Hello can any one help me has i am having problems with lucky my whippet at night he is always whinning and trying to get out of the kitchen at night and expecting us to come down to him and expecting us to stay with him once we are with him he settles down and goes to sleep. I have taken the battery out of the clock that isint what hes afraid of. I have tried ignoring him when he starts crying that didnt work cos me or lucky got any sleep as i stayed upstairs. I dont know wether it has anything to do with the fact that he is losing his eye sight. He hasnt done this for a while untill the high winds started and hasnt settled since ive even thought about putting him to sleep but decided not to has it wouldnt solve the problem please help as i dont know how much more i can take of this. Mrs jenkins
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Whippet acting strange at night
- Thread starter allison51
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Hi Allison51, and welcome to DogForum 
When you say that you have tried ignoring him, what happened in those instances? Did you stay upstairs all night, or did he eventually calm down?
You don't include information about how old Lucky is, but if he's losing his sight does that mean that he's getting on a bit? A lot of dogs with sensory problems or those who are ageing do tend towards being a bit clingy, and the possibility of dementia upsetting their circadian rhythm can make this even worse.
That said, Molly (my GSD) has driven me and my partner up the wall in the last few days, refusing to settle because the high winds have made the curtains/blinds/whatever move. In winter when there are high winds she's hard to settle but the windows aren't open so she can hear less and see less effects from the wind. It's an odd combination having the high winds in summer.
One thing I'd do in your place is to put the battery back into the clock, or provide him with a ticking clock of some sort anyway. Another thing to try would be to leave a radio on quietly, tuned to a speech station as a lot of dogs find a human voice calming when they are left.
Have you tried putting his bed in a crate and covering the crate, so that he has a little den to hide in? Many dogs find that a comfort too, and lots of nervous dogs get benefit from a Thundershirt, as it has become apparent over time that they find being hugged by the shirt reassuring. It is also worth trying a few drops of Rescue Remedy in his drinking water. I never felt any benefit when using it, but empirical research done in the cat shelter that I was working in was quite clear that it did help the nerves of some of the cats in their care.
When you say that you have tried ignoring him, what happened in those instances? Did you stay upstairs all night, or did he eventually calm down?
You don't include information about how old Lucky is, but if he's losing his sight does that mean that he's getting on a bit? A lot of dogs with sensory problems or those who are ageing do tend towards being a bit clingy, and the possibility of dementia upsetting their circadian rhythm can make this even worse.
That said, Molly (my GSD) has driven me and my partner up the wall in the last few days, refusing to settle because the high winds have made the curtains/blinds/whatever move. In winter when there are high winds she's hard to settle but the windows aren't open so she can hear less and see less effects from the wind. It's an odd combination having the high winds in summer.
One thing I'd do in your place is to put the battery back into the clock, or provide him with a ticking clock of some sort anyway. Another thing to try would be to leave a radio on quietly, tuned to a speech station as a lot of dogs find a human voice calming when they are left.
Have you tried putting his bed in a crate and covering the crate, so that he has a little den to hide in? Many dogs find that a comfort too, and lots of nervous dogs get benefit from a Thundershirt, as it has become apparent over time that they find being hugged by the shirt reassuring. It is also worth trying a few drops of Rescue Remedy in his drinking water. I never felt any benefit when using it, but empirical research done in the cat shelter that I was working in was quite clear that it did help the nerves of some of the cats in their care.
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Can you put his bed in your room so he is with you at night?
He sounds anxious and might benefit from being close to you.... especially if his sight is failing
He sounds anxious and might benefit from being close to you.... especially if his sight is failing
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