Foster Lays Down In Another Room

[Guest StriderDog]

We've got a foster with intent who might not like us! I've had many many fosters in my time, but this is the first time I've had a dog not want to be near us. When we're together, he is super friendly and very people oriented - all he does is pester you for pets!! But in the afternoon/evenings (basically any time DH and I are home) he'll go upstairs to the bedroom and lay down on a dog bed. He'll stay there all night! Meanwhile DH, Daza the mutt and I are all downstairs watching TV - it's not like we're banging pots and pans together and being stressful!

 

So, what's up with him? We're just letting him have his space - should we call him down and try to keep him with us? It's so strange because he's such a people-hound when he's near us, but then retreats to the bedroom.

 

Is this an indication that our house isn't the best fit for him?

 

(I don't think Daza is chasing him off - I don't see her doing her bullying activities (herding/bumping, posturing, poking) with this guy. They seem really comfortable with each other.)

 

Why doesn't he want to be our dog?

[muddgirl]

I'm betting your foster just likes that it's quieter. Sometimes in the evenings if Batman wants to nap he will go into the back bedroom instead of napping in the living room while we watch TV. I think he doesn't like the bass very much.

 

I wonder if the upstairs bedroom is warmer/cooler than the downstairs? Our bedroom is cooler in the summer, which could be another reason Batman likes to nap in there.

[Guest madredhare]

We have had a foster like that before. Can you put up a baby gate at the stairs to make him stay with you? He might see that he gets lots of attention and change that habit.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

He might just like that room better. We've got a spare bedroom right off our living room and Jayne spends a lot of time lazing around in there without us.

[Yamaha_gurl]

Bella started to do that after we had her for a month. We were all sitting in the living room watching tv (she was a huge velcro dog) when out of knowwhere, she stood up and went up the stairs...as if saying "This show is boring, I'm going to have a nap in your bed instead"

 

Maybe your foster is so comfortable that he doesn't feel like you will go anywhere, take that as a good thing

[GeorgeofNE]

I'd be thrilled with a dog who let me have FIVE MINUTES alone once in a while!

 

Four years later, George still follows me from room to room--and we only have four total!

[Guest verthib]

My new adoptee did that as well...for about two weeks in the evenings. We finally put up a gate at the bottom of the stairs to encourage her to be with us and now we don't have the gate and she just chooses to be downstairs with us. In the beginning when we had the gate she'd look upstairs and then come back and we'd give her praise for choosing to come back in the living room.

[christinepi]

Tracker did this from day one, and has done it ever since (for 1.5 years now): he lives on his sofa in the sun room, and once he's had his dinner at 4:30, the world could come to an end between then and breakfast, and he'd still be on the sofa. He never leaves it during that time, meaning he's never with us in the TV room or bed room, either (the latter I prefer for the lack of noise). We've never taken it personally or tried to change his behavior. I always figured that that's just how he likes it. He's our first greyhound, so we didn't really have anything to compare him to, but he's so sweet and loving at other times and with all other people, I'm not concerned.

[greg1229]

I've had my foster Baby Girl for several months. She will lay in the living room with me and the other hounds but most of the time she prefers to be back in my bedroom on a papa san cushion. I think she likes it because it is a bit more quiet, and the AC keeps it a lot cooler then the rest of the house.

 

I wouldn't worry too much. Some hounds are more social then others.

 

Greg

[Guest greysmitten]

Cute

Our hounds is now in the habit of going upstairs to bed around 9-10pm all by herself. Being a hound is tiring, I guess.

 

Be glad that he's independent and not super clingy. I don't think it's a sign of anything except that he's well-adjusted.

[Hubcitypam]

I wouldn't sweat it.

 

Girlie waits for me to get up and/or be in the living room so she can get in my her queen size bed - she won't get in it when I'm there. Once in a while she comes in and sleeps on the couch if I am on the computer.

She sleeps in her closet or the dog bed in my room at night but would rather be cushy in my bed than in here on a dog bed with a bunch of light and noise. I'm certain that she likes me just fine.

[Guest Barbara]

Allstun does that - he goes back in the bedroom to lie down sometimes. The two dachsies are always out in the front room, so I figure he just wants a little break. He does lie down out front with us, too. My daughter says "Well, Mom, you know the children are out in the front!"

