How to Respond to new unwanted behaviour

SaddlePsych'D

SaddlePsych'D

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First day back at work (from home) and Ivy has decided that today is the day to get really vocal about wanting in to my bedroom to sleep on the bed.

It's not the end of the world if she sleeps on the bed sometimes but generally it's for a bit in the morning before I'm out of bed. Once we have done our morning walk, the door is closed so she stays off our bed and settles on one of her own beds or the sofa. Apparently this morning she has gone on strike about that!

Do I just ignore the crying/whining until she stops? Distract her?
 
It is clearly the day for it as my 15 month old Dane is also testing boundaries today... lot's of crying wanting attention whilst I work and has just been caught swiping cheese off the counter!!

Ignore her! She is trying to train you to respond! Try some music in your own ears for distraction and know you are not alone!!! :-)
 
Shoei said:
It is clearly the day for it as my 15 month old Dane is also testing boundaries today... lot's of crying wanting attention whilst I work and has just been caught swiping cheese off the counter!!

Ignore her! She is trying to train you to respond! Try some music in your own ears for distraction and know you are not alone!!! :-)
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Oh no! We had a cheese swiping incident when we first had Ivy. Thankfully the counter surfing never moved house with us.

I've got a meeting on half an hour so better hope she has stopped or that my headset noise cancellation is good! 😂
 
The counter swiping is a new Freja thing this last fortnight! Started with half my husbands turkey sandwich, then some cooling biscuits, now the cheese!!!
 
planete said:
I wouls also ignore her. Just a thought though, is she feeling a bit chilly perhaps and think the bedroom would be warmer? A lightweight indoor coat might help her settle if that is the case.
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Possibly, I thought she might have taken the sofa or a sun puddle if chilly but I plonked a blanket on her when she quit whining and went to one of her beds. She grunted at me but I've just now logged off my call and found her now sprawled out under the blanket so perhaps that is what the problem was!
Shoei said:
The counter swiping is a new Freja thing this last fortnight! Started with half my husbands turkey sandwich, then some cooling biscuits, now the cheese!!!
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Oh absolute jackpot for Freja! Ivy had a nice blue cheese, an entire loaf of bread, and a bag of flour among her wins. Thankfully not for a good while now
 
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Either let her sleep on the bed or dont. Letting her do it sometimes but not others is mixed messages. If you dont want her on the bed dont allow it at all. If she is allowed on the bed just get a big cover and let her do it. You can not really expect her to know when shes allowed and when shes not. Make clear rules and stick to them.
 
Maybe the working from home has unsettled her slightly and your bed is where she feels safe? I’ve had to adapt my normal routine for the mostly whippet as he is now restricted to downstairs when I’m at work due to stairs and Bumgate. However, he accepts that we have an early walk, breakfast, then he gets a couple of hours snooze on my bed, final opportunity for the toilet, then the ‘staying at home ‘ jumper goes on and he sleeps on the sofa when I’m out. For him, it seems to help that there are different coats (for both of us!) for home, work and walks and a specific routine particularly when I leave so he recognises what’s going on.
 
Sandstone1 said:
Either let her sleep on the bed or dont. Letting her do it sometimes but not others is mixed messages. If you dont want her on the bed dont allow it at all. If she is allowed on the bed just get a big cover and let her do it. You can not really expect her to know when shes allowed and when shes not. Make clear rules and stick to them.
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This!
 
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I'd hoped we had found our groove/routine of time on bed in the morning, up and showered etc., out for walk then back in to go on own beds or sofa. Sounds like that's not clear for a dog so I'm leaning towards no bed. I just do not want her hopping up on there all the time or starting to think it's her bed! It's been nice when she comes in the morning for a snooze before I get up but don't want to confuse or upset her.

I'm not sure why yesterday was different as the routine hasn't really changed. Previously she's looked at the door, maybe whined a moment then walk off looking a bit cheesed off about the situation but yesterday she was fairly persistent before eventually settling down.

Today was better, she didn't come into the bedroom this morning at all anyway, and when we got in from our walk she mostly wanted to be on one of her beds outside in the garden.
 
Our very respectful greyhound has worked out that my bed is only available when I am in it, he has asked for permission to join me and I have said yes. He also knows to vacate it as soon as asked. I must admit he is the first dog I have done this with and it has taken no formal training whatsoever. He just watches us and takes his cue from our looks, gestures and body language. His ability to understand phrases after a few months of being around us has also been remarkable. I have never had to reprimand him either. He has taught himself to open every door in the house and I have seen him trying to open the latch on the garden gate which means the top bolt is now permanently on. I have had many dogs around the house before but none with his uncanny adaptability. As a consequence I am breaking most of my dog keeping rules.

P.S. With all our other dogs I have followed the rules!
 
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