# sudden night whining becoming a real problem!



## blackylad (Dec 23, 2011)

Hi all
my border terrier has been with us around 6 months now. 10 weeks when we got him.originally we had him in a cage in our conervatory to sleep, he never really settled though ( too much noise and wildlife i suspect ) so we moved the cage in to the kitchen he was fine for a while but started banging on the cage through night again after a few nights . he was toilet trained really quickly so we decided to abandon the cage and try his bed in the kitchen with a stair gate on door. and there he has been fine for 5 ish months . so much so we dropped the stair gate and just closed the door, suddenly he started scratching at the door through night , we decided to ignore him . Never underestimate the determination of a 9 month old border terrier!! he continued ALL night!! So stair gate back (to keep him off the door) fine again for a few weeks until ! This last couple of weeks he has whined through night , LOTS!! his whole attitude to bedtime has changed in fact he now cries when put in the kitchen when he used to just put himself to bed after his late wee in the garden. Also ANY sort of noise upstairs and he's off again. we've tried ignoring him, coming down and commanding quiet but nothing works !! With 2 babies under 3 this is not ideal ( he wakes) them up!!!
Can anyone please please offer some advice ?? We love him to bits but my wife is at the end of her tether !!!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

blackylad said:


> Hi all
> my border terrier has been with us around 6 months now. 10 weeks when we got him.originally we had him in a cage in our conervatory to sleep, he never really settled though ( too much noise and wildlife i suspect ) so we moved the cage in to the kitchen he was fine for a while but started banging on the cage through night again after a few nights . he was toilet trained really quickly so we decided to abandon the cage and try his bed in the kitchen with a stair gate on door. and there he has been fine for 5 ish months . so much so we dropped the stair gate and just closed the door, suddenly he started scratching at the door through night , we decided to ignore him . Never underestimate the determination of a 9 month old border terrier!! he continued ALL night!! So stair gate back (to keep him off the door) fine again for a few weeks until ! This last couple of weeks he has whined through night , LOTS!! his whole attitude to bedtime has changed in fact he now cries when put in the kitchen when he used to just put himself to bed after his late wee in the garden. Also ANY sort of noise upstairs and he's off again. we've tried ignoring him, coming down and commanding quiet but nothing works !! With 2 babies under 3 this is not ideal ( he wakes) them up!!!
> Can anyone please please offer some advice ?? We love him to bits but my wife is at the end of her tether !!!


Its possible that something spooked or disturbed him and now he associates the kitchen with whatever it is. Had you had any really bad thunder storms before it happened or anything like that?

You could try putting the crate back, but not shutting him in, just leave the door open, put his bed in there and you could also try an old t-shirt or jumper you have worm, it will have your smell and that can settle and re-assure them.
Have you ever tried draping an old throw or blanket over the crate, if you have it against a wall, and drape the cover over the top and other two side a lot of dogs like that as it becomes a safe den, if something has spooked him that may help. Leaving a radio on low on a talking station can help again the sound of voices can calm and re-assure them. Is he in darkness at the moment? If he is in complete darkness maybe try one of those dim night lights that may even do the trick and re-assure him, dont put bright lights on though it will stimulate him eide awake. Likewise if you have a light on now, maybe try darkness some settle better, depending on what you do at the moment the light/dark will need to be trail and error and see if it makes a difference. I would go back to the gate instead of the closed door, or try that again too, the closed door maybe too isolating at the moment.

One thing you could try too that does help a lot of dogs Adaptil dog appeasing pheromones they can help dogs in times of anxiety and stress, to calm and sooth you just use them like a plug in air freshener, see link for full details
Adaptil - The secret to happy dogs - Adaptil

It might help too if he had a goody at bedtime, could be a couple of small dog biscuits or half a dozen little treats, just something that makes a positive note for bedtime and being left.


