Advice please.

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

Okay, so I've been thinking about asking this for awhile, but I've put it off, since it wasn't that big of a deal during the warmer seasons. My pomeranian Prince won't go in his dog house outside, and he FREAKS out when we bring him inside to put him in the mud room, so he doesn't freeze outside at night. You should seriously see the door. He's scratched a lot of the paint off. He'll bark, and whine all night if we try to ignore him, but it's a bother, because my bedroom is right next to the mud room, and I hate putting him in there when he clearly has a problem. I have no idea what his problem is either. I believe he started acting this way last year, or maybe the year before. I'm thinking he must be having anxiety attacks, but what do you guys think? Any advice? I've try treats, night lights, leaving the lights on, bringing him in my room to calm him down, etc. Nothing has worked, and I have never experienced this before, so I don't even know where to start in order to help him. I've thought about crating him at night like I did before my family moved years ago, but I'm also worried he'll just freak out worse. All I want is for him to be able to come into the warm house, and be able to sleep.

HollyWood · November 2010

Maybe try crating him at night and keep the crate in your room for a little while then make your way of where yo want the crate to be. I don't know just a thought

Werewolf3 · November 2010

Poms are generally not 'outside' dogs. They are 'lapdogs' meaning they were bred to be in all essences cuddled and pampered. Try seeing what temperature the mudroom gets during the night - as I have had mudrooms and they are rarely, if ever, get any much warmer than the actual outside temperature. You say you had no problems during the warmer months, so that it more than likely a possibility. The pom is 'freezing' his preverbal tail off. Also by 'freaks' do you simply mean scratching at the door? Which one? The one leading into the house - than he's probably cold. The one leading outside - than he may need to use the washroom, there are scents [mudrooms can get moldy, etc] within that bother him. The fact that you mentioned this seems to have become a yearly thing [or been going on for two years] may indicate something more than a simple thing... possibly ask a professional trainer and/or go to the vet to find out if the mudroom's enviroment might be affecting him. Breed quote: Pomeranians are not outdoor dogs and cannot tolerate extreme temperatures, especially heat. They cannot tolerate hot summer days in the sun and must be kept indoors. Also, they are a family dog and feel abandoned if left alone in a yard. This can lead to nuisance barking.

iluvdogs111 · November 2010

Is he kept outside or in the mudroom all the time? Maybe he's lonely or bored....

Frostbight8 · November 2010

We had a similar problem with my dog. She would bark all night. When we went downstairs and picked her up she was shaking and clingy. Turns out it was a new clock we had, it ticked very loudly and was scaring her. Do you perhaps put anything in the mudroom in colder weather and put it somewhere else in warmer weather?

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

BrunDrake wrote:

Poms are generally not 'outside' dogs. They are 'lapdogs' meaning they were bred to be in all essences cuddled and pampered. Try seeing what temperature the mudroom gets during the night - as I have had mudrooms and they are rarely, if ever, get any much warmer than the actual outside temperature. You say you had no problems during the warmer months, so that it more than likely a possibility. The pom is 'freezing' his preverbal tail off. Also by 'freaks' do you simply mean scratching at the door? Which one? The one leading into the house - than he's probably cold. The one leading outside - than he may need to use the washroom, there are scents [mudrooms can get moldy, etc] within that bother him. The fact that you mentioned this seems to have become a yearly thing [or been going on for two years] may indicate something more than a simple thing... possibly ask a professional trainer and/or go to the vet to find out if the mudroom's enviroment might be affecting him. Breed quote: Pomeranians are not outdoor dogs and cannot tolerate extreme temperatures, especially heat. They cannot tolerate hot summer days in the sun and must be kept indoors. Also, they are a family dog and feel abandoned if left alone in a yard. This can lead to nuisance barking.

