No Longer Sleeping In Our Bedroom

[Guest RMarie]

When we first got James, just over 2 months ago, he would sleep in our bedroom. We would block the stairs at night so that he couldn't wander around the downstairs while we were asleep. I noticed last weekend that if my DH isn't home, James won't come up to bed. I tried to get him upstairs. He even came up there at first, but then quickly left and went to lie in his crate. Fine. No big deal. I'm his favorite, but he does have a special bond with my DH. I thought it was his way of "waiting up" for him. Anyway, after that, we decided to no longer block the stairs at night. Now, James more often then not, chooses to sleep alone downstairs in his crate. We aren't sure if it's because he likes his crate and the pillow inside of it more than his orthopedic dog bed upstairs. Or, perhaps the temperature is better down there (it's the warmest/coolest room in the house, depending on the season)? Does anyone else's grey choose to sleep alone? I guess the reason I'm confused is because throughout the adoption process, most people told us our grey would want to sleep wherever we are.

[macoduck]

My Gracie will begin the night in my bedroom with all the other dogs. About an hour later I'll hear her get up and move to the living room.

 

Sounds like your boy is comfortable in your home and is a confident dog. Much better that than having separation anxiety or waking you at all hours of the night.

[galgrey]

My Gracie will begin the night in my bedroom with all the other dogs. About an hour later I'll hear her get up and move to the living room.

 

Sounds like your boy is comfortable in your home and is a confident dog. Much better that than having separation anxiety or waking you at all hours of the night.

 

My girls are the same way. One likes the couch and the other likes the oversized chair in the living room. And Carly still sometimes likes to get in her crate to sleep. I agree that he sounds like he's comfortable and confident now. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[Guest FinnsMom]

We have had ours about 8 weeks now and since he is still scared silly of the stairs, he sleeps on the main floor alone. He was crated in the family room the first 3 nights and the 4th we thought we would let him be an see how things were and he was fine on his bed in my office. About a week after that we boxed his crate back up because he did not use it and put a Costco bed in place of it, so now at night he sleeps on the Costco bed because from there he can see the stairs. He's never whined or shown any anxiety about being alone on the main floor so I'm not too worried. I see it as a sign that he knows he's home.

[cleptogrey]

when mine had the freedom to sleep wherever, it was generally the room w/ the most comfortable tempt.= the living/dining room. the only time annie paces in our bedroom looking for a bed is during an electrical storm, then she's permitted in. our bedroom is off limits to felix since he only has one comfortable spot - ON TOP OF US! and it's quite crippling waking up after a 79# moose is on top of you.nothing wrong w/ him sleeping in his crate. we just erected both crates during "sally" for safelty- in case a tree crashed into our house. both are comfy in their crates and they are still up....most likely for the winter since they are so comfy and warm.(dog bed, quilt and polar fleece blanket and covered by a blanket at night- we keep our house at 59)

[Guest kess]

Bobby sleeps on the couch but if I am not up when he thinks his breakfast should be served he will come into the room and jump up onto the bed for awhile. Lately he will spend part of the evening on my bed well before bedtime then come back into the lounge. The couch is his favourite spot.

[DesiRayMom]

Desi starts out in bed with me, but I think he gets hot because usually when I get up in the morning, he's in his bolster bed in the family room.

Either that, or I am a restless sleeper, and disturb his highness.

[Gryffenne]

Bedroom door stays shut at night so that a wandering husky doesn't wander in there (Sammi has a few toys that for some reason or another she is possessive over, so they stay in the bedroom.)

 

Sammi is all over the room. She starts out in bed with me, then may move to the floor. Then the overstuffed chair that was my mom's. Then her den (aka my walk in closet). She LOVES that closet. With the shelves and dresser in there, the free floor space is the width of a costco dog bed and the depth of 2. Her special toy bin is in the back, next to the dresser & under one of the clothing rods. In the summer it is right by the window that holds the AC unit. In the winter it is closest to the heating vent. Then when my alarm goes off, she's back on bed for 15 minutes of snooze snuggling.

 

But when it was just DS, Sammi and I, she would be all over the house. Kitchen to get a drink, check in on DS, check to make sure the sofa was still cushy enough, that the futon was still long enough and that her dog beds were all fluffed properly. Then back into my room to steal my covers or hog the bed.

[Hawthorn]

Mine have always preferred to sleep with me in the bedroom - either on my bed or on one of the three dog beds. Maybe the orthopedic bed isn't very comfortable - some of them can be too firm?

