Bouji sleeps alllllll afternoon

[Bouji]

Hi,

Bouji our 4 month old Frenchie sleeps alllllllllllll afternoon long. I’m home with her and generally she’s up and roudy in the morning, then by about 1pm she’s sound asleep at my feet until I wake her at 6pm. Anytime I wake her to go outside for a walk…oh boy! She drags her feet, lies down in the middle of the street, and tries to sleep on every patch of grass we walk by. Is it her age, do dogs just sleep all day, or is Bouji just particularly lazy? :confused:

Thanks,
Jenny

[imogene]

I was told that Frenchies sleep about 16 hours a day - I know our Belzie only has two speeds - full blown overdrive and asleep. :lol:

[SadPandas]

Our Orson is somewhat the same way. He wakes up in the morning and eats between 6:30 and 9am; depending on the day. As soon as he's had his breakfast, he goes back to sleep and just sleeps the rest of the day until about 6:30-7pm when he is ready for fetch time and running around the place!! He will occasionally get up to change his sleeping location (from the couch, to the bed, to the hardwood floor, and back again :lol: ). His walks are in the late evening because of the heat and then he goes to bed between 12-1am. What a day, huh?

I tug Orson off the couch for potty during this a few times and I have to motivate him to get up but he doesn't try to sleep outside on the grass during potty break. Orson is a year old now and your Bouji is still very young. She may just be a sleepy puppy still and might become more active soon and then slow down again. I know Orson was tired a lot at first and then very spunky and now he is like this. I think they go through phases. It is also so hot outside, it probably makes them more tired.

There is probably someone who can confirm this or may be able to suggest some other causes. What kind of diet is she on?

[SadPandas]

I was writing when Tracy posted. If they sleep 16 hours that is just about Orson's schedule and likely Bouji's:)
-Kat

[imogene]

:) I forgot to mention that they are babies - and babies need sleep, and Belzie would need a 4 hour nap for ever hour or two that she was awake and active - now she sometimes sits. . . .but she has had very bad allergies this year -bursts of energy and then hours of sleep is normal. For Belzie Lethargy is usually a sign that something is wrong :( Don't worry too much, Frenchies have a steep learning curve, and in a few months you will get a real handle on their moods and schedule appicon

[franp]

Bijou is a baby.... And she should be napping...

Part of what I like about crate training is that the pup gets to nap... Three hours or so in the crate (at Bijou's age)and then one to two hours out PLAYING so that she gets tired and does not mind being in her crate...IMO, pups should not be out and about for long ,extended periods of time...

From your post, I saw you are on the East coast, as I am... it is VERY hot and humid.. Dangerous for our dogs... Dari goes out just long enough to urinate and have a bm..then in the house...Perhaps Bijou is lying on the grass cause it is hot??

How are you house training her?? and is she getting to play with other dogs close to her own age ? Perhaps you might want to arrange for a playdate in the afternoon and rearrange her schedule in the morning?

[Susan-n-Bijou]

Jenny,

I'm on the East Coast too and, like Franp said, it's super hot and muggy. My Chin, also flat-faced and heat sensitive like Frenchies, cannot be out of airconditioning this time of year. They will pant like maniacs and assume the "flatty" position (laying on bellies with front and back legs stretched out) if they are on the porch for even 5 minutes.

As for the sleeping....Frenchie babies really sleep that much? It's not a prob because we are a pretty laid back household, but my Mother is going to drive me crazy. I can hear the worried Grandma now..."This puppy shouldn't be sleeping this much. Is she okay? You better call the vet." I will have no peace, lol!

Jenny...you have baby Bouji...and I have baby Bijou! What color is your little girl? Mine is brindle.

[Bouji]

Hi,

Thanks for all of your replies. Ok, I guess I don’t have to worry appicon

To answer some of your questions: Bouji is a pied female…I thought I uploaded her picture but maybe it didn’t work. She has black patches over her eyes, a small spot on top of her head, and one right on top of her bum.