Pomeranians make great outdoor dogs as long as you take the right precautions, and have a good environment for them. Out of the dozen or so I've grown up around(the ones that I can remember at least), only a few didn't like being outdoors, and so they stayed indoors. My family gives our dogs what they prefer, and we have never had a problem. Prince seems to prefer being outside, but we do let him and our other dogs in when we are home to supervise them. They are also always brought inside during any harsh weather such as extreme heat or cold. Technically speaking, our dogs are more like indoor and outdoor dogs, rather than one or the other, since they spend almost equal amounts of time indoors as they do outdoors. Our mudroom is heated just like all rooms of our house. I keep a lizard in there as well, so I've already thought about temperature. The average temperature should be right around 70 degrees fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. He, and our pekingese that also sleeps in there, each have a bed, and a blanket as well. Outside it can get into the low 40's, and occasionally 30's at night. The reason why I say I had no problem during the warmer months is because he slept outside during the warmer months, weather permitting. We have a huge gazebo that is set up like an outdoor living room, and he likes to sleep on the couch and chairs. I wish I could get him to sleep in his house instead. Do you think maybe he has some problem with sleeping inside, because he prefers the couch in the gazebo? I should try bringing the cushion in to see if he'll sleep on it. When I say he "freaks out" I mean that he scratches, pants, barks, and whines incessantly. Sometimes I can calm him down for about 30 minutes to and hour, but then it's right back to the "freaking" out. I will occasionally let him out just in case he needs to go to the bathroom, but that's never been the problem. If it had been, then I would have changed his feeding schedule to try to fix that. I didn't think about mold, but I'll look into that. When it was originally mentioned to the vet at the beginning of this year, it wasn't as bad as it is now, so it was written off excess energy, but Prince's reactions seem to be getting worse, and I don't understand why. I should also mention that he stays in the mudroom with our Pekingese. I'm beginning to wonder if she's the cause of this, even though they originally slept just find together. She's very dominant, our most dominant dog. I've considered separating them, but at the same time I worry that will make the problem worse, since they are so close bonded with each other.

iluvdogs111 wrote:

Is he kept outside or in the mudroom all the time? Maybe he's lonely or bored....

He spends the majority of the day outside. Sometimes he, along with my other 2 dogs, come in during the day to hang out with me(or another family member). The only time we put him and our pekingese in the mudroom is when the weather is bad, such as rain, high temperatures, or low temperatures. During the cold months they normally sleep in the mudroom. I don't think he's lonely. He's got company from my pekingese. They are very closely bonded together. As for boredom, there are toys in there, but he ignores them. Besides, I want him to be able to sleep at night.

Frostbight8 wrote:

We had a similar problem with my dog. She would bark all night. When we went downstairs and picked her up she was shaking and clingy. Turns out it was a new clock we had, it ticked very loudly and was scaring her. Do you perhaps put anything in the mudroom in colder weather and put it somewhere else in warmer weather?

I haven't changed anything, which is why I can't figure it out.

Maybe his safe room just isn't his safe room anymore. I think I'll pull out the crates tonight to see if feels more secure in them.

Alabama · November 2010

I don't suppose a doggy door is feasible? That way you could be assured he'd come inside if he got too cold. If he's happier outside and his dog house has blankets or hay or a lot of some kind of "nesting" material he can get into, I'd almost say let him stay outside. But I have no idea about smaller dogs warmth needs. I know most dogs will naturally find the most comfortable places to sleep. My dog won't go in his dog house unless it's pouring down rain. Even when it gets colder, if I don't let him come into the laundry room, he'd rather go lay up on the hill in the pile of grass clippings (the process of decay makes the pile warmer than the ground or his dog house). In the mornings, he lays on the trampoline because the black matting absorbs the sun's warmth. It may be that he just likes to know everything that's going on and being put in a single room, he gets bored. Kinda like a little kid at night that's not ready to go to sleep. They'll do anything to get your attention or to get up out of bed, from having to go potty, to needing a drink or being loud just so a parent will come in, even if it's to discipline LOL If he's used to being awake at night and guarding his property, the confinement probably won't sit well with him.

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

Alabama wrote:

I don't suppose a doggy door is feasible? That way you could be assured he'd come inside if he got too cold. If he's happier outside and his dog house has blankets or hay or a lot of some kind of "nesting" material he can get into, I'd almost say let him stay outside. But I have no idea about smaller dogs warmth needs. I know most dogs will naturally find the most comfortable places to sleep. My dog won't go in his dog house unless it's pouring down rain. Even when it gets colder, if I don't let him come into the laundry room, he'd rather go lay up on the hill in the pile of grass clippings (the process of decay makes the pile warmer than the ground or his dog house). In the mornings, he lays on the trampoline because the black matting absorbs the sun's warmth. It may be that he just likes to know everything that's going on and being put in a single room, he gets bored. Kinda like a little kid at night that's not ready to go to sleep. They'll do anything to get your attention or to get up out of bed, from having to go potty, to needing a drink or being loud just so a parent will come in, even if it's to discipline LOL If he's used to being awake at night and guarding his property, the confinement probably won't sit well with him.

If a doggy door was feasible, then I'd love one, but unfortunately there is no possible way one would work on either of the 2 doors that lead to the backyard. The layout of this house is frustrating. Well, there are some nights where I just can't possibly deal with the barking all night long, and I have had to let him stay outside. The gazebo is pretty nice, and the cushion he messed up makes a nice "nest." Worse come to worse, he's also got 3 dog houses, all of which have blankets, to choose from, but thus far he won't go in them. I guess the gazebo seems a lot nicer to him.