[3greytjoys]

One of our more independent hounds didn't give me (or any other women) the time of day for many months. Actually, he was indifferent to everyone, except he seemed to like his human daddy from Day 1. Now, years later he's my oh so special heart boy.

 

Greyhounds are usually so sensitive anyway, but this boy has always been extremely sensitive to the TV volume. If the TV gets too loud (for him), he will leave the room. We frequently turn down the volume throughout movies so he can feel comfortable enough to stay in the same room. I don't know where your foster hound's bed is located in that room but there may be some uncomfortable physical vibrations from speakers, bright light, etc. Moving his bed to another more quiet and dark spot might help. We have a couple of open door crates in the family room that we keep about 2/3 covered with fabric. The crate "caves" are usually the first beds to be snagged by the hounds. The other hounds are left with all the other open cushy dog beds.

 

Also, one of our girl's dog bed is in the center of the master bedroom. If the TV is turned on even very low, she much prefers resting in the darker and more quiet master bath area.

 

Our wonderful boy was hypersensitive to his human daddy's voice too. If his daddy spoke to him in a really deep (yet loving) voice, this hound's perception of that very deep voice was that he must have done something wrong. Once his human daddy realized our hound's sensitivity, he began speaking to him in a higher, happy tone, which helped him feel much better.

 

All this family home stuff sounds like it's still fairly new to your foster hound. He may simply feel more sensitive to his new environment and feel more comfortable sleeping away from the activity. (Next time he goes to the vet, it might help to check his ears too.)

 

I agree with others, I'd count my blessings for a hound that feels self-confident enough to walk away from your sides for a few hours.

 

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[Guest jedortia]

I think that sounds pretty normal for some dogs. I have had fosters that in the evening when they get tired like to be left alone so go find a nice place to snooze in the other room. One foster we had, when he was stressed out by the weather, would go into our walk-in-robe and sleep in there.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. He probably just needs more time to get used to everything and I don't think it is any indication on how much he likes you. If you are worried he is spending too much time up there, you might want to put a baby gate up so he doesn't have access.

[Guest BrindleBoy]

We've had Indy about 4 months, and in the last month, he'll get up at 8:30pm (almost like clockwork, it's uncanny), and go upstairs to bed. I think he's just COMFORTABLE enough now that he does whatever he wants to instead of having to be by our side 24-7. He also stopped sleeping in the bedroom. He prefers the couch. At first, our feelings were a little hurt, then we realized that was silly... he's a dog. He just likes the couch better than his bed, and he's comfortable enough now to not have to sleep in the same room with us. He still comes into the bedroom to sleep if it's t-storming, and sometimes in the very early morning (like 4am), he'll come into the bedroom to finish the night's sleep.

[Guest KennelMom]

Could just be the way he is. Could just be he's acclimating. You could try the baby gate and force him to be with you (not our style). Regardless, if it you don't like it, then he's not a match for you.

[FiveRoooooers]

When we're together, he is super friendly and very people oriented - all he does is pester you for pets!! But in the afternoon/evenings (basically any time DH and I are home) he'll go upstairs to the bedroom and lay down on a dog bed. He'll stay there all night!

 

My Seamus arrived in April, we had a b'day party for him in June; he stayed about an hour+ and then decided that he'd had enough party and asked to go to bed He does this. Like yours, he is super friendly and terribly people oriented, in your pocket or lap. But after supper, Seamie goes to his man cave (which also happens to be our BR ) and I often don't see him again until it's time for all of us to turn in. That being said, it has now been almost six months since he arrived and I've noticed that more and more often, he is hanging out with us in the living room after his dinner. Nothing obvious has changed. I think it is just him growing increasingly comfortable and confident about ours being his forever home.

[Rustyroo]

I wouldn't be too concerned. Some dogs just like being by themselves. Franny is one of them. We hardly know she is around because she is always in the other room sleeping. She comes out by us when it suits her. It's just the way she is and we have accepted that.

[NeylasMom]

My current foster had terrible SA when I got her. We've managed to work through that, but she still LOVES being with people and other dogs. She will roach on her back next to you, under you, on top of you, in between your legs, wherever! for as long as you will rub her belly. But, every evening, while Zuri and I watch TV in our living room she puts herself to bed in the bedroom. So don't take it personally, it's just where your foster wants to be.