Discussion
Our 2 year old ridgeback had in recent weeks decided to wake up around 2.30 in the morning and come upstairs and see how we are , thought it was a one off to start with but is happening nearly every night now , was up with her from 02.30 till 04.30 this morning when we gave up and let her kip on the floor in our room up until this point she had battered the barrier we had put on the stair's or jumped over it to come and see us four times and whined for nearly 3 hours
Up until now she has only been upstairs about 4 times since she was a pup , anyone else had any experance with a suddern change in behavior like this , one of my mates thinks she is having a phantom pregnancey , she is due a season next month.
Help folk's as this is driving me and the wife mad like having a baby in the house again . she has just decided to wake up and climb on my lap as i type this bloody 40 kg of ridgeback thinking its a lap dog !!!
Keith
Up until now she has only been upstairs about 4 times since she was a pup , anyone else had any experance with a suddern change in behavior like this , one of my mates thinks she is having a phantom pregnancey , she is due a season next month.
Help folk's as this is driving me and the wife mad like having a baby in the house again . she has just decided to wake up and climb on my lap as i type this bloody 40 kg of ridgeback thinking its a lap dog !!!
Keith
Edited by Keithp on Thursday 13th May 22:32
We had an issue recently when the two year old Irish Setter suddenly wanted to get up in the middle of every night - having slept all the way way through from day one. Came off the back of a small bladder infection - but he got the idea it was fun to go out. The answer for us was to ignore the request - he now sleeps through again.
It may be a pregnancy issue, but we have dogs so have no experience. My starting point might involve a large cage. She will learn its her bed and of course can't get out. Its up to you whether the cage is downstairs, or next to the bed. We have more space next to the bed ourselves. If you don't want to use a cage set up a proper bed. It means a change to past circumstances.
The other answer is get a king size. We have two setters sleep on the bed. Who needs a hot water bottle. One will only get up at the top end though if I'm facing away from him - and woofs until I turn. I guess though you don't sound like this would be the answer for you. At the end of the day you are really wanting your full nights kip reinstated.
It may be a pregnancy issue, but we have dogs so have no experience. My starting point might involve a large cage. She will learn its her bed and of course can't get out. Its up to you whether the cage is downstairs, or next to the bed. We have more space next to the bed ourselves. If you don't want to use a cage set up a proper bed. It means a change to past circumstances.
The other answer is get a king size. We have two setters sleep on the bed. Who needs a hot water bottle. One will only get up at the top end though if I'm facing away from him - and woofs until I turn. I guess though you don't sound like this would be the answer for you. At the end of the day you are really wanting your full nights kip reinstated.
Definitely not a phantom pregnancy if she's due in season soon - it would be two months after her last season if this was the case.
Have you changed ANYTHING about her environment or your habits recently that might coincide with this change of behaviour? e.g. different job? Different bed-time? new sofa? re-decorated? New dog-bed? etc...
Is it possible there is something going on outside your house, or with neighbours at these times? We had a dog once that only ever came upstairs during the night twice - both times I discovered that my car had been 'egged' when I woke up in the morning!
Have you changed ANYTHING about her environment or your habits recently that might coincide with this change of behaviour? e.g. different job? Different bed-time? new sofa? re-decorated? New dog-bed? etc...
Is it possible there is something going on outside your house, or with neighbours at these times? We had a dog once that only ever came upstairs during the night twice - both times I discovered that my car had been 'egged' when I woke up in the morning!
thanks for the ideas,
in rough order , nothing going on out side , checked that was my first thought,
i agree pregnancy thing wrong way round! but cluthcing at straws.
Nothing has chnged in the house routine , on reflection this seems to have started since the clocks changed !
Tried letting her out in case she needed the loo but she does not even venture out .
Cold was my thoughts as well
She started at smack on 02.30 again this morning reinforced the barricade and all we got was an hour or so of wimpering we ignored her and she eventualy shut up she is sound asleep at the moment so i am just of to wake her up and run her round the garden !
