As for time spent with him I think it's a toss up. Unfortunately working in DC means along commute & I suppose I am out of the house much of the day [7 AM - 7 PM usually] vs. my stepdad who gets home around 4-5 PM. I guess it's difficult on both of us since when living in Florida we were together all the time! If he wasn't in his crate, he was basically with me. I just don't know how to change the behavior if it is indeed stemming from him spending too much time with my stepdad & not enough with me…
There are some really basic things that a dog owner can do to raise their value with their dog and build a better relationship. One thing you can do is start hand feeding him one meal a day. This can really help increasing bonding and is an excellent opportunity to practice some basic obedience though just handing feeding even if you don't ask for a behavior is great for bonding. Obedience work or agility work can also be great for relationship building since it requires you to work with your dog and learn to communicate with each other. If you are using positive reinforcement then your dog should be eager for his work sessions with you since they are really just a different kind of play session for the dog.
Keoki, as many of you know, has had MAJOR problems sleeping at night for the entire time we've had him. He seems to be almost crate-phobic and for a long time would only sleep in an open crate inside an ex-pen, and even that took us about 8 mos to achieve.
For the last couple of weeks he's been sleeping in a locked crate with no ex-pen. It's been great! He sleeps from 11 PM until 6:30 or 7 AM and even then I often have to bribe him out to potty.
Well…. Friday morning he woke up whining {It's a very worried little whine} at about 5:20 AM. DH let him out to potty, then put him back in the crate and left for work {I was still asleep}. About 5:45, he started crying again, and by the time I got to his crate the bedding was completely destroyed. 
I bought a new bed Friday.
Saturday and Sunday he slept fine, all was normal.
Monday morning he was up again at 5:20 AM. I told him to "go back to bed", he whimpered, curled up and went back to sleep until about 6:00, when he was raring to get out of that crate.
Last night/this morning he was up, whining and tearing bedding at 2 AM. I told him to go to bed, and he curled up and went back to sleep....until 3:00....again until 4:30.... 5:40....... 6:00.
His bed is a pile of mess again.
After he went out to potty - which he did not rush to do, so I Know it's not a desperate need to pee -- he ran right back into his crate and slept like a rock until 8:30, when he only got up because he heard me getting dog food bowls out.
He's in there again, sleeping contentedly.
It's quite maddening, really.
:mad:
What the heck is going on?
Honey, do you have to crate him at night and when your at work.
Seems like a lot to me.
Can't he sleep loose, in a doggie bed or on yours?
Nina, I know this might sound a little weird, but I wonder if you have coyotes howling that he hears in the middle of the night? Another possiblity is that he might be smelling another animal like a Raccoon esp if you sleep with a window open.
Just some thoughts I had because I have experienced this with my dogs esp when I sleep with a window open.
Jason
From time to time this would happen with my Serren Jane. What I found out was there were deer or other animals outside she would here and would not let me go back to sleep until I took her out to look for herself. Our dogs have such a keen sense of hearing they hear much more than we do. She can be outside when I open a package of cookies and she will come running inside for her treat. So to help with this problem I got a wave machine for the bedroom which helps to block some of these night sounds. Now only rarely does she pull one of these stunts.
We were never able to crate train Seren Jane. She shredded all her bedding, whined all night and even broke all her baby teeth out. Finally I put her in bed with us and we all have been happy ever since.
So to help with this problem I got a wave machine for the bedroom which helps to block some of these night sounds. Now only rarely does she pull one of these stunts.
That is very interesting. I use a fan in my room most of the time when I have a window open. Both the dogs seem to sleep well through the night. In early spring/Summer and Late Fall I don't use the fan, but leave the window open, that seems to be the time that Charlie get's more restless at night. I had never realy considered that the fan creates enough white noise to let him ignore the outside.
i've noticed the "pack" mentality with my mia. we just got new carpet and flooring through out the bottom floor of the house with the exception of our hardwood in the living room. Maggie, the B we took back from dan's ex, slept with us for a few nights because our AC decided to stop working and it was like 105 outside during the days.. and we had only one window unit and it was in the bedroom… rocky and mia stayed in their cages like normal, and maggie slept in the bed. one night i got up to take mia out around 4, and there was pee on our floor! so since the air is fixed, and we got the NEW carpet, i won't allow maggie to sleep in our room because she just goes, she doesn't cry or anything to warn us (mia cries when she has to go and wakes me up.. then shes allowed to sleep in bed with me) We're actually remodeling the house and our bedroom needs some new drywall and paint and molding put up so we havent moved anything but the bed and mias cage back in the room so rocky sleeps in the living room with maggie. the past couple nights Mia, who normally goes right in her cage and falls asleep, has been whining to the point where i have to turn off the tv and pretend we are sleeping so she goes to bed!
We do have animals that creep the backyard and I notice the b's don't run to chase them when the fan is on…
I think it creates a "white" noise effect.
i've . the past couple nights Mia, who normally goes right in her cage and falls asleep, has been whining to the point where i have to turn off the tv and pretend we are sleeping so she goes to bed!
This is funny, I often have to turn off the TV and pretend to sleep too, so Tosca will lay down by me and go to sleep. She is a great sleeper once she is out, but when you go to bed with her, she will often do the B500 a few times and pace a bit until she realizes its really time to go to bed. This goes on for a good 15 minutes sometimes, so when I am really tired and just want to sleep I also turn everything off, and pretend to sleep, and after a minute or so she will come over, go right under the covers, and go to sleep.
