Odd Sleeping Behavior in My Senile Old Dog

Keito is getting up there in age. I'm not sure how old he is, but I've had him over thirteen years, and he was grown when I got him. I'd say he's at least fifteen. He is going deaf and getting a bit thin, but other than that he's in good health.

Keito has always slept on his dog bed in my bedroom. No one else would dare sleep on his bed. A few months ago, I started noticing him sleeping on the floor instead of in his bed. Hmmm ...

So, I washed his bed and fluffed it up. He's a very clean dog. Still, he wouldn't sleep in it. So, I bought a new bed of the same type. No. I bought a egg crate foam bed. Still no. I even bought an inflatable air mattress type bed. Still no. I tried fluffy beds, firm beds, I tried moving the bed. Nothing.

Weird. One would think a bony old dog would want to sleep on his soft, comfy bed, instead of curled up in a pathetic-looking little ball on the floor.

Anyone else had a strange sleeping behavior change like this?

Attaching a few pics of His Royal Highness. Speaking of sleeping, here's a picture of one of my former rescue dogs, Basil, using Keito as a pillow. :D

Aww, sweet old guy. Maybe the floor is cooler than a soft bed, and his temperature regulator is shot, so he wants the coolness?

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Originally Posted by Karen

Aww, sweet old guy. Maybe the floor is cooler than a soft bed, and his temperature regulator is shot, so he wants the coolness?

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I wondered about that. It's a carpeted floor, so I'm not sure. I once moved his bed in front of the fan that we run all night, so it would be cooler. He slept on the other side of the room. :confused:

He is a very handsome boy. The only thing I can say is that my first dog slept on my bed for the first year, moved to under the bed the second year, at a few years later moved to the hallway outside the bedroom, and after another few years moved onto the tile floor in the bathroom. I have no idea why. It was funny because as she moved further and further away I used to joke that next she was going to want her own room. Then she moved into the bathroom.

Maybe it's getting on and walking on the bed that gives him pause. His old legs may be a bit unstable. Or maybe it is easier for him to *get up* from a hard surface than the underpinning of the bedding. In any event, having a older dog is sometimes filled with lots of new experiences for us as their guardians. Changes in habits, behavior, mood, etc. can be significant. One of my RB dogs developed doggie alzheimers. It was just awful to watch and to quite difficult to accommodate to her new needs which were many. As for Keito's sleeping arrangements, you've done all you can. Be content to let him decide.

Those are nice photos of Keito! Hard to tell he is 'thin' in those shots. Maybe he lost some weight and is thinner than he was?

Funny about the rescue using him as a pillow. Aren't they sweet?

Well, I can't really say about the change in sleeping place. Seems like you've offered a LOT of beds. I'm surprised he curls up, you'd think an older dog would find that a bit much, and the dog would tend to sprawl more. Did you offer him a "donut" bed? Not that I'd say to go out and buy him yet another offering, he hee. Hugs to Keito!

My Scruffy is 15 and I find he does the same thing.

He used to sleep on the foot of my bed. Then he chose to sleep on his bed next to my bed. Now he sleeps on the floor next to his bed. Yet he can and will jump into the recliner sometimes for a nap. Once in great while I will wake up to a bed partner. So I put a step next to my bed to give him a choice.

I too, had a dog with doggy alzheimers. He was sent to the Bridge just a year ago. It was harder to deal with than any physical ailment.

Maybe trying one of those beds that are made especially for aging, or ailing pets. Or something really flat on the floor, so he doesn't have to climb in. He's gorgeous, and sounds like he's finding what makes him comfortable. So, you may never have to worry about getting him a bed he likes when your floor is his bed. ;)

He wasn't thin in those pictures, they are old ones, because I'm the worst when it comes to taking pictures. :o It's still hard to tell by looking at him, because he has a thick coat, but when I pick him up, it's obvious he has lost weight.

Yes, I tried the thin, foam beds for old or injured dogs. He glared at me.

Well, it's nice to know, in a way, that other people's dogs have done the same thing. Guess I'll just let him be, nothing I can do about it anyway. Weird old dog.

Thanks for the input.

Hi ,

Our dogs' minds often wander with the ageing process - fortunately like most humans, they're unaware of it themselves and it's only those around them who realise it ;-) If she's happy and healthy in other respects at this grand age just let her enjoy it and also consider yourself lucky - some dogs don't reach her time of life at all and others do but have kidney, heart, liver or at the very least joint problems etc.

My much adored elderly lady's mind definitely became a little "strange" (bless her) in her last 12 months or so and sometimes it was quite funny for us, because she was oblivious and therefore not distressed in any way. Just keep a little more of an eye on her that she doesn't perhaps get into a situation that could cause her to have an accident or injure herself. Other than that enjoy her, let her enjoy being herself, and pat yourself on the back for keeping her in such great health.

That all sounds so familiar. When my RB dog Louie's condition (arthritis) became harder to treat, the vet said to get him a nice comfy bed to take the pressure off his joints. I bought the softest one I could find to add to the five beds he already had. He used it all the time, lying on the hard floor beside it and leaning on it!