With livin on the 2nd floor Jax sleeps in the hallway downstairs in his crate. We also have a crate in the living room for Jax thru the day. Now he's outgrowing the crate upstairs and now Jax can use the stairs on his own I'm not sure if to replace the upstairs crate? Jax sleeps from about 7-9pm upstairs has a play then goes back to sleep about 11pm upstairs. Me n hubby vary when we go to bed and then we take Jax down. I'm always up at 7. What I don't want is Jax to feel pushed out somehow if I didn't replace his upstairs crate. But I do think the routine we provide for him isn't sutable. Ideally id like Jax to use his proper bed whenever he wants and should he want to sleep then he could go into his proper bed. But I realise the tv being on and me n hubbie talking would be a distraction to him. So guess what I'm asking is ur opinion on a good bedtime routine I.e times he should ideally be sleeping and whether I should buy Jax another crate for upstairs? Overall Jax is just fantastic, the biting is now under control (thank u everyone) we've pretty much cracked house training (except 1 pee thru the night) we mastered the stairs a lot better than I thought, the first off the lead experience was amazing to have Jax by my side, he's won my dad over lol, he's very clever n I'm looking forward to training him- just got pippas total recall book so I'm feelin very positive but best of all Jax brings happiness and peace and contentment to a sometimes mad world.
Re: Night time routine? So lovely to hear how you are enjoying Jax. My Charlie sleeps in his pen overnight, and we have a cushion bed in the TV room - which he settles down in mid evening, not unlike you, I think. Charlie would much rather be with us for as long as possible, the TV and talking doesn't bother him at all. Last one going to bed, puts him in his pen. If Charlie doesn't settle with us in the TV room though, for any reason, we put him early to bed in his pen. I know Charlie would like to be with us all the time, but I also thinks it's good for him to learn to settle down alone in his pen. I don't want him to get to the stage where he isn't happy and settled to be on his own, which is one reason he doesn't get to sleep upstairs in the bedrooms. So your routine sounds fine to me.
Re: Night time routine? Lilly no longer has her crate, but until we stopped using it (just before she was 3 ;D ) she had her crate, a soft donut style bed at the foot of the stairs and a beanbag in the sunroom or lounge, depending on where we sit in the evening. Mostly she would lie in her beanbag of an evening, then take herself off to "bed" later. Mostly the bed is OUR bed, which is in fact downstairs, but from which we normally evict her at lights out, and she then hops off and chooses to sleep mostly at the bottom of the stairs in her donut. She likes her luxuries. I wouldn't be bothered about disturbing Jax. Soon as you get up/open fridge/fix food/do anything at all, he will be aware, whether or not you are in the same room, even if he appears in the deepest of sleeps : I'm sure he won't suffer 8) Good to hear he is in a good routine.
Re: Night time routine? Dogs will sleep where and when they want in my experience. If they go to sleep with the tv on or talking that won't disturb them. You moving might but as Jacqui said that will happen wherever he is. To be honest I've never thought about whether I disturb my dogs or not. They get used to the noises etc. My dogs have always slept out in a kennel at night (until they get old) and when it gets to bed time they are ready to go out to bed. Murphy, my old lab, went to bed about 9pm. Until then he would sleep on his rug while we watched tv. If I wasn't ready at 9 he would start looking at me and if he thought I was getting too late he'd get up and come to me. They certainly like their routine whatever it is. Jen