She is eating Natural Balance Venison and Rice kibbles (this one won the taste test).

She absolutely hated her crate from day one, so we set up a baby play pen which she loves. She is almost potty trained…she goes to the front door and just stares at the door knob when she has to go #1 and #2. But sometimes has accidents with #1. I don’t think she thinks #1 is as urgent as #2…hey, what’s a little pee in the hallway.

[Susan-n-Bijou]

Jenny,

I'm still trying to figure out the board so I will look for Bouji's picture.

Funny, but Bijou has a sister and 2 brothers who are marked similar to your Bouji. Oy, if I had gotten one of them, things would have been really confusing around here! :lol:

I haven't decided if I'm going to use a crate, a playpen or a combination of the two. I guess I'll have to decide based on how well my puppy picks up the potty training. Sounds like you and Bouji are doing great with the potties!

[franp]

Dogs will hate the crate if you allow it.. they can cry longer than we can listen...
IMO it is imperative that a dog learn to be crated...There are times that it is essential /imperative that they are in a crate... In the event that they are injured or after surgery...If you travel...

A light cloth over the crate helps the dog to get used to the crate.. and having it in the same room with you so your pup hears you cuts down on the stress...

Crating teaches a dog muscle control...They won't urinate/defecate where they sleep; so they learn to hold it...

Dari's crate is standing in my living room.. six and a half years later.. she takes her toys into the crate..it is her space.. the door is open...for her...

[gravy]

Boy that first night we had franc was tough.
We forgot to introduce the crate properly, but
since he was from a breeder who also crated
we thought it would be easy. Boy were we
wrong!! Luckily we had a lot of books about
the frenchies with instructions about the crate.
You should never respond to the barking and let
them out when you first crate them otherwise
you teach them that bark means "Let me out".
For franc it was his first time crated without
the other frenchies around, so he was lonely.
Last night was the first time he walked in by
himself to go to bed appicon in the three weeks
we've had him. He musta been real tired.

[SadPandas]

I totally agree with Fran about the crate! Make it a cozy little den for them and they will learn that it is a safe, relaxing place. Orson was not thrilled at first by the whole idea and those are times when you will really hear that crazy monster/gremlin cries that these sweet Frenchies can make, but you have to let them work through it. Don't give it up.

Even after the potty training is over it will continue to be very useful and they will use it forever, like Dari, if you get it right to begin with. It offers a safe place for your dog when you are not in the house or any other time when you can't watch them. Although accidents happen; this can greatly reduce them from getting into something and getting poisoned or injured. This assures you that they are safe and sound. It is a happy little snuggle place for them and will make things so much easier for many things in their lives.

[Mpup]

Just to add to what the others have mentioned - we have found having Molly crate trained to be invaluable. If you need to leave your dog for a few hours or have someone look after them, it will make things much easier.

I felt guilty during the training process when she was a puppy - like I was torturing her, but now when it is time for bed and she is ready to get her beauty sleep, she will jump off of our bed (yes, our big comfy bed) and head straight to her crate :D

[imogene]

Belzie evilicon evilicon evilicon tortured me for the first two weeks when I was crate training her. At first she would howl for hours, and then half way through and then 20 minutes before her time to come out - but her crate is her bedroom and she sleeps in a crate every night no matter if we are home or traveling.

Recently she had a bladder problem and had to go out every 2 hours for a couple of nights - this upset her crate training for a week, and now she is back on a normal schedule. I have noticed that the only time she goes in her crate is at night - durring the day she prefers to nap on the sofa, area rug or her other bed in the living room. Acutually her favorite place to nap is on my lap :lol:

Now that she is almost 12 months we give her the run of the living room when we go out - she has been wonderful each time - she is such a good puppy - we are very lucky to have her.appicon

[gravy]

We have an office/guest bedroom downstairs
where we put his crate. The first night we closed
the door to this room and he barked about 20 minutes.
Muffled of course. every subsequent night a little less.
Now he only barks in the morning at 4:00 and again at
5:00 when we get up to let him out, but not when we
put him to bed. I think the paperboy or sprinklers wakes
him up. Now we leave the door open to the office since
he's been so good.

