Advice Needed for Very Tired Greyhound Staff

[tainferdia]

For the last 6 weeks or so, Paddy has been waking us up at about 3.00 or 4.00 in the morning, crying at the bottom of the stairs.

Thinking he needs the toilet we obligingly go down and let him out into the garden. Sometimes he goes, with a look that says 'well if I must.' Other times, he has actually gone back to bed by the time we've got downstairs.

He was fine through the night until recently, and we get the distinct feeling that he is having a laugh with us, but obviously don't want to ignore him in case he does need to go.

His last walk is at 9.30pm and we've started letting him out in the garden just before we go to bed about 11.00pm.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[rachael]

If he is fine in all other respects then I reckon he just wakes up and is a little bored and lonely. I think you have two main options. You could give him a bed in your room so that he has your company or you can try leaving the tv on or radio downstairs. If he then cries you should just ignore him and he should soon learn that crying does not get him company and go back to sleep.

[katie]

Hello have a look at Mike and Laura's thread v tired humans, in the 'general' section of the forum it may help. From personal experience would suggest a few sharp telling offs, and leave him downstairs so as Rachael says he learns that it won't get him anywhere. It worked after a few nights with our Blaze, can't say I would suggest trying letting him come upstairs as we found you definitely get no sleep then! May also help putting a thin fleece coat on him, with it cold at night now, that may be waking him up when the heating goes off at night

[Ian]

I reckon it's just a bit of seperation anxiety, Sean is the same but usually during the day if I'm working upstairs. He cries, I try to ignore him and he usually settles down. I deliberately let him out two or three times a day to wee so I can eliminate that as the reason for crying. I find generally that if I call down to him to be quiet \ settle down he usually will because then he knows I'm about and hasn't been deserted. As has been suggested though a radio on low volume may fix the problem or allowing him to sleep in your room. Do a bit of experimenting and see what works for you.

[sueb]

We had a phase of nocturnal/3am barking with Brennan in the early days. Sometimes we just went down to settle him back to bed and sometimes ( if we had a run of them and I was really tired) I'd just shout down the stairs for him to shut up!! Which he did- think he was reassured that we were still there!

You could try putting an old (but recently worn) jumper with him when he goes to bed- they find the smell of you very reassuring.

[Deleted]

Letting them have an item of yours is a great idea. Although Ted sleeps in my bedroom at night (OK, on my bed!) when he goes to his own bed he always takes a couple of my shoes (odd pairs of course) and any items of my clothing he can find. It's a great reassurance and comfort to them. This morning he had also added a pair of my sunglasses that I had left laying around, and my car keys!!

[rachael]

Lol!!! Ted was just keeping them safe for you!

[tainferdia]

Thank you all for the tips!

We put an old sweatshirt on Paddy last night as it was really cold.

We heard him wandering around about 2.00 am and he was whining a little, but seemed to settle again until 4.00 am. He then came to the bottom of the stairs and whined, so I got up and called to him from the top to go back to bed and then went straight back to bed myself. Very difficult not to go down and cuddle him when he his looking at me expectantly and wagging his tail like mad! Who else would be so pleased to see me at that time of the morning!

It worked though, we heard him walk back into the sitting room and flop back onto the sofa - well we think it was him, it did sound like a baby elephant but there wasn't one there when we got up this morning!

How does a dog that has zero body fat manage to sound so heavy when he's sulking?

Fingers crossed, we are on the way to a full night's sleep . . . ;D

[Deleted]

You'll get there eventually!! As for the noise they can make - for such a 'delicate' animal they can certainly make themselves known!! I get a loud 'Hmphhhh'! from Ted when he flops down.