Sleeping arrangements
by Sue
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
I have had Sophie for 2 weeks now and have been placing her in a crate on my night table next to my bed at night to sleep. She's not too happy about this, but does settle down when I turn out the light. She usually wakes me at about 4:30 am and I put her on her papers in the kitchen and she always wets and I put her back in her crate. At this point she really does not want to go back in the crate. I usually can keep her in there only another hour or so and then she really pesters me to get out. I would like to let her sleep with me, but she is not paper trained yet. Plus, she is so little, I am afraid she will jump off the bed and hurt herself. How have others handled this?
DISCUSSION:
Sue, Tiffini has been sleeping with us forever. She stayed in her bed next to our bed for about a week and then she put up such a fuss that we took her into our bed. She only peed on the bed once and that was my fault as i kind of ignored her fussing. She never attempted to jump off until she was 4 months old and that was because she was nosy when a friend was moving some stuff out. We put her on the bed and took her off as well, She never jumped up onto the bed. We had to buy a little stool and even then she was reluctant, but after many trys she mastered it well. She then had free access up and down. I don't know if this works well with others but it worked well for us.
Betty and Tiffini
When I first brought Lily home at 12 weeks, it was very difficult to keep the little cuddly thing in the crate all night - but I endured the whimpering because I knew I would have a well-behaved dog after she learned that the crate was not "punishment". At that age, she also needed a potty break at around 4:00 am; after which she went back in the crate and fussed. I just ignored it or gently scolded her with "Quiet Down!" and she eventually got the idea. By the time she became fully paper trained, she also was holding it thru the night, so no more 4:00 am potty breaks - she learned to be quiet and amuse herself with a toy or bone until the alarm clock went off. Once the clock rang, however, it was PLAY TIME and my husband and I both indulged her since she had been such a good girl. Now, at 14 months, Lily sleeps with us, but she's also comfortable in her crate, if she's told to "go inside". It takes some patience on your part, but you will have a happier dog because of it.
Lori & Lily
When I first got my little Chico, I kept him at the foot of my bed, on the floor in a blocked off area. He cried sometime, but he eventually got used to it. When I moved apartments, he figured out how to jump up on the bed, and has been sleeping with me ever since. However, when he was younger, he never tried to jump off of the bed if I put him up. In my experience, he has had to be coached through most new experiences, even walking up stairs! So, unless you show your puppy 'how' to jump off the bed, maybe it won't, at least not until it's big enough to do so safely. Lots of luck!
Dean and Chico
Baxter sleeps with us. Until recently, he could jump down from the bed, but we always had to lift him back up. The bed was pretty high. I say "was" because we just got a new bed and now it's even higher. Even I have to climb up to get in (I'm 5'8"). Baxter CAN jump down, but it's very unhealthy. A lot of Maltese (including Baxter) have laxating patella (sp?) where their kneecaps tend to slip out of place. Jumping is not good for this. We've made some makeshift steps and he's learned to use them. I say makeshift because my husband has PROMISED me he'll make some (heh heh heh) permanent ones. As for Rudy, he still sleeps in his crate on a chest at the head of my side of the bed. He's between 4 & 5 lbs. and I just don't trust him not to fall off the bed. I think he'll stay there, cause I would never get any sleep worrying. How do you guys out there with the little ones do it? Rudy doesn't understand the concept of being "on" something. Other than a lap, the highest thing he's been on has been the floor.
Marie
Because my husband works out of town during the week, I was able to place our Sophie's crate on the bed at night. She would whimper when she would need out. After approximately 3 weeks, my husband wanted to see if she could make it to through the night. Reluctantly, I tried it and she has been sleeping with us ever since. She would just go the edge of the bed and whimper or lick us in the nose to wake us up. At this time she was already 99% trained to the wee wee pad. You never know until you try -- the bedspread can always be taken to the cleaners. It's so great to have your little fluff ball curl up next to you!
Carrie & Sophie
Angel has been sleeping in bed with us from the first night we brought her home. When we got her at 12 weeks old, the breeder said we may want to let her sleep with us the first couple of nights because she would be missing her mom and sibblings. I knew already it wouldn't just be for a couple of nights. She has never gone potty in bed. And I think they know they can't safely jump off. Now, of course, she is grown up and big for a Maltese and she jumps up and down at will. I agree with Carrie....it is great to have your little fluff ball curled up next to you.