Keith
in rough order , nothing going on out side , checked that was my first thought,
i agree pregnancy thing wrong way round! but cluthcing at straws.
Nothing has chnged in the house routine , on reflection this seems to have started since the clocks changed !
Tried letting her out in case she needed the loo but she does not even venture out .
Cold was my thoughts as well
She started at smack on 02.30 again this morning reinforced the barricade and all we got was an hour or so of wimpering we ignored her and she eventualy shut up she is sound asleep at the moment so i am just of to wake her up and run her round the garden !
Keith
If due in season next month she won't be hsving a false pregnancy yet (usually occurs 9 weeks post season)
It's possible something spooked her one night so came upstairs for reassurance/ support and now she has a fear of being where she normally sleeps so the behaviour is increasing.
It could be that she may come into season sooner than a month and this is causing the clingy behaviour but if she's never done it before it is strange she'll do it now.
This is one of those situations when a professional may be able to offer some advice if it doesn't settle. Don't let it go on for too long though.
I'm not sure what you should do, the wrong response may make her a lot worse, a medical ck may be worth it but strange the time is so precise, could there be an alarm, a noise, someone heading off for work outside that is spooking her.
One dog ended up with a fear response due to the heating going off making s noise, in the kitchen where she slept.
It's possible something spooked her one night so came upstairs for reassurance/ support and now she has a fear of being where she normally sleeps so the behaviour is increasing.
It could be that she may come into season sooner than a month and this is causing the clingy behaviour but if she's never done it before it is strange she'll do it now.
This is one of those situations when a professional may be able to offer some advice if it doesn't settle. Don't let it go on for too long though.
I'm not sure what you should do, the wrong response may make her a lot worse, a medical ck may be worth it but strange the time is so precise, could there be an alarm, a noise, someone heading off for work outside that is spooking her.
One dog ended up with a fear response due to the heating going off making s noise, in the kitchen where she slept.
Edited by becksW on Friday 14th May 07:50
Silly question, but have you tried taking her out for a walk later at night?
It could also be with it getting light earlier, she is expecting breakkie to be served?
Is there any reason why she can't come up stairs? She is hunting/protecting breed so she might also feel it's her duty to make sure all is well where you are? Plus standard pack mentality is to be with the pack?
It could also be with it getting light earlier, she is expecting breakkie to be served?
Is there any reason why she can't come up stairs? She is hunting/protecting breed so she might also feel it's her duty to make sure all is well where you are? Plus standard pack mentality is to be with the pack?
Thanks for all these ideas will have another look about , over the last month or so she seems to have turned form a puppy to an adult , she has never barked or shown and territorial / Protective behavior , but in the last few months on a few occasions she has let of the occasional grunt and bark if she has not been sure about something or someone has waked in unexpectedly she does not know , Not aggressively but just letting us know so to speak. So perhaps she is just checking up on us .
Ref alowing her up stars , the wife wont have it as she molts like hell !
She is a cracking dog all round, i have even thought of getting another one in case she want company .
We have thought about later walkes will try it from tonight to see if that works
Keith
Ref alowing her up stars , the wife wont have it as she molts like hell !
She is a cracking dog all round, i have even thought of getting another one in case she want company .
We have thought about later walkes will try it from tonight to see if that works
Keith
Keithp said:
Thanks for all these ideas will have another look about , over the last month or so she seems to have turned form a puppy to an adult , she has never barked or shown and territorial / Protective behavior , but in the last few months on a few occasions she has let of the occasional grunt and bark if she has not been sure about something or someone has waked in unexpectedly she does not know , Not aggressively but just letting us know so to speak. So perhaps she is just checking up on us .
Ref alowing her up stars , the wife wont have it as she molts like hell !
She is a cracking dog all round, i have even thought of getting another one in case she want company .