[franp]

Our dogs are pack animals... they are SOCIAL...not meant to be alone...

Think about what happens when they leave the breeder; leaving thier dam and littermates...to come to a whole new envirnment...and then we put them into a crate ALONE...in a room ALONE.. of course they cry...

Many years ago the accepted wisdom was to put the dog/pup in a room alone and let it cry...now we have the pup/dog in our room and the crying is at a minimum...Our dogs can hear us... they are comforted by our voices and the sound of our breathing..

Sure they are still scared the first few nights...but they are not alone...It makes crating your dog allot easier if you keep the crate in the room you are in in the beginning... even having it near the bed, so you can stick your hand in to reassure your pup/dog..

And if your pup has to go out, you can hear it call for help all that much easier...

[imogene]

Our dogs are pack animals... they are SOCIAL...not meant to be alone...

Think about what happens when they leave the breeder; leaving thier dam and littermates...to come to a whole new envirnment...and then we put them into a crate ALONE...in a room ALONE.. of course they cry...

Many years ago the accepted wisdom was to put the dog/pup in a room alone and let it cry...now we have the pup/dog in our room and the crying is at a minimum...Our dogs can hear us... they are comforted by our voices and the sound of our breathing..


:lol: Belzie is too loud a sleeper for the sanity of her pack - which is why, after two months of very poor sleep, we put her across our very short hall into the guest room:) I think the fact that I am a very light sleeper, and wake up even if she only shakes her head, is reassuring enough for her.:) -- when we went to Lake Louise, she didn't like where I put her crate, the first time, and barked for a solid 40 minutes, until I realized that she didn't like her spot by the window. As soon as I moved her to her new location she was brilliant!

[franp]

:lol: Belzie is too loud a sleeper for the sanity of her pack - which is why, after two months of very poor sleep, we put her across our very short hall into the guest room:) I think the fact that I am a very light sleeper, and wake up even if she only shakes her head, is reassuring enough for her.:) -- when we went to Lake Louise, she didn't like where I put her crate, the first time, and barked for a solid 40 minutes, until I realized that she didn't like her spot by the window. As soon as I moved her to her new location she was brilliant!


Ah,Tracy,
I bet if you did not have her in your bedroom(distrupting YOUR sleepwith her snoring) those first few days/weeks.. things would have been different...when you moved her.. Belzie was, by that time,settled and secure..

There are times, that Dari will start off the night sleeping in the living room..But those first few scarey nights in a new home.. pups/dogs need to be comforted and reassured..

Fortunately ,not all of our dogs are as "vocal" when they sleep as the lovely Belzie..:lol: Thankfully she has many other redeeming qualities...:)

[BecksDad]

My wife and I have had little Beckham since Sunday (3 nights).

His first night we put his crate in our bedroom, right beside our bed with the gate facing the bed so the little guy could see us. He cried for about 20 minutes and then passed out. We didn't get much sleep because Beckham moved around quite a bit and tried to get out a few times throughout the night.

Monday night: Beckham cried again for about 15 minutes and then passed out. He didn't make anymore noises throughout the night and slept for 6 solid hours!

Tuesday night: No crying at all...slept for 7 hours until walk time in the morning!

We've been really lucky with Beckham so far! Although, today I discovered he has fleas! We're going to give him a bath with de-flea shampoo and wash his blankets tonight. Hopefully the fleas won't become a bigger problem (fingers crossed).

I'm really happy with Becks...he's the cutest dog in the world (in his Dad's opinion :D )!

[imogene]

Ah,Tracy,
I bet if you did not have her in your bedroom(distrupting YOUR sleepwith her snoring) those first few days/weeks.. things would have been different...when you moved her.. Belzie was, by that time,settled and secure..

