Doesn't Want To Go To Bed

[penstar1000]

Hi there DOL experts

I need some help and ideas to work on a nervous/fearful behaviour which has developed of late.

My BC girl sleeps in the laundry room, on her bed, with the door closed. It's a normal laundry room, not huge, but bigger than a crate, and she has many layers of bedding so shouldn't be cold or uncomfortable. We only put her in there when the whole household is going to bed too. Up until a couple of months ago she would trot on in there when told, sometimes getting a treat, most often not, and we wouldn't hear a peep out of her until I let her out to take her for her morning walk.

A couple of months ago I had a lapse and let her sleep upstairs with me for one night. I know, wrong thing to do, but what can I say, I felt bad that I'd had a late night/early morning and had left her, plus I was on my own and needed some company....

Anyway, from my best calculations that was the start of the new issue with bedtime. She now starts exhibiting nervous behaviour when the bedtime routine starts, and will not go anywhere near the laundry room when asked. We have to pick her up and put her in there, usually after chasing her around the living room. I try to make as little of a deal of it as possible and just be very matter of fact about putting her to bed, and don't yell at her obviously. Once in there she is fine and sleeps all night without a problem.

I am not letting her get away with this as I don't want her free ranging in the house all night (which she would obviously prefer). So far I have tried luring her with food, which is no good even though normally she's an absolute garbage guts. I have also thought about trying a different area for sleeping, but I'm assuming it is resistance to being locked away from us for the night, not a fear of the laundry room, which is the problem.

I would much rather we return to the time when she was as happy to go to bed as she is to do most other things! Any ideas how I can help her?

Thanks!

[persephone]

may I just say that - if you need to chase your dog around a room for anything , some recall training may be a useful tool ;)

being picked up and put into the laundry is obviously not pleasant ..and each time it happens just reinforces her idea that bedtime = unpleasant things .

One suggestion is that she gets a tasty treat..something VERY special ... that she adores, but gets only at bed time . a chicken/turkey wing ? A few cubes of cheese? half a frankfurt, in cubes ? a half slice of bread spread with peanut butter ? Our dogs would almost jump off a cliff into a fire for peanut butter .

Associate it with cuddles & relaxation first .... then if she LOVES it , and will sit/come to you eagerly ..then show it to her and be all pleasant and rewarding for going to bed.

Just my 2 C worth...

[kelpiecuddles]

I would also do lots of nice things in the laundry during the day to get her feeling like it's a good place to be, always give her meals to her in there and have a stash of treats she really likes and just throw them on her bed during the day so that when she goes in there she is rewarded.

Rather than chasing her I would put her on a lead and walk her in there constantly treating too and then reward her again for sitting and dropping on her bed.

[BC Crazy]

Hi penstar1000,

Both my BC's sleep on their beds in the laundry & have always gone outside, then to bed as soon as they are asked, usually around 10pm. They just happily march their way up the stairs, wait for their Kong which they get every night. No issues.

I think where things went wrong for your girl was you gave her a glimpse of sleeping in a much cosier place even if it was just for one night. Now it's like, 'oh no, I think I'll sleep with you mum' thanks, no laundry for me!!! :laugh:

What to do to rectify this. Hmmm. This will take some undoing. One thing is I wouldn't be chasing her around, grabbing her as she will think this is a great game this going to bed game. She will run around even more. At bed time I would have her lead ready previously & maybe a small treat or kong with a smear of something yummy in it. No fuss, be matter of fact "time for bed" pop the lead on & off to the laundry we go. Ignore any performance that may occur. Once in bed, PRAISE, treat,& leave. Continue this every night till you can see she is relaxed about her bed time again.

I'm no expert but this may work. Other Dolers will have better methods perhaps. Good luck with her.

Border's are just so smart aren't they? Give them an inch :laugh:

Edited March 26, 2014 by BC Crazy

[Salukifan]

may I just say that - if you need to chase your dog around a room for anything , some recall training may be a useful tool ;)

If you are trying to get hold of your dog for an outcome it considers aversive, then any recall training you have done is likely to become unstuck. I don't try to recall a reluctant dog when it knows very well what's coming is "unwanted" attention.

What happens if you start tossing treats into the laundry??

[Pretty Miss Emma]

My 2 cents worth... How much time have you spent in there with her since she has become resistant? I was thinking along the lines of others make it a great place to be. I prefer it if my dogs make the choice to go happily where I ask them, but using a leash in the mean time will mean you don't have to wait hours for her to choose to go to bed. But maybe spending some time sitting in there with her, putting the yummy things in there, do some basic mat training and little things like sits/downs for great treats so that the room is where she likes being. I think every time you force her in then she is just going to like the room less.

Something that you may be able to utilise that I had to use when crate training my BC girl... she didn't like going in her crate so we basically did our own version of crate games. I had to teach Kenz to close the door of the crate herself. She was ok going in, but then would come straight out; if the door was closed, well, the world had to end!!! So I taught her to close the door herself and we played recall games fom the crate! Since we've done that she is much easier to manage in a crate, still doesn't love it, but copes with it a lot better and can be left in a crate. So maybe something like this might help her to like the room again.

[sheena]

Both my guys get a treat, usually a dried turkey cube, which I always refer to as a "cookie" & at night time I just say, "who wants a cookie" & they both race off to their respective beds...him in his crate & her to her/my bedroom.....works a charm :)

[penstar1000]

Thanks so much guys, some great ideas there.

I shouldn't have made it sound like I had to catch her, her recall is good, she'll come down from upstairs even if she knows its for bedtime. Just once she's downstairs she starts the performance of looking like she wants to escape, again if I tell her to stop she'll just hunker down and wait to be picked up, but she has a very sad expression on her face and she makes herself as heavy as possible!

Throwing treats into the laundry room doesn't have any effect, although admittedly I haven't waited for too long. I'm sure food is the key to her heart, I'll try some desensitising by feeding and playing with her in there, and save the peanut butter kong for bedtime. I might try the leash as well.

You're right, I want my dogs to go where I ask cheerfully, unfortunately she now thinks there might be a choice! Lesson learned by me!

[Erny]

Also think about what your attitude is when you indicate to her to go to the laundry for bed-time.

In addition, ask her to go to her bed in the laundry at other random times ..... not always to close the door and retire for the night.

And yes .... make it a good event. Not as a food lure (i.e. bribe) but give her a tasty 'special' treat once she's there. If she wants to eat it, great. If she doesn't, that's up to her.

Comparing the comments/description given in your first post against further comment in a following post from you, I'm not convinced she's showing nervousness about going to bed, but more a reluctance. If there is nervousness, consider whether that may be a response to your tone and expression when she is not accepting your command to go to bed.