We have thought about later walkes will try it from tonight to see if that works
Keith
If you get another dog I would expect she will be happier downstairs at night.Ref alowing her up stars , the wife wont have it as she molts like hell !
She is a cracking dog all round, i have even thought of getting another one in case she want company .
We have thought about later walkes will try it from tonight to see if that works
Keith
Many will say that this is pot luck, but it has certainly worked for us and my parents saw exactly the opposite when they went from two to one dog.
My last dog used to do the same, every morning 4am on the dot (when the chimes rang on the clock) he would com in and put his head on the bed to let you know he was there. I would just give him a stroke, say "hello son, lie down" and he would collapse next to my bed and go to sleep (or sometimes think he could join me in bed) until 6.30 (again exactly when the chimes rang) when he would be up and wanting fed, then there was no chance of him going to sleep, he knew it was time.
God I miss him
God I miss him
Jasandjules said:
Silly question, but have you tried taking her out for a walk later at night?
It could also be with it getting light earlier, she is expecting breakkie to be served?
Is there any reason why she can't come up stairs? She is hunting/protecting breed so she might also feel it's her duty to make sure all is well where you are? Plus standard pack mentality is to be with the pack?
Is a ridgeback a pack animal?It could also be with it getting light earlier, she is expecting breakkie to be served?
Is there any reason why she can't come up stairs? She is hunting/protecting breed so she might also feel it's her duty to make sure all is well where you are? Plus standard pack mentality is to be with the pack?
Sounds like it needs a good talking to before appealing to any assumed inbuilt natural tendencies!
She's dead...try Ceaser, he'll give you that pack/alpha male nonsense all day long!
Dogs are opportunist....if it suits them to be in a pack they will do, but will equally thrive alone. There are loads of examples where many dogs have lived wild for generations and (despite what Disney may think about feral dogs) they don't often form packs unless the environment suits (like guarding a food source)
Dogs are opportunist....if it suits them to be in a pack they will do, but will equally thrive alone. There are loads of examples where many dogs have lived wild for generations and (despite what Disney may think about feral dogs) they don't often form packs unless the environment suits (like guarding a food source)
Tiggsy said:
She's dead...try Ceaser, he'll give you that pack/alpha male nonsense all day long!
Dogs are opportunist....if it suits them to be in a pack they will do, but will equally thrive alone. There are loads of examples where many dogs have lived wild for generations and (despite what Disney may think about feral dogs) they don't often form packs unless the environment suits (like guarding a food source)
I'm not going to get into another forum debate about dog training with you... Either you ARE Ceasar Milan or are a member of his fan club: Either way, I urge anyone tempted to follow Tiggsy's advice to consult a qualified behaviourist first - preferably one using 21st Century methods!Dogs are opportunist....if it suits them to be in a pack they will do, but will equally thrive alone. There are loads of examples where many dogs have lived wild for generations and (despite what Disney may think about feral dogs) they don't often form packs unless the environment suits (like guarding a food source)
OP - please DO NOT attempt to remedy this behaviour by giving your dog "a good talking to"... you will end up with a fearful and unpredictable dog and that's not good with something as big and powerful as a Ridgeback.
Edited by kVA on Friday 14th May 15:37
Tiggsy said:
Sorry??? I think Ceaser is a tool.
Apologies for that comment then, but you seem to endorse his methods...Tiggsy said:
OP can do what he likes but i've never had any of my Bull Terriers, Staffs, Lurchers, etc whine because they want to sit on my bed!
Perhaps that's because they haven't been put in exactly the same situation as the OP's dog?As a general rule take any sudden change in behaviour seriously: There is usually a reason for it and I, for one, would want to establish what the cause of the behaviour change is before I decided on a course of action to address it.
With a guarding breed, a dog trying to get to you is probably either to protect you from something, or to get away from something for you to protect it... Either way, disciplining the dog will have long-lasting repercussions and you may end up with fear aggression and a very dangerous dog.
Edited by kVA on Friday 14th May 16:06
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