Bichon Frise....& my new baby!

Question
Hello, hope you can help,
I have a 3 week old baby & a 7 yr old Bichon Frise.(from rescue,5 yrs with us) The problem is when I & my partner go to bed the dog starts whining/whimpering & does not stop!...Its driving us mad. he has only just started doing it...the last 4 nights but we can not get him to settle. we have tried the usual ignoring him putting him in the garden telling him no. at the moment he has his bed in the kitchen with door open and access to the hall way the only way we can get him to stop is by opening the lounge door and leaving him. we  do not want this to be the solution as he licks the setees and cushions leaving wet marks on the furniture any help would be gratfully received.

Answer

Hi Carolyn,

Your dog is going through a very stressful time, as his daily routines have no doubt changed. You had 9 months to prepare for the baby, but your dog had this change suddenly thrust upon him.

A very simple, and possibly the best thing you can do to help your dog deal with his stress is to increase the amount of exercise he receives every day. Really tire him out, at least once a day (twice is better). This will help him be able to wind down and rest at night. Also, if your dog knows any obedience commands giving him several pop-quizzes of the commands during the day will help remind him that you're still in charge.

If he's doing a lot of neurotic licking, instead of leaving him with access to your sofa over night (even though it's your habit to do that) it would be better to bring him into your bedroom, or crate him, if he's crate trained. If, once he's in your bedroom he starts licking something, in a stern voice tell him "NO LICK!". If he doesn't stop, get a spray bottle or water pistol, fill it with water, and give him a squirt in the face while giving the "NO LICK!" command. The very instant he's shocked into momentarily stopping the licking, praise him for not licking. Then give him an appropriate chew toy to occupy his time. Repeat as necessary. Soon your dog will understand the "no walk" command.

There is a product you can buy to help with your dog's stress. It's called a Dog Appeasing Pheromone (D.A.P). To humans, it's odorless, but dogs can smell it. It's a synthesized version of the chemicals that soothe puppies, and the calming response is retained by adult dogs. It's not a Not a drug or tranquilizer. Dog Appeasing Pheromones work best when paired with "behavior modification", so it's not a cure-all by itself.

Best of luck,

Patti