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## LexiLou2 (Mar 15, 2011)

Dogs go through fear stages when they are growing up and 10 -12 months is the stage that the second fear stage hits. Lexi our staffie has always slept downstairs her whole life however during her second fear phase she became terrifed of the dark. It depends what the rest of his body language is, is he fearful does he look scared and upset? We tried ignoring Lexi and it was terrible in the end we got a trainer involved and I'll be honest it took about 6 weeks to sort but we did sort it and shes been fine.

A few things we tried was giving rescue remedy before bed, just 3 or 4 drops about 15 mins before bed.
Thundershirt on a bed time
sleeping with a t-shirt we'd worn
leaving the light on
leaving a radio on low
in the end we combined all the above and we used to sit outside the kitchen and talk to her (i used to read a book) until she settled, she settled faster as she knew I was close, then I would stay say there for 5 mins or so then got to bed, the first few nights it took about an hour to get her to sleep, then we got stuck for a long time at half an hour and then improved quite quickly.

Our trainer thinks she had either had a really bad nightmare one night and really upset herself and she the associated the kitchen and the dark with the scary whatever in her nightmare, or she heard a noise outside which scared her and again she associated the kitchen and the dark as she was fine in the kitchen during the day and when it was light.


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## Strawberryearth (Apr 5, 2012)

I agree with what has already been said above. Betty doesn't like it when we shut the door- she currently sleeps in the kitchen with a baby gate between that and the living room. However when we go to my parents house (she has been and stayed a few times now) my baby gate doesn't fit their kitchen door so I have to shut it, she is far more vocal than usual but usually settles after a little while.

Likewise with the fear stage, I have heard for smaller dogs the fear stage starts from about 6months (since they tend to mature faster than larger breeds) but even if not until later it sounds like this might be what yours is going through. 

Betty often wakes if someone moves around during the night, going to the loo or whatever. She will give a few barks but usually goes back to sleep, although we don't have children so can ignore the barks without fear its going to wake the little 'uns up. If you are giving her attention (even negative) when she barks it may be reinforcing it. 

Hopefully it will be something easly solved with a bit of patience and consistency. We generally have to settle Betty in bed before we go up, this usually consists of us taking her out for her last wee and then she goes into her bed when she comes in. OH washes the dishes and I dry them, completely ignoring Betty. She snuggles under the covers and conks out, so when we go upstairs and switch the lights off she doesn't move or make a peep.

Good luck.


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## blackylad (Dec 23, 2011)

It defo seems like fear  i will try all of the above though until we crack it !! Have had 2 good nights last couple except he has started running off in the garden at night time wee time and is shaking like a leaf when you pick him up to put in the kitchen. it may well be that summat has spooked him in there but he ain't getting out to wander the house at night im afraid !!!


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## LexiLou2 (Mar 15, 2011)

They do improve, Lexi got really bad at night time wee, hiding in the garden, so we were advised to pop her on lead walk round with her stay up beat and happy and then take her in all on lead in a happy manner.
Its like having a toddler whose scared of the dark without the ability to explain that there is nothing to be afraid of.
How is he if left through the day?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

blackylad said:


> It defo seems like fear  i will try all of the above though until we crack it !! Have had 2 good nights last couple except he has started running off in the garden at night time wee time and is shaking like a leaf when you pick him up to put in the kitchen. it may well be that summat has spooked him in there but he ain't getting out to wander the house at night im afraid !!!


If he is trying to run off at night when he goes out for his last wee as he knows by the routine that he has to be left in the kitchen so hoping to avoid it and shaking and getting stressed, then tbh its not really fair just dumping him in a situation he feels so clearly fearful about. You could end up with long term behaviour problems it can even manifest itself in fear agression as a way with coping with things. If he is going through a fear period they do pass, but how well they pass and if they have any lasting effects (which they can do) depends on how the period is handled in the first place.

If you put him in his crate at night and shut him in anyway could he not stay crated in another room for the night, at least to see if he gets over this problem and then try him back in the kitchen with maybe some of the suggestions.


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