restless border collie/sheltie

Question
My name is Kathie.  We have a 10 yr. old female border collie/sheltie named Heidi.  (Although everyone that sees her comments that she must have Austrailian shepherd in her...who knows) We rescued when she was 6 mos. old and adopted a companion dog for her at the same time.  One year ago he got out with her and was hit by a car.  She mourned terribly for him (think of lady and the tramp that's how close they were)   A year later we have showered her with affection and attention and she seems more herself.  She became an indoor dog because we knew she missed her buddy.  She has adjusted well to be indoor with the exception of peeing on the bed when she is upset with us (we had this checked out with vet to make sure she had no medical problems) It was definately a "message".   In any case, while transitioning to the indoor princess status we kept her in the laundry room at night.  She used to do this with her buddy when weather was inclimate so this was not unfamiliar to her.  However, she would cry ....no more like scream at night to the point that we had try to modify the behavior by letting her outside .  Finally we caved and allowed her to have her freedom in the house at night.  She typically would follow me to the bedroom at night and lay down by the bed on a pillow on the floor.  She was content with this set up for that last 6 mos.  until recently.  Now she gets up and roams around the house going from my husband's side of the bed to my side.  She'll get up and move to several spots in the room then wander the house looking for a comfortable place. She also drinks alot of water at night out of toilets which doesn't seem to do during the day.  In fact, it's like she has her nights and days messed up because during the day she sleeps under my desk or by the front door looking outside.  She goes out during the day alot when no one is home and is content but when we return she wants to be inside with us.   I'm afraid we've created a monster.  My husband, who has always been a "dogs should be outside" kinda guy has gotten accostomed to her being inside but is becoming irritated because her prowling around at night keeps us awake.    We love love love our Heidi.  She gets very excited when we go for our walks every morning about 2-3 miles.  She is noise intolerant and prefers quiet spots under the computer desk, by the toilet in the 1/2 bath, cozy corners, etc.  How do we help her restlessness?  She's never been kenneled and certainly doesn't tolerate the utility room.
signed....sleepless in Houston

Answer
Hello Kathie,

You dog seems to be lacking some direction now that her companion is gone.  In all honesty, you are not doing her any favors by treating her like a human.  Give her reasonable limits that let her know you are in control.  Let her know that you and your husband are leaders in the home.  You can do this in a loving way without over doing it.

You can still keep her inside the house, but make sure she knows her limits.  Make your bed off limits.  Make your couch off limits.  If she is wandering around at night while you're trying to sleep, she has not had enough exercise for the day.  It would be a good idea to walk her longer distances in the evening or play ball or something that will exhaust her by bedtime.  Also, do not feed her a bunch of food or treats right before bed.  If she eats and drinks in the house, leave her outside immediately after for at least an hour.

These are just a few suggestions.

Thank you for your question.

Ann Jordan
Border Collie Coach