[BootsyCollins]

Argos always slept in our room. Bootsy never does. He prefers the main floor of the house, or as we like to call it, "Middle Earth."

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Jayne was with us for eight months, sleeping in our room, when she decided that she would sleep in her crate instead. She had been crated at her bedtime during a party, and refused to come out when DH and I were turning in. Then, after her last turnout for the next week she would run into her crate and refuse to budge.

 

We moved her crate into our bedroom, and she's been happy as a clam ever since.

[Hubcitypam]

Buddy has his "main bed" next to mine, another bed in the bedroom and three beds in the living room to choose from at night as both the smaller guys sleep with me. He very often uses two or even three in one night.

[Guest ethan]

Ethan and Gordy are my 9th and 10th greyhounds. Everyone else always has slept either with me in the bed or beside the bed but in the bedroom. Neither Ethan or Gordy chose to sleep in my bedroom. Gordy sleeps on the couch and Ethan on his bed. That is what is comfortable for them and I'd like to have them in my room with me but they just don't want to be there. Oh well.

[Guest TBSFlame]

All of mine sleep different places with the exception of Memmie (mama's girl). She is always wherever I am.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Mine dont have a choice, they must sleep in the room with me. I have fosters all the time and cannot allow wandering. I close my door at night, or put a baby gate up, but either way, they all sleep in the room with my wife and I. It helps with accidents and other "issues" that sometimes arise when they are allowed to wander at night.

[XTRAWLD]

Kasey's habit change night by night. One night he'll be up on the bed, another on the floor in the bedroom, another on the floor in the living room. I'm not sure why but he usually always has to be close to us, so the nights he goes out in the living room on his own, I usually call him and ask him to come up. Usually if he goes out in the living room solo, when both of us are sleeping in the bedroom something is up - usually he has to puke!

[Guest SealDogMermaid]

Maybe its just a stairs thing? Ours will do the stairs if we ask them to and they will hang with us upstairs for maybe 20 min but then they just want to go back down. Not sure if they are uncomfortable being up there since they spend most of their time downstairs or what. And downstairs is where all their toys and beds are etc. But as far as free-roaming is concerned they will not go upstairs unless we invite them.

[PatricksMom]

Patrick would never stay the night in our room. Until he stopped doing stairs he would come up for a couple of hours and then head down to the couch.

[Guest kkaiser104]

Teddi doesn't have a choice--I shut him into my room at night so he doesn't disturb my roommates. He loves "going to bed", though, and always starts the night up on the bed. Since his foot's been giving him troubles he seems to spend most of the night on the floor.

[sobesmom]

I would say that it sounds like your grey is VERY comfotable in your home - and and settled in fabulously!

 

That means you've done an AWESOME job acclimating him! WELL DONE! Pat yourself on the back!

 

As your group explained to you - a LOT of dogs need to sleep in a pack environment, for their emotional security needs. That's absolutely the right way to go with a new dog. But - once a dog becomes comfortable - some of them prefer to leave the "pack" to find their most comfortable sleeping place.

 

My Diana - who has been with us for 5 years - normally sleeps right on top of DH and I. Unless - she chooses to sleep with DD. now - she'll start out the night in one of our beds - and move to the livingroom where the air conditioner is in the summer, and sleep there. On an especially hot night, she won't even go to a bedroom - she'll just spend the night in the livingroom in front of the A/C. Or - she just won't leave the couch we we all go to bed, and stay there. She's comfortable sleeping anywhere in this house - becuase to her this whole house is her "pack sleeping place".

 

My first grey - Sobe - would never sleep anywhere other than my bedroom. Multiple fosters I've had, usually choose to sleep in my bedroom - but some don't.

 

It's a personality, and comfort thing. If you've got a dog that "can" sleep away from his "pack" - I'd say you have a happy, well-adjusted dog. That's fine.

[Guest maidmarcia]

Licorice goes back and forth his doggy bed in my bedroom, my bed in the bedroom, the little couch, the big couch and his doggy bed in the living room. Lots of movement during the night.

[Guest gomiesmom]

Could be any or all of those things, if hes like my male hound.

Gomer is very attached to me, but somtimes when we are all ( hounds & humans) "settled in" in the evening in the TV room,( he on his Mega-bed) he'll randomly and sporatically go into the bedroom and lay his bed in there. Depending on the night, he may do this once, he may do this three times, in the course of 3-4 hours. No real rime or reason.

As far as real bedtime goes, my guys are not crated anymore, but I do shut the door to the bedroom at night, so we're all in there, no ifs, and or BUTTS....

(no choice for Goms at real bed time)