Hello all.

My girlfriend's puppy Pixie which is a Pug cross Terrier is being a pain in the but when it comes to bedtime. She's 11 weeks old.

Every night when my girlfriend goes to bed she puts pixie in a 2ft x 3ft dog cage in another room with bedding, food, water and her toys. Trouble is she howls and cries for about an hour before she goes to sleep. It doesn't help putting the cage in the bedroom where my girlfriend sleeps either. She just wants out of the cage.
My girlfriend has done this as a routine at bedtime since she got her about 3 weeks ago, but pixie just doesn't take to it. My girlfriend didn't want to get her in the habbit of sleeping in the bedroom or specificly on the bed, hence the night time cage.

During the day and evening she is constantly in the company of different people at my girlfriend work. So is this caused by here being by herself at night? Can you over socialize a dog?

Do you think she'll grow out of it?

Here is the terror! :

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British Shorthair Pedigree Cats in Norfolk

EoEB

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Thanks for the replies.
Yes, Pixie is only shut in the cage at bedtime, but when she is at home her, food and water is sometimes put in the cage and she goes in there to get it of her own free will.

We wondered whether she was afraid of the dark, and if a night light would help. Maybe also leaving a radio on so she could her a voice?

__________________
www.purrfectcharm-britishshorthair.co.uk
British Shorthair Pedigree Cats in Norfolk

EoEB

Hi She is a real cutie. The fact that she goes in on her own hapliy is a sign that she feels safe and secure in the crate. I would peservere and leave her. We have just been through this with our 12 week old pup and he started sleeping through about 2 weeks ago. I would advise your girlfriend to leave her alone as long as she is safe then let her cry! They are basically saying mum mum mum mum mum mum mum and if they get any sign from your girlfriend then she will think, that works! and keep doing it, much the same as a child asking for sweets everytime they go to a shop if you get them one everytime they think that this works great!!! Stay strong is what I would recomend. I think that she may benefit by being left for very short periods to start with during the day. She will at some point need to be left so the happier she is about it the better for everyone.

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Dogs aren't afraid of the dark. Their eyesight in the dark is better than a cat's and eyesight is only the third choice of sense after smell and sound so a night light makes no difference.

Getting her used to the crate is the big deal here and will help to resolve the anxiety.