Frankly I think you are going about it in the right way!
I put Phoebe in her crate at night, right next to our bed and from day one that is where she sleeps. It would be so easy for her to fall off a bed, mine is pretty high - and I think it's good for all kids to know that Mom & Dad have their own space. Phoebe knows that bedtime is crate time - if for some reason we stay up later than normal she will go into her crate, (she has a bed that sits very nearby and it is used for day naps). We took a trip and Phoebe was very happy that her sleeping arrangements each night were what she was accustomed to - she travels in the same crate. I have a friend with a Shih Tzu pup, the pup sleeps with them and at least three times a week she has to completely strip her bed because of wetting - not to mention the falling out or jumping off the bed. My Yorkie slept with me from the day I got him, he took up a tiny spot on my pillow - but when we purchased a waterbed several years later he would roll into the rails and was intensely uncomfortable with the motion. I think he really had no problems sleeping in his crate - I know all I had to do was tell him it was bedtime and he would head for his crate!
Leslie R
Buster sleeps with us also. When I first got him he slept in our Bathroom with newspapers down. Yes, he got me up at 4:00 a.m. every morning. After a month and he was potty trained I started working on him sleeping with us. Now he does so permanently. Sleeps on his back in between us, of course, with feet up in the air! We have a waterbed and it is pretty high so I have to lift him up and down, but he expects that! Ha!
Libby & Buster
Sue, it depends on whether you really want her to sleep in the crate or not. I kept Puff in the crate for 3 nights, then I gave in and she has been sleeping with us ever since. I couldnt put her crate in the bedroom, my husband wouldn't have put up with the whining keeping him awake. Puff was not housebroken when she started sleeping with us and she only peed once on the bed. When she had to go, she would walk from the head to the foot of the bed because she didnt want to soil where she was sleeping, so I would feel her movement and get up and take her outside. It wasnt easy in February when neither she nor I really wanted to be outside, but it was worth it. We keep the bedroom door open about 6 inches and if she cant hold it or if we sleep in, she can jump down off the bed and go out herself, we have a dog door. But she barks when she comes back up, she cant jump back onto the bed, I have to lift her up. But she settles right back down. I dont mind having her in the bed at all and neither, thank Heaven, does my husband :)
Sandy and Puff
When ever I first got Maggie, at 6 weeks. (I know that is early, but we didn't know then. Now I do.) We kept her in a box for the first couple of weeks. The breeder said that they slept with her, but she was so tiny. She weighed 1 pound when we brought her home. She cried, and if I was awake, I would bring her up and cuddle during the night. When she first starting sleeping in the bed, I got a pillow and placed it on the headboard of my waterbed and she would sleep there. So cute. She did that up until we had to get rid of the waterbed. Everyonce in a while, I would wake up to her crying, or wake up and not find her on the bed. She had fell off the bed and either was scared, or just fell asleep once she hit the floor. So, I just put pillows and clothes around the bed so that if she fell, she would hit something soft. It worked. She didn't fall off a lot, but I just wanted to be safe. The funny thing is, that she still falls off the bed today. She is almost 3 years old. She will start to scratch something and off she goes. Silly girl!
Jennifer & Maggie
Well Maggie sleeps with us and their is no problem other than I used to love to sleep next to my husband.....now she sleeps between us and it doesn't allow us to sleep close to each other....If I had it to do over again...I would leave her sleep in her crate......but then I would miss her in bed with us too.....I guess I want it both ways..lol.....good luck......Maggie has fallen out of bed a couple of times.....we really have to watch her close because she runs around a little in the bed before she starts to settle down to go to sleep.....Maggie is 6 months old and has slept with us since she is around 3 months old....
Denise
Clover's slept with me ever scence I forgot to put him in his crate one night and becasue nothing was ruined, he just sleeps in my bed...under the covers...unlees its too hot. Then he sleeps where ever he wants to in my room
Karen & the C-dog
Thanks for the advice..I have taken a combo approach..I put her in the crate when we first go to bed (she always falls asleep with me on the couch first, so she is so tired she doesn't mind the crate at first). But after she wakes up for a "potty break" I leave her in bed with me for the rest of the night. So far no accidents, but I'm still nervous as she is not trained yet! Once she is trained I will have her sleep with me all night. I am a little insulted though because she seems to prefer sleeping next to my cats instead of me!!
Sue
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