I absolutely agree with you - and if it wasn't for me being such a light sleeper she would still be in our room

Fortunately ,not all of our dogs are as "vocal" when they sleep as the lovely Belzie..:lol

Oh I am not sure if I mentioned that belzie's snoring was really awful from 5-7 months, and now she is not nearly as bad - most of the time she is quiet, but she is also a fitful sleeper, and wakes up and shakes a couple of time per night - which wakes me up more often and not. But since we have digressed again I will reiterate that crate training is a great thing, when used properly, with consistency and persistance. :)

[citygirl]

I, too, agree that crate training your dog is invaluable. The only thing that I'd add from my experience is that I put a puppy-sized Kong into the crate each morning with my girls as I'm leaving for work. I stuff it with a few little treats and they absolutely adore getting them. Our morning routine is to take a walk around the neighborhood, come back to the house and I let them get some water while I sit down and write a note to the dog walker who comes every day. This morning, Maddie sat on the floor right next to the couch where I was seated and stared a hole through me. She wanted me to hurry up and leave so that she could have her Kong. They do this all the time to me -- hurry me off to work so that they can go in their crates for the Kongs.

You wouldn't necessarily have to use a Kong -- you could just throw a few treats in there on top of their blankets, but the Kong entertains and challenges them. They, however, don't get Kongs when they go to bed in their crates at night and it's never been a problem to get them into the crate for bedtime. Maddie will sometimes take the long road (behind the couch, through the dining room, through the kitchen) just to delay going to bed (just like a kid), but she walks into the crate and practically falls down in her nice, cushy blankets and puts her head down immediately. I just love their bedtime (for so many reasons!).:lol:

[gravy]

Our dogs are pack animals... they are SOCIAL...not meant to be alone...

Think about what happens when they leave the breeder; leaving thier dam and littermates...to come to a whole new envirnment...and then we put them into a crate ALONE...in a room ALONE.. of course they cry...

Many years ago the accepted wisdom was to put the dog/pup in a room alone and let it cry...now we have the pup/dog in our room and the crying is at a minimum...Our dogs can hear us... they are comforted by our voices and the sound of our breathing..

Sure they are still scared the first few nights...but they are not alone...It makes crating your dog allot easier if you keep the crate in the room you are in in the beginning... even having it near the bed, so you can stick your hand in to reassure your pup/dog..

And if your pup has to go out, you can hear it call for help all that much easier...

Now you have me feeling all guilty for screwing up my dog.:(
Actually I think he's pretty well adjusted. He was 8 months old
when I got him and really hasn't been barking at all in his crate
except in the morning and we hear him and let him out. Our house
is fairly open so I'm sure he can hear us from his room and in fact
we leave the door open now. We also have a cat and night time
is her time. She loves it when the dog goes to bed.:)
I'm sure there are many different opinions on this matter which
is why I like this board. I guess what I'm trying to say is that for
a young puppy you are probably right, but in my case it has worked
out great.

[Bouji]

Well, I think what works for you and the pup is the best thing to do. In reality all of this crate training, living in a house, scheduled feeding, etc. is not natural. We just do these things to make our lives easier so we can live in peace with our pups. So what works for you- hallelujah! appicon

I used to live on an island where dogs lived in packs. I raised a puppy but when he got older he lived/traveled/played in the forest with his pack during the day and he’d be at the bus stop waiting for me when I got off of work (breaks my heart!).

I think the crate works great for some people/dogs. For us, when we leave her alone it’s an open sherpa bag inside her play pen (in our living room) with a wee-wee pad and at night she sleeps in the bed with us (even when we travel she sleeps in the bed!). Lucky for us she does not snore or wiggle around much…if she did, sleeping arrangements would definitely be another story!

[Carolyn]

I'm still trying to figure out the board so I will look for Bouji's picture.


Susan....to view photos....you can click on the "gallery" button located on upper right hand side with each post.