Problem with french bulldog sleeping

[Rob63]

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Hi, I'm hoping you guys can help as I have an issue I'm really not too sure to deal with.

My girlfriend and I have a 1yr old French bulldog Eric. For the last year he has lived with my girlfriend and her parents plus 3 other dogs. So he is never on his own, if I am in the house he will never leave my side and is very nervous/anxious on his own. If he comes up to my house and I go out for an hour I can watch him on a webcam and he cries starring at the door until I return.

During the week whilst he is staying at my girlfriends house he has been sleeping in her bed for the last year! Personally, I never wanted this sleeping arrangement.

The problem is we have just bought a house together and I don't want him in my bed as he snores unbelievably loudly and I'm a light sleeper. I want him to sleep in his cage, in the bathroom with the door open so he can see us or even better in the utility room either in or out of his cage. Problem is he whines, barks and moans due to the unfamiliar situation. Is it cruel to just put him in his cage in a room on his own and in an unfamiliar new house or will this be ok?

 

[JoanneF]

In short, it is. He has separation anxiety already from the sound of things so it will take a long time with very small steps. To deal with the SA you may need support from a behaviourist but it will need work on leaving him for very short periods (like a minute) and returning so he knows he isnt being abandoned. If you know what his tolerance time is before he gets upset, use that as your starting point and slowly build up.

Regarding the new house I think you will need to address the SA first. In theory you could crate train him, and do it in your room first. Crate training involves making the crate the best place ever for him to hang out and sleep. So loads of good things happen in his crate - the best treats, toys, rewards etc. You could then start moving it on to the area just outside the room and gradually to the place you want it. But you would have to have the SA resolved to do that successfully. And some dogs never take to the crate and get more stressed by it.

To be honest, I think the SA is the more serious issue and you won't be able to have him sleep away from you (in or out of a crate) until that is sorted. Your vet should be able to recommend a behaviourist; please be sure to choose one that uses positive methods and is accredited by APDT or COAPE.

 

[gypsysmum2]

I agree with the above.

It is all related to Separation Anxiety. This is very distressing for the dog. They do not do it deliberately. Eric is struggling to cope and becomes very distressed when left alone.

It has not helped that he sleeps surrounded by human scent but it is no good blaming anyone now.

A good behaviourist (COAPE or APBC trained) will give you a whole programme of remedial work that you can do to help Eric get over his separation problem. You will have to do a lot of work. The behaviourist will advise and support you. The programme will be tailored to Eric's needs and your personal circumstances.

In the meantime, as advised above, you could start crate training him. It is not a punishment cell it is a safe haven and should be introduced as the best toy you have ever bought him. Just erect it and leave him to come to terms with it for quite a while. If you do not like the wire ones then a fabric crate will do just as well. You will then be able to let him sleep beside the bed for a while and gradually wean him, inch by inch, away from it. Give him an item of clothing with his human's scent on it to comfort him. Adaptil plug in diffusers can also be helpful when plugged in close to the sleeping zone.

It is important that, once he is comfortable sleeping in his crate and is under going night time training, that he is quiet before being released from the crate. This will teach him that only quiet dogs come out of their crates. He believes, now, that crying brings you home and makes him feel better.

You cannot rush the process and you will need professional help. Your reward will be a calm and confident dog that sleeps alone during the night and settles, calmly, when left.