I have the perfect puppy... ALMOST. You've heard me going on about what a love Merlin is, except for not sleeping past 5:00 am, when he creates merry hell for an hour. This has got worse recently, since he had a bout of diarrhea a week ago. Since then he's been up several times in the night, in addition to the 5:00 am waking. He doesn't need anything, just wants company... A couple of nights ago he settled down quietly in his pen as normal, at around 10:30. We all went to bed. I was woken at 12:30 by a tremendous crashing and howling. I charged up the stairs, heart in my mouth (our bedroom is downstairs; the house is three stories built on a hill)... He was fine, but had taken to digging frantically in his bed, dragging at the door of the pen which he had managed to open a crack, crashing against the sides, desperate to get out. He didn't need to pee or poo. I calmed him down and then went back to bed. 20 minutes later the same thing started up. By this time I was really worried he would hurt himself in the pen. I'd had enough. I took him out of the pen and put his bed and Poppy's in the hallway, closed the doors to the kitchen, studio, living room and bathroom, and blocked off the stairs with a baby gate, then went back to bed. OH and I woke up the next morning at 06:30, to ... PEACE. Not a sound, not a whimper. When I went to see how the dogs were, they were both lying quietly in their beds, not agitating to get up or go out... We have repeated this for a couple of nights now, and he goes into his bed in the hallway next to Poppy at 10:30, and is still happily and quietly asleep when I get up at 06:30. OK Merlin, you win. I've decided there are battles I want to continue for longer than six weeks, and this is not one of them!!!
Obi did the same. I came home to find him out of his crate and the crate in the middle of the kitchen. I try not to think about how worked up he must have been to have achieved that. He's also learnt how and where to punch the bifold doors to open them to get into the lounge. Throws/towels go on the furniture at night and they sort themselves out. Life's too short.
I wish I'd known about that Barbara. We spent too long convincing ourselves he MUST sleep in the crate!
I did post quite a bit about his general crate hatred both at home and in his travel crate. I don't think I mentioned this final straw in detail though, I was probably too traumatised! I had great plans to redo his crate training but I've never got round to it. He basically hates to be restrained or kept away from the action! I have to pick my battles with this dog!
