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Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

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Cyclops Feb 2016 8:26am, 24 Feb 2016 2,227 posts	0 Cyclops Leah was supposed to sleep in the kitchen. She decided to sleep on the turn of the stairs so that she could see up and down.
D2 Feb 2016 8:32am, 24 Feb 2016 8,556 posts	0 D2 Smart dog!
Sharkie Feb 2016 8:35am, 24 Feb 2016 8,833 posts	0 Sharkie I bet D2 will agree that is real GSD behaviour, Cyclops! Jess comandeers all our landings, and also likes doorways. She sleeps all over the house - her preferred nighttime bed is Raffo's sofa in the sitting room (his fault) but she very much likes her special dog bed (Tuffy nest they're called) in the kitchen, especially if we are there. She learned 'go to bed' and 'go to your bed' very early and still will do it. The bed was too big to take to classes so we taught 'go to your mat" which she got quickly but we've never used it since we stopped going. (were excluded)
BaronessBL Feb 2016 9:16am, 24 Feb 2016 5,168 posts	0 BaronessBL Wanda sleeps in the kitchen and has done from day 1 with her bed next to the radiator but frequently overnight she will drag her bed to put it right by the kitchen door - I'm not sure if this is to ensure she doesn't miss us when we get up or to make sure that we don't do anything but say good morning to her when we go in there We used to have terrible trouble getting her to bed if she was asleep in the living room and tried pretty much everything (except lullabies and carrying, thinking about it ) She also didn't like going outside last thing at night and this was achieved by J & I standing right by the back door (outside at first then in) having a conversation that went something along the lines of Me: Is there anyone here who likes CHEESE? J: I love CHEESE mmm mmmm lovely CHEESE. (pause) Me: What about SHMACKO who likes SHMACKOES. J: Ooooooh SHMACKO mmmm I like SHMACKO (another pause) Me: Who likes SAUSAGES with their SHMACKO and CHEESE. J: SAUSAGE, SHMACKO and CHEESE I think a very good dog might like SAUSAGE SHMACKO and CHEEESE.... at which point Wanda would usually come to see if any of these things were on offer - we'd get her in the garden for a last wee indoors for a treat/biscuit then straight into her bed. Now she decides when she wants to go out and go to bed but she still expects a 'bedtime biscuit' and there is no end of grumbling if we forget... although the words 'bedtime biscuit' will usually get her up from in front of the fire, outside and into bed without too much fuss.
Alice the Camel Feb 2016 9:42am, 24 Feb 2016 2,507 posts	0 Alice the Camel That made me giggle Baroness - Charlie is so like Wanda in this way, except he's small enough for me to carry him outside for his last wee and then carry him to his bed once we're back indoors and settled again. I'm taking comfort from your experiences that it will get easier...
BaronessBL Feb 2016 10:06am, 24 Feb 2016 5,169 posts	0 BaronessBL Another thing that might be worth trying Alice is not just putting him to bed in the utility room and leaving him but staying out there for 10/15 mins before leaving him, initially with the door shut but as he gets more used to it, with the door open. If he is tired he will probably settle himself in his bed anyway and if you are doing something else - I don't know if you have space there to iron perhaps or even just take stuff out of a cupboard and put it back again - so you appear distracted but happy to spend time in the room too. It may be that he sees the utility room as a place he is always left, and if he thinks the humans don't want to spend any time in there why should he?
BaronessBL Feb 2016 10:10am, 24 Feb 2016 5,170 posts	0 BaronessBL Or just go out to the utility room so he is left on his own in another room and perhaps he will then follow you out there. It's probably that he realises he is about to be left on his own for a while that he doesn't like so if he is encouraged to follow you to somewhere else but he is making the decision to go to that room, rather than you making it for him (by carrying) it might be easier? You might have a few late nights though until he 'gets it' (or you might need to start earlier than your usual bedtime!)
Alice the Camel Feb 2016 10:12am, 24 Feb 2016 2,511 posts	0 Alice the Camel Good advice, thanks BBL. The door is open all day and we come and go - he's very happy to eat in there and follow me in if I'm doing stuff in there. I'll try staying wih him for a while tonight. It's quite a big room - I wonder if he'd settle better if I pen off a little area for him?
LazyDaisy Feb 2016 10:18am, 24 Feb 2016 13,381 posts	0 LazyDaisy The image of you singing Edelweiss to a recalcitrant puppy made me laugh out loud Alice!:-) Seriously though, some excellent advice from Baroness - I think it's the thought of being alone which might be bothering him. Does he go out there during the day, or just at night? Sometimes something as silly as a ticking clock can help puppies feel less 'abandoned'. We also used an old-fashioned stone hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for the first few weeks. It didn't really work with Flossie as she didn't want her bed but with our other two it seemed to make them feel cosy and they were quick to settle with it.
Alice the Camel Feb 2016 10:45am, 24 Feb 2016 2,512 posts	0 Alice the Camel I'm sure it's the thought of being alone that bothers him LD. It's the room he's shut in when we go out as well as at night - I daren't leave him anywhere else until he's toilet trained. There's a clock in there ticking away and I did think of putting a radio out there or trying leaving the light on - but if I'm honest I'm not keen to start something I don't want to continue and I don't really want to be leaving radio/light on forever.