Ask Me Help Desk - Won't sleep through night

We have 2 dogs that sleep in our bed with us at night. One is perfectly but the other - wants to go outside all through the night. I know she hears "critters" outside that she wants to chase and she just doesn't forget about them. Needless to say, we are not getting a good nights sleep either!

You might want to consider crating them of a night.
I have 2 crates in my bedroom for my dogs, one on each side of our bed.

Mine love going in their crates of a night because it is a secure place for them to sleep plus they know they get their "special bedtime treats" when they go in there.

Here is how I crate train my dogs:

(This was written by myself, mainly for puppies but it works for adult dogs as well)

There are a few things to consider before actually starting the training:

Selecting a crate.
A dogs crate should be large enough for the dog to stand up in, turn around easily and be able to lay down comfortably.
Crates come in all shapes and sizes so shop around for one that best suits your dogs size.

I personally prefer to use all wire crates as to the plastic pet pack varieties as even though the plastic crates have ventilation they can become very hot.
When you leave, no matter how long for always have fresh water available, D-shaped water bowls are great for crates, they are shaped like a D and the flat part has clips to secure to the wire and prevent spills.

Toys are also a wonderful training tool as it will keep the dog distracted, I use kong toys stuffed with yummy food as a cure for boredom, having special toys or treats that the dog gets only when you go out are also a wonderful idea, it shows them that the crate is a good thing, not a punishment.

Another good idea for crates is to cover it with a blanket or sheet. You can leave the front open so the dog can see but having a blanket over the sides and back makes the dog feel more secure than a wire crate out in the open.
Another reason I prefer wire crates, you can adjust the covering to suit the weather.

When crate training my dogs I first coax them into the crate with a yummy treat, I let them eat the treat in the crate and play with a toy in there. Once they are comfortable with being in the crate I give them another treat then lock the crate and then go sit away from the crate and ignore the puppy.
I only sit down for a minute or two, just long enough so that the dog does not bark or cry.
I then walk over and let them out of the crate and give them praise for not crying.

Letting them out only if they are not crying is very important. If you let the dog out of the crate while it is crying it will only teach them that crying makes you come back and let them out.

Next time I sit down for a few more minutes, again only letting them out if the dog is not crying.

Increase the amount of time you sit for and always let them out before the dog starts crying (you will learn how long that threshold is pretty quickly)

This teaches the dog that they are not being left in the crate forever.

A lot of people prefer to leave the house while they are crating their dog to start with, this is purely personal preference, I have tried both and had more success with staying near the dog.

The only attention the dog shoulg get should be an angry "no" from you when it cries to show it that crying is naughty.
Just remember, however loud and hard your puppy is screaming do not let it out of the crate. It will calm down and then it can come out.

I should have stated that we did crate train both dogs and I really do not want to put this problem sleeper back in her crate. I was hoping for a "miracle" answer that didn't involve the crate. Thanks for the help!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadie231

I was hoping for a "miracle" answer that didn't involve the crate.

What about some kind of white noise maker in the bedroom? I know dogs hear things we can't hear, but if there is some way to regulate a white noise machine to block out the outside noises.. You might have to do a bit of research with dog hearing and tones they pick up on (shrill vs. deep). Maybe even running a small fan would work for the drone it would produce. I would not give away my own white noise maker. I can't sleep without it.

Another idea would be very heavy drapes or better room insulation to mask or deaden outdoor noises.

Can you tell me what kind of white noise machine you use?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadie231

Can you tell me what kind of white noise machine you use?

Mine is a Marsona 1200A (bought at Sears years ago), and settings are for either rain or waterfall with tone and volume controls. My son has a Homedics (from drugstore.com), with settings for rain, waterfall, summer night, heartbeat, ocean, rain forest -- all able to have volume changes. My son and I each use waterfall during the night since it is a steady drone. The other sounds on his have noise variations with drips or tweets or swishes, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wondergirl

What about some kind of white noise maker in the bedroom? I know dogs hear things we can't hear, but if there is some way to regulate a white noise machine to block out the outside noises.........? You might have to do a bit of research with dog hearing and tones they pick up on (shrill vs. deep). Maybe even running a small fan would work for the drone it would produce. I would not give away my own white noise maker. I can't sleep without it.

Another idea would be very heavy drapes or better room insulation to mask or deaden outdoor noises.

That is a great idea WG.I suffer from insomnia and every sound annoys me and wakes me up.I have slept with a fan in my room for years to drown out outside noise.I am sure this would work for a dog as well.