Our Boy Wont Sleep

[Guest Vadersmom]

We've had vader for a month now. He refuses to sleep at night. Barks(really loud) and whines all night, in or out of crate. Either my bedroom is haunted or he is a nocturnal pup. Either option is not good.

We exercise him during the day. He eats well.

The minute we wake for the day he lies down and sleeps. He just can't see us doing the same.

My family needs to sleep. Please help!!

[NevadasMom]

Have you tried Melatonin or Rescue Remedy?

[smurfette]

Keep him awake during the day. You have to turn around his sleep pattern. Perhaps take a day off and start with action in the early morning hours. Take him for a day out and come home in the evening. He will learn that night means sleep and das means action.

[JohnF]

Alter the main feeding time to evening, he should sleep well after that.

[greysmom]

Is he sleeping where he can see you? Most greyhounds like to be with their pack at night.

 

Make him up a nice comfy bed in your room. Then you're going to need to change up this new habit he's developed - keep him active throughout the day (except right around meal times). Really active - hiking, walking, playing with toys, playing with other greyhounds, doggy day care, training. Feed him in the middle of the evening, take him out right before you go to be and make sure he empties himself.

 

Set him up on his new bed, do your own go-to-bed routine, and lay down. You may need to baby gate the door of your room if he's a wanderer. Ignore him completely, even if he's loud and noisy. That may mean someone will need to sleep somewhere else if they need to go to work or whatever, but the room where he is, with at least one of his people, needs to be dark and calm. A white noise machine can help too.

[Guest Vadersmom]

We are going on over 4 weeks. He will not let us lie in bed to sleep. The minute we put our heads down, he starts barking and whining. Its soooo loud. He stops the second we get up.

He has his bed at the foot of ours. We've moved the crate in the room. Nightlight on/off fan on/off ac on/off. We are taking turns sleeping on couch just so we can all get sleep. I'm beginning to think our room is haunted. Please help us get some sleep.

[macoduck]

I beginning to think you might need to give him a benadryl tablet at bedtime. I don't like the idea of drugging a dog but benadryl is rather mild. Or try melatonin.

 

Editing to delete the idea of using benadryl. (Thanks Neylasmom.)

Edited July 31, 2017 by macoduck

[Guest Vadersmom]

Thank you. I have been toying with the idea but was waiting for his vet checkup to ask. I purchased one of those calming necklaces, it didn't work.

I am going to try tonight. Thank you. I think once he sleeps through safely in our room he will know we aren't going anywhere. Otherwise im bringing in someone to get rid of the spirit ghost in my room. Lol

[BatterseaBrindl]

Greyhounds are creatures of habit.

He has now figured out that if he barks/whines you WILL get up Vader

 

Time for some tough love...

Go to bed... and do NOT get up when he starts his noises.

Do not speak.

Do not move.

Do not open your eyes.

Do not move.

Pretend you are dead.

 

Yes... he will continue to make noise. A lot of noise.

 

Don't tell him to stop. Don't tell him to go lay down.

Do. Not. Respond. At. All.

 

Sooner or later--- and it will take more than one night of tough love ... he will quit his noises.

Might take a couple of nights.

Might take a week.

 

Yes. You will be annoyed. Very annoyed. But do not give in.

 

I have had multiple large breed dogs for 30+ years and this method has never let me down.

Our problems with the will-not-stop pestering has traditionally happened in the early morning hours, but I can see no reason that the same method cant work at night.

[Guest PackMomma]

When we first got Willow she wouldnt sleep long at night. I did the above recomended method of ignoring and waiting it out. I also set an alarm to the times we would be getting up to go out initially she was wanting out at least 4 times a night. I gradually extended the time she had to wait and now two months in she will wake up and resettle herself. As the previous member mentioned there were a few loud and sleep deprived nights while she learned that i would ignore the fuss and she was fine. We also had one accident in my room the second night of the ignoring process.

 

Funny thing is how true it is when members here who have much more experience than I talk about how much greyhounds rely on their schedules and routines. She now pops up about 5-10 min before the morning alarm rings without fail, she will wait but paces quietly till the first beep of the alarm and then starts rooing to make sure I understand she has been waiting and it is time to go to the bathroom and eat breakfast. She makes me laugh

[NeylasMom]

I would not use Benadryl, but Melatonin is safe to try. And yes, shes probably learned at this point it works for getting attention. Could also be underexercised. I would make sure she's well exercised, feed dinner, give amole opportunity to empty out fully before bed, dose Melatonin a bit before and then give her a stuffed Kong on her bed right before you intend to go to sleep. If she whines, ignore her.

[cleptogrey]

i had a foster who was not an easy dog. bit one of the dogs in her previous foster home, cried all night, pulled like a draft horse when she was walked. the mom in the other foster home tried sleeping next to the pup's crate, that didn't work.the first night i lined her crate up w/ my dog's crates, she bellowed all night. the second night she was at my house i brought the crate into the bedroom. she started in, i grabbed the plant spray and went to work. never said a word except for the first spray when i loudly said,"SHHHHSUSH!" a night of water works and challenging the spray and me not giving up she learned to sleep the night and behave herself.

 

now 99.5% of the people on GT will cringe when they read this, but this pup needed boundaries and limitations. that's why the first foster home had such a difficult time. she also learned not to grab food out of the fridge when the door was open and NOT to attach the other house dogs.her chewing was directed to raw bones(yes, she was a chewer as well). some dogs are mellow, some a tad more challenging. and this dog played in the yard and had 2-4 mile walks daily!!! i only resort to herbs, supplements, drugs when all other options have been tired. she went on to live a perfect life with a crazy lab out in the country.

 

i personally have a horrible reaction to melatonin, sweats, bad dreams and anxiety attacks. benadryl on the other hand...it's out of your system in 4-6 hrs. and i can take 2 at a time on top of my daily zyrtec.

Edited August 3, 2017 by cleptogrey