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

So, they've been in their crates(still in the mudroom though) for about 4 hours now. For the first hour Prince whined a little, and it sounded like he tried to scratch a little, but I haven't heard a peep for the last 3 hours. Maybe it was just a bad idea to give them so much room to move about when they are supposed to be calming down for bedtime, or maybe it was Bunni(she's also in a crate now) who was causing it. I just hope this silence means he's actually in their resting, instead of being quietly freaked out all night. I really want to see that he's happy when I go to let them out in the morning for their breakfast.

iluvdogs111 · November 2010

I think crates are a good idea for now, they help the dogs feel safe and cozy. My lab was kept in a crate when we were not home for about 5 years, then she finally stopped needing one and now just cuddles up on the couch when we're gone. I'd also say try to tire him out during the day if possible, keep his mind and body moving so he will sleep at night. They say a tired dog is a happy dog, and when we take our dogs to our camp or my Grandparents' cottage they sleep very well all night, because they can run, swim, and hunt during the day. Maybe after a while you could leave his crate door open so he can go in an out.

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

iluvdogs111 wrote:

I think crates are a good idea for now, they help the dogs feel safe and cozy. My lab was kept in a crate when we were not home for about 5 years, then she finally stopped needing one and now just cuddles up on the couch when we're gone. I'd also say try to tire him out during the day if possible, keep his mind and body moving so he will sleep at night. They say a tired dog is a happy dog, and when we take our dogs to our camp or my Grandparents' cottage they sleep very well all night, because they can run, swim, and hunt during the day. Maybe after a while you could leave his crate door open so he can go in an out.

Prince, and another dog we use to own, always slept in their crates before we moved. After moving we just figured they'd like the extra room more, and it seemed fine in the beginning, but now I'm thinking that extra room might be the problem. If Prince feels comfortable in his crate more than the mudroom, then I'm all for letting him sleep in it. Prince definitely responds to exercise. I started to take him(alone) on a lot of walks in addition regular play in the backyard, and I noticed he was calmer, and listened better after his walks. Unfortunately the weather has been bad for the last 2 weeks, so I haven't been able to go on the walks, or play with him outside. I'm hoping it gets better soon, because even I would like to go for a walk. lol. Any tips for what to do during bad weather?

iluvdogs111 · November 2010

Hmm, I don't know. Is there a big enough room in your house you could play fetch with him? Also, just doing training I've found helps. I review tricks with my dogs and teach them new ones, and play with them and reward them while doing it. That alone might tire him out and make him a little calmer.

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

iluvdogs111 wrote:

Hmm, I don't know. Is there a big enough room in your house you could play fetch with him? Also, just doing training I've found helps. I review tricks with my dogs and teach them new ones, and play with them and reward them while doing it. That alone might tire him out and make him a little calmer.

Not without potentially breaking something. I'll have to try just working on training. Thanks

Doggirl1995 · November 2010

If the kennels working for you, I'd say just stick with that while keeping him outside isn't an option anymore. I know my dog is much more comfortable in his kennel. I think like your dog might be, he just feels safer in there. If my dog is scared or upset at something (a thunderstorm lets say) he even prefers the small kennel (one we had for him as a puppy) over his big one. If we leave him for long periods of time alone inside anywhere, and not kenneled, he becomes destructive because he gets worked up. And to give your dog something to do, you may want to try a kong or something similar.

It keeps their mind stimulated, which is just as good as any exercise sometimes. But depending on his personality, you may need to consider the difficulty before buying one. Some dogs are very smart and need a hard one to keep them working, and others will get frustrated if it's too difficult. Hopefully you find something that works for you for the winter months!

RoyalRaccoon · November 2010

Crating was a short fix. He was barking pretty bad last night, so I took him outside and ran him around for as long as I could stand(it was freezing!!!), and then I let him sleep in my bed with me. It took a good hour and a half to calm him down, but then he slept through most of the night. He only got up once when the heater turned off and made a little bang(the vent is outside my door), and then at 7:30 to go outside(6:30-7:30 is when they normally go out). I think he's just got a serious energy problem, like the vet originally suggested, or maybe it's anxiety. I don't know which it is, but if actually sleeping with me helps him stay clam, then I'll just have to deal with it for him. Hopefully I can get him to sleep at the end of my bed, instead of right in my face where he kicks me, and shoves his tongue up my nose while I try to sleep. :roll:

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Advice please.

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