[JCZ]

Hi!
My puppy is refusing to sleep when she is really tired during the day. When she finally does, it is usually a very light sleep and the smallest noise can wake her up. At night she stays in the bench and sleeps through the night without any problems (8-10 hours).
I started with bench training immediately but she is not taking to it so far, which is fine, some dogs don't like a bench. I estimate she rests about 15 to 16 hours a day now. So it could be worse, but I really see that she needs more (quality) sleep.

Some further info:
-She is a border collie of 3 months old, so not wanting to sleep is probably not that surprising
-She had surgery and she really needs the rest she is refusing to take to recover quickly
-Becasue the vet suspects an intolerance, she is on a strict hypoallergenic diet and isn't allowed chewing sticks to calm down, or any snacks really. I bought her a nylon bone as a substitute. I also fill a Kong with some of her dinner
-I mostly fill the day with mental exercises because she is not allowed to do too much physical exercise yet.

While I'm typing this I put her in the bench to 'enforce' sleep. She fell asleep after 30 mintues of being in there, but keeps on waking up every now and then. I'm not sure if this is the correct approach. I don't want to create a bad association with the bench or any unnecessary stress.

Any help or insights is appreciated!

 

[JoanneF]

Can you explain the bench? I realise we are using different language and I think it may be what we would call a crate, but I want to be sure.

 

[JCZ]

Can you explain the bench? I realise we are using different language and I think it may be what we would call a crate, but I want to be sure.

Ah sorry, yes I meant a crate

 

[JoanneF]

I wonder whether her not taking to the crate could be contributing. If she doesn't relax in it, she isn't likely to sleep. Ideally, you would train her very slowly to accept it (we have good info on that here - Emma Judson's guide to crate training)

That said, she settles overnight so can we distinguish whether she actually dislikes the crate or whether it is fear of missing out? What is the home environment like, is it peaceful - enough to be boring - so she doesn't need feel like that? Where is the crate, is it in a family room or in a quiet corner?

And you mentioned surgery, so does she have to be restricted and how is she coping with that specifically? Would she settle better in a pen rather than a crate?

 

[agility collie mom]

One of the easier methods to make dogs enjoy their crate is to feed all their meals in it. You can leave the door open for the meals and close it at night. You will find that they will seek it out as their den on their own because it is treated positively.

 

[JCZ]

Her crate is in the living room, next to the couch, but not somewhere where we walk past it a lot. I have a blanket on it, except at the front. At the moment it's just me at home and when it is time for her to sleep, I just sit on the couch with my laptop. Her crate is in a pen actually. I have the pen open all the time, because when it is closed she jumps up at it and that is a no go at the moment.

The vet assured me she is not in pain. The wound is not healing very well though, so she wears a dog vest (not sure about the exact term). That thing is definitely bothering her a bit. He did say she was very restless when she was with them as well. He thinks part of that is because of the wound, but not all. I think they had her in a crate there most of the time. Could be the reason that she is not relaxing in there now.

The problem is not that she never lies down. She actually goes to her dog bed or lies on a random spot on the floor a lot (I try to reward it when she does). She just does not stays long enough before she gets up and does something else instead. I started the relaxation protocol by Karen L. Overall today. Hopefully that will teach her to relax longer periods of time.

 

[JCZ]

One of the easier methods to make dogs enjoy their crate is to feed all their meals in it. You can leave the door open for the meals and close it at night. You will find that they will seek it out as their den on their own because it is treated positively.

This is how I started with her crate training. I think it started to work a little bit before she had to stay at the vet for a while. I will start her training from scratch because I don't think she had a good experience with the crate at the vet. Since she is back she has shown a lot more interest in her dog bed, so I am happy that she has a place in the house she likes.