[Justaduck]

I have an almost 5 year old Kelpie x Cattle dog. He has been crate trained since around 13 weeks of age & loves his crate. When he used to sleep in the bedroom, we would leave it open and he had the choice of bed, floor or crate & would still sleep inside the crate. He is outside until I go to bed, then goes into his crate for the night.

For the past week, he has been whining, doing that little yelp noise, every 30mins overnight. I have tried giving him more food, taking him outside, leaving more water, leaving less water etc but none of that seems to fix the problem. Our garage is not really hot, so I know it isn't the heat.

It is getting ridiculous now, I have an 11mth old who sleeps 12hours a night and a dog who sleeps like a newborn! When he goes outside in the morning he just lies on the verandah and sleeps.

Any ideas on why he is carrying on like this all of a sudden? I am almost considering leaving him outside overnight to see what he does

[hanz33]

That is a confusing situation! How long has he been doing it? I would take him to the vet , he may be sore somewhere and he isn't focusing on it during the day but when it comes to laying down and resting he does.

Maybe wash the crate out and wash his bed?

This post has been edited by hanz33: 20/01/2013, 11:42 AM

[*Spikey*]

Changed behaviour of this kind needs a vet. Whining and yelping (expecially in circumstances where the dog previously didn't do it) are signs of your dog being in pain.

[BlackWolf]

Do you think he maybe wants to be inside with the option of the floor bed etc again?

I know my dogs defintely got more 'clingy' as they got older. They didn't necessarily have to be right with me but needed to know they could if they wanted ie. if outside they would cry but once inside they would settle. (when previously they had been happy outside ).

After a vet check I would do whatever you need to to get some sleep (unless there is a reason why you don't want him inside).

Good Luck

[Juki]

Have you got any possums nearby. They always set off my dogs.

[Justaduck]

Sorry I don't mean a yelp as in a pain, just the noise he makes to get my attention (ie the same noise he makes usually at 5am to wake me up to be let outside) I can't really think of how else to describe it, but it is not the noise they make if you accidentally step on their tail...not the pained yelp He is fine otherwise, still runs around, barks, plays, eating and drinking well.
Does not seem in pain when he is lying around the yard in the day

Now that I really think about it it has been since a few days after DP went back to work? I am wondering if it is behavioural based on that. I have also been leaving him outside later at night recently as he has been playing happily.

We moved house back in October (rental) and I am not allowed to have him inside at all, shouldn't even have him in the garage so I can't bring him inside of an evening like he used to

We have got new neighbours that come and go all hours of the night though so maybe they are disturbing his sleep?

Will give everything a good clean and get some new blankets tomorrow and see how that goes

[~kitteh.hoardere...]

I think you mean whine rather than yelp. If Bandit sleeps outside at night, he whines at about 5am. He's happy once he is given breakfast, though he doesn't normally eat it all straight away

He doesn't make a peep when he's inside.

Is your dog protective of you? Perhaps he isn't happy being outside when you are alone inside without your DH?

[Justaduck]

Yep I think I said the wrong thing with yelp, probably said it because his whiny noise is high pitched. He is protective of me (will bark at the hint of any tension between us) but has been sleeping in the garage since DD was 4 months old (we had to transition him from bedroom, to hallway outside bedroom etc at old house)
Poor boy has been through a lot of changes in his life. I might just give him an extra bowl of water tonight and see how he goes. Gave him more at 2am and that kept him quiet til 4. He doesn't always drink heaps on the hot days outside so will see how that does

[MissingInAction]

I have a kelpie, and I used to have a kelpie x cattle dog. I know which sound you mean

I'd say it is to do with all the changes in his routine, his living arrangements, the house, the neighbours coming & going... it can all be very anxiety-feeding for a dog!

No idea how to fix it though.

[*Spikey*]

Still worth a chat to your vet if it doesn't settle down.

The general training strategy is to ignore that until it extinguishes. Hard when its also the "I desperately need to go to the toilet right now sound". I think you mean a "yip". Not really a bark, not a whine or yelp, but a sharp-toned attention getter.

Can I suggest that over the next week you become very routine in when you put the dog outside, and when you put him to bed. Set your alarm for a middle of the night 'pit stop', and stick to that as the only time you get up to him. If you can organise a late night pre-bed pitstop, and a really early morning one, that will help. Once the dog has the 'routine' happening (dogs are really good at remembering times - mine know that 10:00pm = treat time and pitstop so they harass me at exactly 10:00pm), you can start moving the middle of the night one back an hour until you're back to a normal crating and sleep routine.

Good luck.