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11 year old Aussie won't sleep in area at night
Our 11 year old Aussie has slept in mud room off kitchen her whole life. We only have a stretching wood gate leaning against the opening of the entrance to the mud room and she has never before tried to escape. Recently, she figured out how to move the gate and now escapes every night and whines outside our bedroom door until we let her in. After 11 years, should we get a locking gate to keep her in her own 'bedroom' or just realize she's older now and is happier in our bedroom at night? My wife does not like the idea of now letting her sleep in our room. Also, would you consider htis a sleep problem or something else? Please share your thoughts on this. Thank you.
I would have her evaluated for symptoms of Arthritis.....With the weather changing, it's very possible that's what your dealing with.....An anti-inflammatory may help ease these symptoms greatly.......Karla
After escaping once and being returned to her new bed and blanket in mud room, she slept there through the night. This may work for her ! If not, I will let her sleep wherever she wants outside bedroom. Eventually, I'm guessing she will spend final year or two in our room. Thanks again to all
Scanning replies and you have gotten good advice. At that age, think I would get a Vet exam too.
If you have a fabric store, try to find the material that looks/feels like lamb's wool or is lamb's wool. I have used this for my dogs and puppies in cold weather for years. They love it.
If you have a fabric store, try to find the material that looks/feels like lamb's wool or is lamb's wool. I have used this for my dogs and puppies in cold weather for years. They love it.
I think she has earned a place to sleep where ever she wants...!
As long as you offer her a lot of choices, she will decide for herself what is most comfortable for her.
Sweet Dreams to all of you...!
Connie
As long as you offer her a lot of choices, she will decide for herself what is most comfortable for her.
Sweet Dreams to all of you...!
Connie
Thanks everyone. I've put a foam pad and blanket in mud room tonight. Lets see what happens. What If I just keep mud room open and she goes wherever she wants downstairs. Is that so bad if she ends up on couch or rug in family room? We do allow her on couch during the day. I really appreciate all the quick responses. Funny thing is, she still acts like a puppy during the day with decent energy and loves to play, but definitely getting slower and tripping on stairs these days.
You might also want to consider a toddler bed with a real mattress, or an air mattress..(or 2, one stacked on top of the other ) for your senior dogs comfort. I see nothing wrong with allowing my dogs to sleep in the same room as the rest of the pack...( meaning of course us.) I have a twin bed in my room that is there just for the dogs. But, if your wife is against that, then your best option is to try to make the mudroom more comfortable for your dog.
A glycoflex supplement sounds like a good idea for a senior dog. I would also like to suggest that because she is a senior dog, be sure to have blood work done on her, on a yearly basis. It will assess her kidney and liver functions.
Best wishes to you and your dog....I hope you can make her comfortable..!
Connie
A glycoflex supplement sounds like a good idea for a senior dog. I would also like to suggest that because she is a senior dog, be sure to have blood work done on her, on a yearly basis. It will assess her kidney and liver functions.
Best wishes to you and your dog....I hope you can make her comfortable..!
Connie
As far as the lifespan of Australian Shepherds, there is a lot of variability. IMO, if they make it to 12, that's a good age, and anything after that is gravy. A lot of them do pass away earlier than 12. I can believe that statement that you cited of 10 yrs, 10 months as an average.
The "seven human years for every dog year" adage fits the Australian shepherd pretty well, I think. That would make a 10 yr, 10 mo. old Aussie about 78 years old in human years, which is pretty darn close to the average life expectancy for humans. You do see 15 or even 16 year-old Aussies sometimes, but it's rare, just as it is rare to see humans who are 100 years old or older. The Aussie that I have now had a great-grandparent who lived to be 17, but that's vanishingly rare.
One of my dogs likes those thin fleece blankets that you can buy at WalMart for about $5 each. In the winter, I throw about six of them in her crate, and she nests in them. They are easy to launder. If she gets too hot, she kicks them aside, so you don't have to worry about that.
The old dogs need a lot of padding and insulation from the floor, too, so you might consider getting a covered eggshell foam bed or something like that and placing it inside a crate, plus maybe throw in a couple of the fleece blankets if the temperature is really cold. If your dog has never slept in a crate before, then she might not adjust to it at this age, but I was trying to think of something that would contain the bedding plus shield her from drafts.
