Doggie sleeping pills?

Sorry... I know I'm of no help whatsoever. Hope you get back so sleep quickly!

We had a small gated area with a pea gravel base right outside our back door. Dog went in; pooped or peed; back in the house. At least you wouldn't be waiting for Angel to come back in; you'd bring her in. Would a doggie door into a similar area from a closed back hallway help?

Ask your vet if a night-time sedative is an option.

What's her situation while you are at work?

I feel for you susan. My aunt has two furbabies in their 15 th year and is going through the same type of things. I hope somebody can add more suggestions.

Are you making her go out right before you head to bed? If I don't make my dog go out right before I go to bed, he will wake me up sometime during the night. (Sometimes he does anyhow).

That's my only advice. I know how annoying it can be.

Well, this is probably no help, but if my dogs need to go outside at night, I get up, let them out, and stand at the door and let them "do their business" and then call them back in. That way, I don't have to get up twice and they are tempted to go off chasing raccoons...the little one, at least.

My dogs aren't bad to bark. I've trained them to not bark at anything but people or other dogs. If they have to go out to pee...which is seldom in the middle of the night, but then, they aren't that old, Bobby comes to the side of my bed and stands up and puts his front paws on it and I either get up or tell him to go back to bed. If he doesn't go back to bed immediately, I figure he has to go pee, and I get up and let him out.

Hi all - thanks for your good thoughts and advice.

I asked the vet about a sedative, but he was reluctant to prescribe one because of Angel's lifelong heart condition. She takes a heart pill every day, and you'd never know there was a problem, but he didn't want to risk it. He suggested a drug for dementia, but said it would cost $65 a month and it would take two months to know if it's working. So I passed on that.

I do take both dogs out just before I go to bed. Last night she started barking less than a half hour later, so I knew it didn't have anything to do with needing to go out.

My dogs are both large--a Husky Shepherd (Wolfy) and a Briard mix. Over the years I've had dogs I can let out by themselves, but not these two. Wolfy would run off for sure (arthritis and all), and I don't trust Angel to stay near the house either. When I put her out the door in the middle of the night she is on a 20' lead attached to my inside door knob (with the door closed). I can bring her in if I need to, but with her dementia she is not as efficient about peeing as she used to be. Sometimes she stands outside sniffing the air for quite a while.

I think she sleeps while I'm at work. I base that on the fact that so far she hasn't had an accident while I'm away. I'm gone a minimum of seven hours; this past weekend it was longer. At night I don't dare sleep longer than six hours at a stretch, or I'll find a puddle when I get up.

Usually she doesn't bark if I'm downstairs, but occasionally she'll start in. At those times she's not barking at anything--she's just barking.

I've tried leaving a light on downstairs at night, but that hasn't seemed to help.

You know, these disturbances during the night, the messes to clean up, the unexplained behavior, etc., remind me a great deal of what it was like during the years of my DH's dementia. Strange. I know family patterns sometimes repeat through generations, but I wouldn't think it would happen within one generation, from man to dog. I suspect my karma is involved.

Susan

I have the same problem with my 15 yr old American Eskimo Sheba...to make matters worse,she's deaf,so I have to really yell her name to get her to come to the door.
Thankfully I have very understanding neighbours,because I'm sure they have been awakened by this crazy woman yelling SHEBA COME! at two in the morning!

It's so hard when they change as they get older, Susan. Trouble with doggy-dementia is that you don't know why she's barking or what she wants, because she doesn't know either and the next time she barks it could be for an entirely different reason. Perhaps she had a dream that disturbed her.

If you don't think it's that she needs to go out, I wonder if a no-bark lead around her muzzle would help with your sleep? I don't know anything about them at all, like if it's even safe to use on them at night, but it might be worth looking into. Is her hearing OK? If so, would a radio on a talk station comfort her?

We're in the process of dealing with some urinary incontinence/UTI problems right now, so I know the worries you are having, somewhat. Sleep deprivation is wearing us out, too, along with all the worries about cleanliness and odors and just plain inconvenience. Aging pets bring something new to the table every day, seems like.

Good luck! Oh, what about those pheremone sprays for comforting dogs? That might help. Sort of a chemical aromatherapy! lol Maybe it comes in some scent that will help YOU sleep, too. :)

Would letting her sleep in your room help? At 15.5 years, she might need the extra "assurance." Now I know this isn't for everyone, but how 'bout bundling her up and just letting her sleep with you? If that's not an option, how about putting her bed/kennel in your room?

If she's deaf, could you use a penlight of some sort to use as a signal to call her in?

Give her a warm hug from Harry and me.

She used to sleep in my room, Caroline, but I moved her to the hallway outside my room because of incontinence issues. Now, neither is an option because she can no longer manage the stairs.

Yes, she's profoundly deaf, poor girl. Since she's on a long lead when I put her outside, I can pull her in if I need to. Usually one small tug on the lead is enough.

We're in the process of dealing with some urinary incontinence/UTI problems right now, so I know the worries you are having, somewhat. Sleep deprivation is wearing us out, too, along with all the worries about cleanliness and odors and just plain inconvenience. Aging pets bring something new to the table every day, seems like.

Boy, can I relate! At this point in my life I thought I'd be having friends over a lot. Certainly I want to, but for right now I'm living in a dog infirmary. It's not a place where I'd want to welcome guests. I know not everyone would agree with my decision to keep the dogs going as long as they seem to be happy--eating well, enjoying walks, etc. (in fact, I caught some flak for this from someone on the Pets Forum, of all places)--but that's where I'm at.

Susan,

Let the flack

roll off your back.

ole joyful

The people on the pet forum (and the wildlife forum) are much too rabid for me. ;) I think some of them need to be put down. :))

My dog Waifer was a wonderful dog, but when she got older (around 15)she went deaf. She had always been a good guard dog, alerting us to anyone outside by barking. After she went deaf, sh'd walk up at night and start barking. I'd get up, let her out and show her there was no one there, then bring her back in. This lasted until we put her to sleep at 17. Perhaps your dog has a similar problem.

LOL @ Marilyn_C. "I feel your pain," and I'm right with you on that one. And I think everyone here knows I'm just a tiny bit slanted toward loving my own pup.

((((Alisande)))) I'm keeping you and Angel in my prayers.

We had a shepherd mix that was 15 and deaf. Lady started barking for no reason and only did it in the greatroom and guest bedroom. A friend told me that she saw a show where they said dogs can see ghosts and maybe that's why she's barking.
I told my friend that was a bunch of bull. Got to thinking, which is dangerous for me, and those 2 rooms were where my sister-in-law was most of the time when she visited. She had passed away unexpectedly from a brain hemmorage right before the barking started. I put that one on the back burner as don't like the thought of it.
I found as Lady being deaf something with sound didn't help. Then I left the light on and made her a comfy bed in the computer room. She did much better until the cancer. Then, I'd just get up and pet her to assure her she wasn't alone. She died and I miss that barking but no more pain.
I hope you can find something to calm her. Maybe a light on and a comfy pillow. Then beforee night time, a good walk or time outside to play and to wear her out.
Good luck.
Lynn