Should I let my CKC Spaniel sleep in my room? At present he sleeps in his bed outside my bedroom, but at the crack of dawn he's up and wanting to play. If he was sleeping nearer to me, would he let me sleep?

Beany,

My two sleep in there beds in my bedroom I have no probs with this they get up when I get up which is about 7.30am.

Karen

Have you tried leaving his favourite toy with him when he goes to bed ?

Hi Beanie,
Just to let you know...sleeping dogs sleeping next to you can be detrimental to your sleep :D Even though mine are around 7 and 8 years old, if I lighten my sleep around 6am, they are sometimes right there watching me in eagerness for me to wake. Do you know how hard it is to sleep when something is staring? ARGH!!!

I just tell them to "go under" and they bury themselves in the covers. They have me so well trained after all of these years!!

Seriously, since your Cocker is still a puppy, you have to realize that patterns are firmly imprinted. What do you want two years from now? Start as you mean to go on.

If I were you, I would make your being woken up "less fun" for him. Since he's young, as soon as he gets up to you or starts trying to play, take him outside for a potty break. Then calmly put him back in bed ---yours or his, just depends how you want this to turn out in two years [tongue firmly planted in cheek].

I trained my dogs to understand the differences between "bed" and "crate" along with "off" and "stop." The bed is a no playing place. They either behave, or they're expelled. I only have to whisper the words and they depart now.

Oh, just a caution --- I made the very stupid decision to train Samma to "ask for permission" when she was young before she jumps up on stuff...sofa, chair, human bed.... Stupid, because she'll still ask to come up at 2am in the morning. I can snap my fingers in my sleep, but my husband pounds the bed. ARGH!!! Too much training.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Good luck and keep updates coming :D
toodles

Hi, and thanks for all replies. Yes, I have tried taking a toy to bed with him, but this only gives him the idea that it's playtime and leaps about all over the place so that he just won't settle down. He's quite good at settling down at night, but I think at dawn he wakes and needs to go out for a wee. I quite like the idea of taking him out and then settling him back into bed. I might try that. Will he grow out of this need so early in the morning? Should I try and resist his cries so that I don't set a pattern? I feel so cruel doing that, but is it the best way?

We kept TH in a crate until she was 8 months old. By then she was capable of going through the night. Then we had visitors for the weekend and they couldn't stand her crying when we put her to bed in the kitchen. So, she came to sleep in our room for the weekend and NEVER LEFT.

We have to wake her up in the morning to go out. But if we're not up by 7am, Tinker woos for her breakfast and that wakes us up. (Tinker sleeps under our bed :D )

I laughed when I read your account of TH. That's what happened to Chienne & us. Crate-trained until 9 months old, then we took all three dogs on a month long road trip to visit parents.... Hasn't slept the night in her crate since. :-) Well, there's been some exceptions, but for a pretty good reason.

Unfortunately, we've had a slight downside to this. In our old place, we had a doggy door that she could go out whenever she wanted. Being the semi-nocturnal creature she was, she usually went out around 3am and then came back in. When we moved here, she would just quietly piddle on the (ancient) carpet next to the back door. She was politely not disturbing us (said with an ironic tone). Trust me, she'll let us know in the daytime when she needs out :)

I've been working on this for three years now and its pretty much solved. Now, if I could only get my husband to understand "Chiennespeak" :D

Beanie -- it really does depend on the dog for how good of a control it has and it does take time to develop...just like a human baby.

My now- deceased Yorkie actually decided one time that she was not going to piddle while we were gone and held it from when we left early at 5am until around 3am the next morning (we were on a day tour). I couldn't believe that she was that stubborn and I searched the concrete & the carpet....nada!

Chienne's part Cocker and as an adult is comfortable at being put outside around 10pm and is good until somewhere around 7am (or 8am if its raining).

Samma the terrier has an iron bladder. She'll be happy with an 9pm - 9am time period, even longer if I read in bed or go on the computer. They pretty much go out, do their business and head back to sleep until or if the sun decides to show. I have to kick them out if the weather is bad.
*** That's why I never get pulled out for walks on rainy days --- :p

I hope this helps.
toodles

Your hubby piddles on the carpet by the back door too ?

Cute.... and good for a belly laugh blast HAAA!!! :rolleyes:

Nah, he just doesn't understand Chienne when she tells him she wants to go outside. He thinks she's just coming up to see what he's doing on the computer and doesn't realize she's "telling" him she wants a break. Then he gets upset over the spot that he finds later... ah well. We're working on his communication skills... it's an ongoing project :D :P --- Could say, in a way, similar to you and Max :D :P
toodles

Hmm maybe it's a man thing :rolleyes:

I can't respond to this without sinking to the "well, duh" stereotypes of gender attributes, so I'll refrain from casting any glittering generalities or catch-all cliche's (can't do the accent) to any of these situations ;) :D :D :D :P (LOL)
toodles