Just another example of how b's are like two year olds 
This is funny, I often have to turn off the TV and pretend to sleep too, so Tosca will lay down by me and go to sleep. She is a great sleeper once she is out, but when you go to bed with her, she will often do the B500 a few times and pace a bit until she realizes its really time to go to bed. This goes on for a good 15 minutes sometimes, so when I am really tired and just want to sleep I also turn everything off, and pretend to sleep, and after a minute or so she will come over, go right under the covers, and go to sleep.
Just another example of how b's are like two year olds
OMG, too funny…count me as one who has done the pretend to sleep thing too. When I only had Ruby, she would always climb up on the bed and go right to sleep...no messing around as when I first got her she learned that if she didn't settle down at night she slept in her crate...took her about 2 weeks to figure out the drill. Fast forward to adding Brando a few months ago. I really didn't want 2 dogs sleeping on my bed so I decided I crate them. Brando has always been great in his crate (I've seen it at the breeder). Anyway, he would cry when I first put him in his crate at night but then I figured out that if the lights were out, he would stop. Ruby never makes a peep.
Anyway, now I let them both sleep with me on the 4 days I work. But no matter how tired they are downstairs, when I take them up to go to bed, as soon as Brando is on the bed and sees Ruby's neck, he can't resist and there is a brawl (playing). The only way I can usually get it to stop is to put one on each side of me so I'm pinned in the middle. Lights out doesn't seem to help with the two of them. :rolleyes:
I went out of town last Saturday night and stayed over and my brother took care of the 2 dogs. He crated both of them at night in my room but didn't stay in that room. Brando didn't cry...so I guess that means he's been playing me because I'm in the same room. :rolleyes:
Dallas actually sleeps better with the TV on. If I am lying in bed & have the TV on he will hop up & be asleep within like 2 minutes. However, it's when I just get in bed that he's anxious & will stay up for an extra 20ish minutes playing with his toys.
Snorky998, I too am new at this, so welcome. Don't you just love this new community? Everyone is so responsive and helpful.
My Seren Jane also likes to curl up under the covers to sleep; then comes the all out relaxed sprawl and always between my husband and I. Try to move her and you get this low growl. I use to think she might bite, however I have learned over the years she is just expressing her displeasure with being moved.
Serenjane, I also get the "hey I'm trying to sleep here!!" growl. Wait til you get your 2nd 'senji. The first thing you do is buy a bigger bed!!
Serenjane, I also get the "hey I'm trying to sleep here!!" growl. Wait til you get your 2nd 'senji. The first thing you do is buy a bigger bed!!
Never a big enough bed…..
Laugh..your so right. I have 2 b's and a double bed, still end up on the edge.
Hubby has a queen bed and Shasta still likes to sleep in the center…
You just can't get away from them! Laugh.
Lycia is really odd then.. I bought her a little cat bed and put it on my bed… she sleeps in that thing no problem. You could get lost with all the room in my bed!! ... guess that will change when I get another one
TYPICAL NIGHT:
9:00 - Me and the wife get into bed. She-Ra joins us with her chew. We watch a movie for about an hour.
9:30 - She-Ra stops chewing long enough to come over and give us both a bath. Don't bother trying to stop her…you WILL get a bath before bedtime.
10:00 - TV's off, lights are off, She-Ra decides who gets the privilege of her company tonight, does the three-times-around turn and FLOPS right next to the person. Not even air is going to get through the gap between basenji and human.
11:30 - Cat #1 decides to join us on the bed. She-Ra growls at the new intruder who's disturbing "the pack". Alpha dog (me) grabs She-Ra and pulls her close. She-Ra calms down. Cat leaves for a safer part of the bed.
2:30 - Time for a change of venue. She-Ra goes to pester wife to let her get under the covers.
3:00 - Cat #1 decides to investigate new lump in the bed. More growling.
5:00 - She-Ra can't get comfortable so she switches between me and the wife. I'm usually up by 5:30 so we begin the morning rubdown. I'm awake, but the rubdown's put She-Ra back to sleep.
5:30 - Up with the alarm, shower, get dressed (including sock battle with She-Ra). Eveyrone's fed and I'm off to work.
8:30 - Fall asleep at desk, wondering why I ever bought a dog in the first place.
Torchsong
This is too funny.
We have no cat but the other bits are pretty typical, wanting under the cover about 2 AM or so, only we have several turn arounds before the flop.
I thought it was interesting about the rubdown part. I thought I was the only one who was giving their dog a rub down at 5 AM. They taught me that at "puppy training". After the rubdown she goes back to sleep and doesn't move until I get back from the gym about 7 AM. Then she is ready to go.
But before she gets out of the bed she does her own bathing routine, face, ears, paws and behind.
Lycia is really odd then.. I bought her a little cat bed and put it on my bed… she sleeps in that thing no problem. You could get lost with all the room in my bed!! ... guess that will change when I get another one
That is exactly what happened with Dallas! I bought him a little round dog bed & now he will only sleep in that when he is on my bed vs. sprawled out like he used to. It makes me more comfy without his butt in my face or on my neck all night :p
