Last nights experiment

Last night I had an experiment, I wanted the dogs to choose where they wanted to sleep - and of course I only have Louie at the moment so I got Louie to choose.

I went to bed about half 11/12 last night and normally I call the dogs to bed, Louie was fast on in the chair in the dining room so I just left him, I left my door open too.

Now Louie hasn't been allowed free roam of the house during the night, since I swapped him over to raw, because he would go to the toilet during the night in the house. He would never toilet when in my room (odd accident - OH forgetting to let him out last thing)

So really it was an experiment to see where he wanted to sleep and to see if his toileting habits had gotten better.

Well I woke up to find him curled up on my bed.. I don't wake easy so I have no idea what time he came up, but I did read for an hour or so when I'd gotten into bed so it wasn't then, and I did have trouble dropping off (I think I'm the one that needs them on the bed) so he didn't come up then. And then I came downstairs, no mess.

I haven't concluded what that all means but maybe in the summer months when it gets really hot in my room - I can close my door and have the window open and sleep on my own and they can have the cool downstairs, tiles and laminate flooring.. I dunno - bit pointless story really.

Have you ever let your dogs decide where they sleep?

My dogs can choose if they sleep on their beds (or each others) or on the floor. Sleeping on the furniture is not an option.

Going upstairs is not an option, thus sleeping in my room is not an option.

If I am staying in a hotel, they can choose to sleep on the bathroom floor or the bedroom floor. Sleeping on my bed is not an option.

I have never experienced any toileting problems when my dogs were on commerical or raw fortunately.

Just wondering why you find your dog/s might toilet more because they are fed raw?

My dogs are normally in the living room at night, so they have the living room or the kitchen (their water bowl is in the kitchen). They have their own beds and they can sleep on the couches or the chair if they want to, it's entirely up to them.

They have the complete run of the house during the day, every day, with no problems at all.

Just now I've got Roxy in the bedroom with me due to her leg and Molly, at the moment, has free run of the house during the day and night as well because I don't want her to feel like she's on her own. She usually doesn't choose to sleep on the bed and these past few nights she has been on her own blankets on the couch, through her choice, with no problems.

Once fully housetrained and reliable, I've always let me dogs choose.

Sam and Jade would choose a room/spot for months on end and then in unison change areas.

They only once and for a period of about three months chose my bed. Jade was desperately ill at the time and we thought we were going to lose her at that point. Sam had a couple of nights of it then changed his mind and slept on the floor at the side of the bed instead.

As Jade progressively improved, she too changed to sleeping by the bed.

By the bed was the place they chose for the rest of their lives. Sometimes one side, sometimes the other, but always at the side of the bed from then on

The raw has nothing to do with it, I haven't let him have free roam since October - which is when I switched them.. perhaps I should've said October.. In fact they had limited night time roaming since the toilet habits started and we found Louie wouldn't do it if he was in our room, it has nothing to do with food.. More where they wanted to sleep. But I also wanted to see if he would toilet in the house if he was given more room during the night..

All mine have chosen where they sleep to some extent. Shadow and Wolf weren't allowed upstairs. Shadow slept on his own armchair, Wolf slept on the floor in the living room, usually in front of the fire regardless of whether it was on.

Rupert chose to sleep with me whenever that was allowed (ie hubby away) but when it wasn't he chose to sleep on the bed in the spare room.

Spencer sleeps on my coat in the dining room. He has the run of the bedroom, dining room and living room and several dog beds but for some reason wants to sleep on my coat.

My 2 are too big to even consider having them on the bed with me...

This is how they would normally sleep - and that's a kingsized bed...



Given a choice, they would prefer the sofas or our bed, however, they sleep in the kitchen on a sleeping bag, duvet and fleece blankets, and are locked in there at night.

I must admit, I'm really enjoying having Roxy on the bed with me at night (covered with her own blanket and she has her own pillow). But then, she is only little.

I don't even care about the hair!

mine sleep upstairs with me, but at the minute daphni is downstairs with puppies, and when daphni is in season, asbo sleeps downstairs.

although i must admit, having asbo downstairs for the past 4 weeks, and daphni shut in with puppies, i have had the bed to myslef... which i quite like

ive missed having them in my room, but i think i may train them to sleep on beds on the floor instead of in my bed.
i also have to think about what i would do with the next dog because its going to be considerably bigger, i cant have that in the bed, plus the CCs and the OH

sooo.. i dont know whether to train them to sleep on their beds on the floor, or maybe even leave them in the kitchen...

The collies sleep in the big utility and are shut in there with a baby gate purely as they cant be trusted not to pester the cat during the night or when I am out. Sadie sleeps either in the lounge or outside my sons room.