Miniature Dachshund sleeping issue

[s_smth]

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Hi there, new member here!

We have a Miniature Dachshund called Woody, he’s 6 months old today and we’re still having trouble with him sleeping by night

After a very tricky start with barking a lot through the night, before Christmas he was actually sleeping very well in his crate downstairs in the front room - we were getting a good 7hrs sleep a night which felt great!

Then I had to be off work for 3wks after undergoing surgery and we think in that time he got very used to someone being home with him all day everyday and when it was coming to bedtime he wasn’t settling in his crate at all we put in earplugs to block out the barking by night. He would eventually stop and settle down only to start again at around 3-4am…
Annoyingly it got to the point where our neighbours were complaining about the noise and that it was waking them up too early and they were starting to feel exhausted by it (they should try living in the same house as him!)

Since then we have been bringing him up into our room in his bed - he’s been settling down beside us but then waking up a few hours and wandering around the bedroom. We can get him back in his bed but not for very long before he starts jumping up at the bed. It’s been tiring us out so much that we’ve started putting him in our bed with us (read conflicting things about whether this is the right thing to do or not).

To stop him wandering around the room we’ve started putting our foldable stair gate around his bed to make a bit of a pen but he’s started jumping at it and whining - we really are at our wits end

We’re going away on holiday for the first time in 4 years in May and are having to leave him with my parents but we’re just so worried that he’s not going to settle well when with them and it’s going to also cause them stress

Any help at all will be hugely beneficial.

Sean

 

[JudyN]

How much exercise/training/play does he get during the day? How long is he left on his own each day, and do you know if he's quiet and settled for that time, or does he cry/bark?

Have you tried him in his crate in your bedroom?

Leaving him to cry at night isn't the answer - there's something disturbing or stressing him, and feeling abandoned and ignored won't help him to relax. And things that might stress him in the day will also affect his ability to sleep at night. Do you think he can hear any wildlife outside?

As for letting him in his bed - if you are happy with it and it means everyone (including your neighbour!) gets some sleep, I don't think there's a problem. Do be aware though, that it would probably be tricky to transfer him back to his own bed later, and he also might want to join in with any 'adult activities'

As someone who doesn't sleep that well and can be kept awake by my other half breathing (yes, I have told him to stop), I do have every sympathy for your neighbour (and for you too, of course). Abject apologies, flowers, chocolate, etc., and an assurance that you're doing everything you can to deal with the issue are worth considering.

 

[s_smth]

How much exercise/training/play does he get during the day? How long is he left on his own each day, and do you know if he's quiet and settled for that time, or does he cry/bark?

Have you tried him in his crate in your bedroom?

Leaving him to cry at night isn't the answer - there's something disturbing or stressing him, and feeling abandoned and ignored won't help him to relax. And things that might stress him in the day will also affect his ability to sleep at night. Do you think he can hear any wildlife outside?

As for letting him in his bed - if you are happy with it and it means everyone (including your neighbour!) gets some sleep, I don't think there's a problem. Do be aware though, that it would probably be tricky to transfer him back to his own bed later, and he also might want to join in with any 'adult activities'

As someone who doesn't sleep that well and can be kept awake by my other half breathing (yes, I have told him to stop), I do have every sympathy for your neighbour (and for you too, of course). Abject apologies, flowers, chocolate, etc., and an assurance that you're doing everything you can to deal with the issue are worth considering.

thank you for your reply

I work shift work and my partner is on day work. I play with him for a bit before work, he’s also getting 2 half hour walks per day (sometimes longer at the weekend when we’re both not working)

when I’m on my ‘late’ shift he’s left from 1.45pm - 5pm. When on the ‘early’ shift he’s left from 8am-2pm.

we haven’t tried his crate in our room apart from when we first bought him home and he didn’t settle well at all but this was to be expected. No he won’t be able to hear any wildlife, we live in a very quiet area. He sometimes would get woken by the wind and rain hitting the back doors.

haha that has already been tested and he slept soundly under the covers at the foot of the bed for the duration!!

no i totally get the neighbours getting annoyed, but the way they were messaging me was a bit like we were making him bark on purpose - they know he’s a puppy and they also have 3 dogs themselves so I thought they would be a bit more understanding. I think they were at first but eventually the sleep deprivation was getting to them I guess.

 

[s_smth]

How much exercise/training/play does he get during the day? How long is he left on his own each day, and do you know if he's quiet and settled for that time, or does he cry/bark?