If your mud room is not totally indoors, you might need to move her bed to an indoor room, but it still doesn't have to be your bedroom. Once you absolutely know she has everything she needs to be comfortable, you can securely confine her to whatever room you choose as her bedroom.
Does she happen to show any signs of joint pain or stiffness? If so, she may not be resting well because of joint pain. Glycoflex is a good supplement for that. For a dog that age, I would use Glycoflex III.
The "seven human years for every dog year" adage fits the Australian shepherd pretty well, I think. That would make a 10 yr, 10 mo. old Aussie about 78 years old in human years, which is pretty darn close to the average life expectancy for humans. You do see 15 or even 16 year-old Aussies sometimes, but it's rare, just as it is rare to see humans who are 100 years old or older. The Aussie that I have now had a great-grandparent who lived to be 17, but that's vanishingly rare.
One of my dogs likes those thin fleece blankets that you can buy at WalMart for about $5 each. In the winter, I throw about six of them in her crate, and she nests in them. They are easy to launder. If she gets too hot, she kicks them aside, so you don't have to worry about that.
The old dogs need a lot of padding and insulation from the floor, too, so you might consider getting a covered eggshell foam bed or something like that and placing it inside a crate, plus maybe throw in a couple of the fleece blankets if the temperature is really cold. If your dog has never slept in a crate before, then she might not adjust to it at this age, but I was trying to think of something that would contain the bedding plus shield her from drafts.
If your mud room is not totally indoors, you might need to move her bed to an indoor room, but it still doesn't have to be your bedroom. Once you absolutely know she has everything she needs to be comfortable, you can securely confine her to whatever room you choose as her bedroom.
Does she happen to show any signs of joint pain or stiffness? If so, she may not be resting well because of joint pain. Glycoflex is a good supplement for that. For a dog that age, I would use Glycoflex III.
thanks so much for very quick reply, skydnsr. I do believe it's an age thing (a study showed avg aussie lifespan only 10 yrs 10 mos, although most pet websites say it's 12-15 years). I like advise about setting up more bedding in her area. She has a nice big mudroom so space is not an issue and she's been happy there for over 9 years. She just isn't sleeping as soundly.
Given that she is 11, it could be a question of age-related physical changes. She may need a different kind of bedding or a warmer room temperature now, in order to be comfortable. She may be perfectly healthy and may live for several more years, but the body of an 11 year-old Australian shepherd is, in many ways, about like that of a 77 year-old human lady. At 77, we may have different requirements for our comfort in bed than we did in our youth.
You can also consider whether there might have been some changes in the environment that perhaps you had not particularly noticed. She could be coming to alert you about some noise that she heard, for instance. Whatever the reason for her behavior, there has been some kind of change, either internal or external to her, and I think that this probably isn't just "behavior." That said, there's a middle ground between letting her sleep in your bedroom and just getting a stronger gate.
The main thing I would do is to try hard to figure out what is going on with her physically. A good, complete physical exam and discussion with your vet would help, if only to put your mind at ease. I'd let her sleep in a good, warm, comfortable place, in a bed with ample padding to keep her old bones off the floor -- but that doesn't necessarily have to be in your bedroom.
Of course, if she has been successful in gaining access to the bedroom by whining, she'll have to learn differently, but it will be easier for both of you if you know for sure that she has everything she needs to be comfortable. Good luck.
You can also consider whether there might have been some changes in the environment that perhaps you had not particularly noticed. She could be coming to alert you about some noise that she heard, for instance. Whatever the reason for her behavior, there has been some kind of change, either internal or external to her, and I think that this probably isn't just "behavior." That said, there's a middle ground between letting her sleep in your bedroom and just getting a stronger gate.
The main thing I would do is to try hard to figure out what is going on with her physically. A good, complete physical exam and discussion with your vet would help, if only to put your mind at ease. I'd let her sleep in a good, warm, comfortable place, in a bed with ample padding to keep her old bones off the floor -- but that doesn't necessarily have to be in your bedroom.
Of course, if she has been successful in gaining access to the bedroom by whining, she'll have to learn differently, but it will be easier for both of you if you know for sure that she has everything she needs to be comfortable. Good luck.
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