Chipper preferring crate to bed... Bad Energy! :(

Lately, Chipper has been preferring to sleep in his crate at night rather than in the bedroom where he has a plush bed and is allowed to sleep on the big bed.

His choice has us baffled. I've emailed Nancy to see if there is a simple reason behind his choice (bedroom too cold or too hot, bed uncomfortable, ect.), or if it's a little more complicated (Kia being a bully).

He always looks so sad when he gets into his crate. It's as if he thinks we want him in the crate, when we don't. No amount of pleading, asking, or trying to physically drag him out, works.

And if we beat him to the punch and shut his crate door before bed, he stands by the crate looking forlorn. He'll then begrudingly follow us to the bedroom.

It's just....strange.

Anyone else experience this with their dog?

Pepper LOVES her crate. She spends almost all her time in there, unless she is eating or outside. The crate has no door, and she has free access to all areas of the house, like all the dogs. No one bullies her, the temperature is the same. She just loves it. She takes a toy and a chewie in there with her, and hangs out about 22 hours per day in the crate. If I wash her bed, she is FRANTIC until I put it back in her crate. She is an odd duck, it's just her personality. NOTHING gets her out of that crate until she is ready, I don't even try anymore.

Keito, my old dog, stopped sleeping on his comfy bed in the bedroom about a year ago. No reason - not a new bed, no illness, nothing - he just started sleeping on the floor one night. I tried washing the bed, moving it, buying new beds of different types ... nothing worked. He just curls up on the floor in a ball looking forlorn ... until you see his big comfy bed a few feet away. I have no idea what it's about, but he's not changing his mind.

How about putting Chipper's crate in the bedroom, with the door open? Then he gets to sleep in it, where maybe he feels more safe and secure, and also he gets to be with everyone else at night.

I wish I could, but our bedroom is small and cramped. No room for his crate. :(

That's too weird. Maybe it's just a phase or something. I know that Jack went through a period of time where he'd sleep under the covers, then for a time he slept on the floor. Or if Jack is tired and I'm not ready for bed he'll cram himself into Micki's crate and won't come out for anything. Eventually he'll make his way to the bedroom though. Kyra also suddenly started sleeping in her crate at night, so we just reinforced it and make her sleep in it every night, because we were going to start making her anyway. Now if we forget to put her in, she'll go by herself and sleep there.

I guess I would just let him sleep there if he wants too, and maybe he'll eventually want to sleep in the bedroom again? It could definitely be because of the temperature or Kia.

Silly Chipper!

Well, I've never used a crate, but it's supposed to be a "safe place"
for dogs, right? Maybe he isn't feeling 100%. I have no clue.

Clipse used to love sleeping in his crate. I would just have it in my room with the door off. Now that we have Ramone though he is crated when we leave so the door is back on.
It could be just a phase he is going through. I don't think I would beg and plead with him to come out, nor would I shut him out of it if it's what he wants. Could be he has learned that if he goes in there and looks sad then he will get lots of attention from you.
Personally if he is still acting normal in every other aspect of every day life then I would just let him be when he goes to his crate to sleep.

Heard back from Nancy...

hi kimberly,

....the room does not feel off as far as temp.
there is no issue with Kia
the bed is comfortable.
it is not you guys.
it feels like chipper is feeling uncertain and not so comfortable(not physically, physically everything feels fine). the crate feels safer than the bed. the bigger the deal you make out of it the more uncomfortable he feels.
let me ask you, is he fine in all of your other rooms? feels like he feels uncomfortable in the bedroom(once again, nothing physical and nothing to do with you guys or the other dog).
feels like he is getting the hebbe geebes.

shoot me over your phone number and i will try to explain better.
Nancy Efrusy


So something about the bedroom at night has him spooked. Hmmmm...

silly Chipper...

I thought it might be a "me" space... that he wanted some alone time in his own personal space....

as nancy suggested it could well be he saw or heard something that scared him or made him not so confrotable... a loud movie sound, a shadow... :confused: or he might be sensing something else....:confused:

Just got off the phone with Nancy.

There is a bad energy in the bedroom that has Chipper spooked. It's more active at night, you know the saying, "Things go bump in the night". That's why Chipper is okay in the bedroom during the day.

And come to think of it, Zam hasn't been going into our bedroom at night either.

She gave me tips on how to clean the room of the energy and the number of a guy if I'm unsuccessful.

If the dog sees you as a true leader, a proper Alpha, it should not expect to sleep with you. If you have crate trained properly then the dog accepts that the crate is where it sleeps. So far - you do not have a problem, everything is as it should be!

What concerns me is that you are concerned about this behaviour!

I suspect that you are are either over analysing the situation and you should, in fact, be very happy and proud that you have a well adjusted and naturally behaving dog....or

the dog is using this situation to manipulate you!

Do you have other issues with the dog regarding feeding, walking, off leash behaviour or having visitors to the house? Anything?

One of my dogs began doing the same thing when he hit about 6 months old. I took as a sign that he found his crate to be a positive/good place and wanted to sleep their not to get away from us but because it was "his spot."

I think that because of his training, he respects me and my fiance as his masters. That makes him happy and that is why he chooses his bed or crate over our bed.

Chipper has no issues. He's the most happy go lucky dog I know. Loves people, including strangers, other dogs, cats, ect. I can set his food in front of him and ask him to wait and he will. I can ask him to get into his crate and he does, no hesitation.

If he wasn't allowed on the bed, I could see your point in manipulation. But he has permission to be on the bed. And for the past year and a half he'd follow us happily into the bedroom at night and curl up into his dog bed or come up onto our bed when invited.

For him to suddenly change his behavior and give the bedroom a wide berth. To look afraid when standing in the doorway, yes, that does cause me to be concerned.

For the past three nights, Chipper has slept in the bedroom!! :love: Looks like we got that bad energy licked. :D