Dog wont sleep!

[tinyblackdot]

What is it about us that nothing sleeps in this house?

I am at my wits end with this dog! He wont sleep at night! He just tosses and turns and scratches his nails up against the crate, and whines, and then digs....its ongoing all night long! Then we put him outside and he barks....lastnight i went out to see what he was barking at (the second time at 4am!) and it was a plastic bag caught in the fence! OMG what am i going to do?

Any tips?

Do you think getting him a larger crate that is more inclosed would help? Getting him neutered?

He is a aussie/shorthair or lab mix....if that makes any difference.

[Shera971]

I'm definitely no expert in crating as I wasn't able to with my last one (medical issue) and the dog we have now we adopted when he was an adult already and came with a huge fear of enclosed spaces. But I have heard of some tips. I don't know if you've tried these but here goes:
* putting treats in the crate randomly during the day to make it a fun place
* giving him a kong w/ peanut butter when you do lock him in
* put an old shirt or something with your scent in the crate so he still feels close to you
* have a soft ticking clock close by (supposedly reminds the dog of mom's heartbeat)
* is he getting enough exercise and stimulation during the day? He could not be sleeping b/c he still has pent up energy.

Hope that helps!

[Ola_]

I second the exercise and training question, esp. with those breeds. How old is he?

I definitely wouldn't leave him outside at night when he fusses - if you think he needs to go out, bring him out, tell him to potty, and back inside. I offer a calm "good dog" for doing their business but no excitement, the last thing you want is to make getting up at night sound like fun.

Is the crate beside your bed? I had good success with putting my hand beside the crate with a "shhhh...", just so they know I'm there. If that doesn't work I give the top of the crate a tap and tell them to quiet down. Examine what you're doing in response - you don't want to reinforce the behaviour in any way.