Clever Dogs Know What They Want

[banana]

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I have been really unwell the last few days and have been confined to bed and have taken to bringing Ripples upstairs with me to keep me company.

Trouble is the ruffers don't sleep upstairs and as anyone goes downstairs after we've locked up and come upstairs she starts crying at the lounge door, yelping and whinying.

I went downstairs in the end and asked her to sit (she was dancing on her back legs) and said firmly 'No More - Go to Sleep' and came upstairs.

You couldve knocked me over with a feather because it worked! :lol:

If she does the same tonight, do I do the same?

 

[Strix]

Now you should know that upsetting a dog's routine is asking for trouble

It sounds like you have her in hand though. Was she a good girl tonight?

 

[banana]

She was good last night - but she did it again tonight - Ive just gone downstairs and did the same again.. in a firm voice again and so far - touch wood - shes stopped crying.

I know it was probably a mistake to change her routine, but now she is a bit older and doesnt need to go out for wees so often, i want her to be able to come upstairs when its okay to do so..

I think its going to be okay as long as I stay firm with her...

 

[Strix]

That's how it rolls here. Set the rules, then break them. I want a flexible dog who knows what I say goes, so just pay attention and we'll be fine

You can use props to assist. Designate an easily laundered blanket as hers. We have microfibre ones - they dry amazingly easily. If the dog is coming upstairs, take the blanket and call her. If she's staying down, leave the blanket downstairs. This way you train her that her bed is where her blanket is. It'll also help her settle if she needs to be elsewhere

 

[banana]

I like the idea of that!!!

 

[chelynnah]

we don't have the upstairs/downstairs issue, but our 3 oldest sleep in the bed and the pups sleep in beds on the floor because there just isn't room for 5.

The pups know at night they get in their beds, but after Daddy goes to work they get to be up in the big bed. Before we lost Chelsea she would need a 4am potty run, and sometimes when they came back she would want a bed on the floor so the pups would get the big bed. Now that she's gone they occasionally try to get in the big bed around 4am. Sometimes I let them and sometimes I don't. And they'll look all cute and try it on, but if I say 'NO - in your bed' they know I mean it and will be such good 'kids' and put themselves right back in their beds.

Routine is good, but I think they can also handle flexibility as well as long as they know the commands.

As far as the blanket goes, we did that with the two youngest. Right from the beginning a blanket would go anywhere we went, training, in-laws, visiting etc. they learned quickly 'on your bed' meant their blanket. We can take them anywhere and they will settle on their blanket straight away. Luckily it can be any blanket. So recently at the in-laws we put a big one in the middle of the floor and they put their toys on it and played on their blanket all afternoon. Of course they also slept on the furniture, and ran about, but they do target their blanket as their 'safe place' just like they do a crate.