45% of dogs sleep in their owners’ beds, according to the National Pet Owners Survey. There are obvious reasons you allow your dogs to sleep with you . . . . Who can resist that warm, furry and cute dog/s or puppy as a perfect sleeping companion? They provide you and your children with a feeling of endless snuggles, security and comfort.
Did your dogs disturb your sleep last night? How many times did you wake up last night? Do you have trouble falling back to sleep after being disturbed by your dog/s?
Among some of the top disturbances are:
Wandering
Snoring
Needing to go outside
Sleeping under the covers
Some of your dog’s night time behaviours may have been created by you. When you add a new dog or puppy to your family, this is a best time to decide where you want your dog or puppy to sleep. If you allow your dog to sleep on your bed, he/she will learn that that is the sleeping spot for days to come. If your dog will be sleeping in his/her own space, start your dog there from day one to avoid a struggle later.
Set some ground rules for your dog/s. If your dog begs for food at midnight and you indulge him/her, you can expect your dog to wake you up again the next night.
Here are practical solutions you can take to avoid situations whereby your dog wakes you up during the night:
Make sure your dog gets enough playtimes during the day
Move your dog’s dinnertime a bit later in order to sustain him/her overnight
Set a schedule for your dog that includes playtime, exercise, Executive Dog Walking and feeding during the day and stick to it, except for a puppy – as you can expect a puppy to need attention during the night.
Do you find that your sleep is being intolerably disrupted and you need to make a change? It IS possible.
Get a good-quality doggy bed. Add blankets and night time toys. Place the doggy bed at the side of your bed.
Help your dog to get off your bed and onto his/her bed on command, using praise and affection each time your dog executes this behaviour.
If all else fails, get Executive Dog Training to the rescue!
