took a few days before she further learned that until I got out of bed, it was best to NOT sit next to me and whine about it taking too long for me to get some clothes on.
posted by fenriq at 3:47 PM on January 26, 2005

IME, dogs are creatures of habit and love knowing what to expect. When that changes, some can get loopy.

Always be dominant when a dog behaves badly or unexpectedly. Just be the boss. Do not accept bad behavior. Use consistent words: "Bad boy/girl!" "OFF". Etc.
3-5 days of your consistently reacting this way will do the trick. Be patient.

After every workday spend several minutes quiet time with the pooch right when you get home, whether on time or late. No TV or other distractions. Lots of praise and a biscuit. Then, when it's time for you to go to bed, do not allow the dog to boss you around. Your consistent behavior is the key because most dogs look to you for direction.

Works for me enough. Lots of good advice in this thread.
posted by nj_subgenius at 5:50 PM on January 26, 2005

After a nice walk and lots of playing yesterday afternoon/evening, we slept all through the night last night- not a peep from the little one. Thanks for the advice, gang!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:59 AM on January 27, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

Long-term follow-up- No more problems of the waking up sort. A few nights, she tried to whining/barking thing while standing on the floor, and I steadily ignored her while reading a book. She gave up, and put her paws up to come to bed. So that was good advice, thanks MeFites!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:25 PM on February 6, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]