advice on moving from crate to bed at night

[ashley_magan]

My little Petunia is almost 6 months old, and I've had her since she was 9 weeks. I always crate train my dogs because it's just easier I think with house training and everything else. Just recently I tried to start allowing her to sleep in the bed. I wanted to wait until she wouldn't go potty in the bed and would know she couldn't jump off. My older dog, Tia, transitioned great from crate to bed. She was slightly younger, probably 4 months or so when I started letting her in the bed, but she's also a lot lazier and more laid back. Petunia is crazy hyper when she is awake, and she sleeps amazing in her crate, it stays by my bed and I never hear her move around. However, my problem is when she is in the bed, she will not stay still. She starts off playing with Tia until Tia just falls asleep and ignores her, then she'll go under the comforter and find a spot and move about every 15 minutes. Since I first started putting her in her crate, only at bedtime I'll say, "it's bedtime," and she settles down for the crate. I've tried that in the bed and isn't working. I want her to be able to sleep in the bed with me, but I can't stay up all night with her constant moving. Any ideas on helping with the transition?

 

[Wandering Man]

Our older dog became territorial over the bed when we brought Frank into the home. Frank, who thinks he can fly anyway, would run around the bed, and then jump off rather than using our ramp.

Then he would go find a spot on the couch to sleep. After a couple of time trying to control the two dogs, we finally decided that Frank just wasn't safe on the bed, and he really seemed happier in the other room on the couch.

So we had to change OUR attitude, and for both dogs' sake decide it was just OK that Frank didn't sleep in our bed. At bed time, he happily runs to his spot on the couch. In the morning, he meets us in the dining room on the way to the kitchen for breakfast.

He's been part of our family long enough now that the two get along pretty well, and PD would probably allow Frank on the bed. But he seems happy, and we don't have to worry that he'll take the notion he wants to fly off the bed.

 

[ktshickle]

Why not tell her its bedtime and leave the crate open for the night and maybe she will get the picture. I hear most doxies are really smart and I honestly dont know where my Frankie would rank on the doxie IQ scale lol I think hes smart but hes the only one I have ever had. I pretty much just try new things until we can come to an understanding. You might just find out this way if she just prefers the crate like Wandering Man said.

 

[Ilovemylily]

When I was younger we had a wiener dog named chiko, I always wanted him to sleep in my bed cause I was scared of the dark but when he got sleepy he went straight to his crate I could never get him to sleep with me at night:/

 

[Kitaku]

if you don't like the idea of him sleeping in his crate, maybe try to put his pet bed or those big dog cussions on the side of the bed, he will maybe prefer it there. mine is scared of heights and becomes a racetrack between him and the cat when i try putting him on the bed. he simply likes his little spot to sleep, he likes his pet taxi cause the cat will not bug him