Have you tried him in his crate in your bedroom?

Leaving him to cry at night isn't the answer - there's something disturbing or stressing him, and feeling abandoned and ignored won't help him to relax. And things that might stress him in the day will also affect his ability to sleep at night. Do you think he can hear any wildlife outside?

As for letting him in his bed - if you are happy with it and it means everyone (including your neighbour!) gets some sleep, I don't think there's a problem. Do be aware though, that it would probably be tricky to transfer him back to his own bed later, and he also might want to join in with any 'adult activities'

As someone who doesn't sleep that well and can be kept awake by my other half breathing (yes, I have told him to stop), I do have every sympathy for your neighbour (and for you too, of course). Abject apologies, flowers, chocolate, etc., and an assurance that you're doing everything you can to deal with the issue are worth considering.

forgot to say he is crated in the day when we’re at work or go out. He always appears to be fine in it, he doesn’t make a noise or try and claw at the bars, but when we come back his blankets have been turned up and dragged in slightly, so not sure how long he’s settled for.

 

[Tinytom]

When you are on early shift ...6 hours is a long time for such a young pup to be left...is he left inside the crate for 6 hours .....

 

[s_smth]

When you are on early shift ...6 hours is a long time for such a young pup to be left...is he left inside the crate for 6 hours .....

he’s given breakfast at 7, played with for a little while and is then ready to sleep again so goes in his crate at 8. He’s then given his lunch when I get home at 2. This method was working fine before Xmas as I said - we were having no issues with him sleeping by night or coming home to find his blankets had been turfed up - it’s only since I’ve gone back to work after having the 3 weeks off for surgery that we’re struggling to get him back into that routine that previously worked.

 

[Tinytom]

Its because he is now older and 6 hours for any dog is really too longing a crate ...could you attach a play pen to his crate so he is not confined for so longer ask someone to come in at 12 ...

 

[s_smth]

Its because he is now older and 6 hours for any dog is really too longing a crate ...could you attach a play pen to his crate so he is not confined for so longer ask someone to come in at 12 ...

but I thought he was be more used to the crate the older he’s got? As I said in my first message, we make our foldable stair gate into pen when we take him up to bed - last night he slept for a while but from 12-4 he was up every hour either whining or jumping up at the gate. We left a nightlight on for him which we thought may have helped relax him a little more.

 

[Tinytom]

The crate is ok for overnight but to expect him to stay in it for another 6 hours isn't fair so to make sure your pup stays happy I would make a pen for him so he can move around more ....he is most likely stressed being in the crate for such a long time

 

[s_smth]

The crate is ok for overnight but to expect him to stay in it for another 6 hours isn't fair so to make sure your pup stays happy I would make a pen for him so he can move around more ....he is most likely stressed being in the crate for such a long time

okay thanks, but what do you suggest for overnight as this is where our issue seems to be lying mainly? Do we bring his crate up to our bedroom and try that? What if he keeps barking and scratching at the bars during the night?

 

[Tinytom]

I would definitely try the crate next to your bed...have you tried wearing an old tshirt about an hour before bed and place that inside with pup may help settle him

 

[s_smth]

I would definitely try the crate next to your bed...have you tried wearing an old tshirt about an hour before bed and place that inside with pup may help settle him

okay we’ll try that tonight! It’s frustrating having to try so many different things god knows what he’s thinking not being set to one thing but then things haven’t been working so i guess we need to try different things!

I’ve put an old fluffy top in that I haven’t worn for a while - would be better to wear something on the same day before putting it in? I’m sure the top will smell of me a bit but it’s not gonna be that strong as I haven’t worn it for a while.

 

[Tinytom]

Yes definitely wear it for a bit before putting it in with him ...let us know how it goes ...I spent 9weeks downstairs to settle my pup in and that was with another dog here

 

[s_smth]

Yes definitely wear it for a bit before putting it in with him ...let us know how it goes ...I spent 9weeks downstairs to settle my pup in and that was with another dog here

will do!
We’ve had him since 27th October and things were going really well for about a month in December-January, it’s just so frustrating that me being off work for so long has slipped us back a bit

 

[JudyN]

I also agree with Tinytom that 6 hours in a crate is too long. Six hours being on his own is in my opinion too long too, so I do recommend you give him a bigger area, and get someone to come in to give him a bit of play and an opportunity to toilet. This could really help with night-times too.

It would be worth recording him (video and/or audio) when he's left alone so you can see if he's at all distressed.