Let those sleeping dogs lie

IF I remember my Cowley School history lessons correctly, it was Sir Robert Walpole who said: "Let sleeping dogs lie". Sir Robert was referring to the French, of course. I am more interested in the canine variety.

I am often asked whether it is better to provide a proper sleeping area, or let the family dog have the whole run of the house. In my opinion a dog is better off if he is given a specific sleeping area in the home, which he can regard as his own territory. The ideal place is a draughtproof corner, where he can have time to himself and a place to keep his toys. It must be emphasised that this is his patch, and the children should be taught not to interfere with him when he is in his bed. Most dogs like to be left alone in their beds and, if they are constantly played with, they can become irritable and are liable to become snappy.

A cardboard box lined with a blanket is sufficient for your dog's needs but if you prefer a properly designed bed there are several choices available. They range from the rigid plastic models, wicker baskets, bean bags which are filled with polystyrene granules and foam beds covered with fabric and synthetic fur. Whichever you choose it is important that it is washed regularly. The easiest to keep clean are the plastic beds and the most difficult are the wicker types. Bean bags and fabric beds take much longer to dry.

If you have just acquired a puppy you should resist the temptation to take it to bed with you. A small puppy sleeping on your bed may look quite cute and cuddly, but it won't seem so as it grows larger. I have known of dogs, when they have reached maturity, spraying urine on the bed to mark it as their territory. A dog I know, dodged upstairs one day in someone else's house and sprayed all over the bed. Needless to say the owner of the house, who happened to be the dog owner's boss, was not at all impressed. There is also the problem of dog flea infestation. It is not very pleasant to wake up in the morning full of flea bites. Grease and dirt will absorb onto the bed lined along with anything else it may have walked through or rolled in, leaving a very distinct 'doggy' smell.

You should provide a proper bed from the very first day your puppy arrives. The sooner it is accepted as its own territory, the sooner it will settle down. Remember that a young puppy has been used to having other puppies sleeping with him and that it is the natural instinct of a pack animal to want to sleep with other members of the pack. You must put the bed in a warm place to start with. A position near to a central heating boiler is ideal. If this is not possible, try putting hot a water bottle filled with luke warm water, alongside your pup. Pups love to chew things and so it is advisable to wrap the water bottle up, otherwise if its sharp little teeth puncture it you could wake up to a very soggy and uncomfortable pet.

A ticking clock can provide comfort to a lonely pup during the night by simulating the heartbeat of the other pups it has left behind. A radio playing soft music through the night can prove very soothing but make sure it isn't so load that it will disturb your neighbours.

It is usual for a young pup to start to cry in the night. This is perfectly understandable and it is best to ignore it. If the crying continues and you go down to check if it is all right, you must let it know by the tone of your voice, that you are not happy with its behaviour. It is vital that you resist the temptation to pick it up and nurse it, and under no circumstances must you take it up to bed with you. Your pup will consider this action a reward for bad behaviour and it will prove very difficult to break him from this habit.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.