Re: Bet You Can't Solve This Problem!
Thank you all so much for your replies and especially your advice.
I hold my hands up to being fully responsible for allowing them to jump up on the bed. These two gorgeous little LaChons are lap-dogs, completely and utterly spoiled by me in every way. After a lifetime of having Labbies that always knew their place and slept in their basket in the small, warm utility room downstairs with all the doors open for access if they needed us. I never had any problems, but these two! I know they see me as pack leader because I can't even go from the living room without them following me immediately. If I have a bath, they will lie outside the bathroom door until I come out. When I sit down on the sofa for the evening, (even typing on here) there is always one with his head on each knee. They both used to try their utmost to get right on top of my legs to curl up before I had to teach them that was a definite no no. I have to admit this is my first experience with very small dogs and it is still proving a learnimg curve,, if not lovely or comical at times.
As for your solutions....
To be honest with you, it wouldn't bother me personally if they did sleep on the bed, but HWMO is having none of it. (I am just thankful that we no longer have to go to work anymore). It wouldn’t be so bad if they got on the bed and stayed there! But they get up for an hour or so whilst we are asleep, then one followed by the other, jump off again to either lie full stretch on the mat or curl up in one of their soft bed baskets. Then they will decide they want to be on the bed again and take aim to try and reach the centre but often landing on top of us instead, thus waking us up. Sometimes if they manage to get back on without us waking up, they then succeed in waking us up by kicking one of us with their four little legs as they move in their sleep!
A cage with their baskets inside sounds feasible - if we didn’t know what Ollie was like, he would put a child to shame with his crying, and we do have working neighbours to consider.
Suggestion to get two single duvets sounds good too but brought an instant face pull from HWMO because he did not take kindly to the thought of having two dogs being allowed to lie on the bottom sheet that we are lying on every night. A definite no from him.
Unfortunately, putting their baskets outside the door with a barrier so they can’t access the bed but can still see us for reassurance wouldn’t work either, as we have a large main bedroom that runs the length of the property.and the bed is on the far wall furthest from view from the door.
I know they are not spooked by fireworks or loud noises as we have plenty going on around this area and they are not phased in the least. They’re never cold either as their little baskets (soft with fluffy cushioning, complete with extra blanket) are placed next to each other, with plenty of room in them to curl up in different positions. Funnily enough, after jumping up on the bed twice last night, we woke up this morning to find them both fast asleep curled up in their baskets.Bliss!
Separate bedrooms wouldn’t work either. HWMO and I usually wake up every morning with the jokey “we’re both still here then”. Wouldn’t be so funny shouting “are you still alive?” from another bedroom!!.
Advice that we should treat them like animals and not children definitely won’t work either, I’m afraid.
Now my own family have flown the nest, my two little boys are exactly that, my babies!! Over-pampered, over-spoiled, the centre of our lives in this home. I’m afraid I have left it too late to ever change that, I own two very frisky, happy, spoiled little dogs that are used to getting their own way in most things. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just wish I hadn’t made a rod for our own backs (that’s exactly how it feels when Flynn digs his body into my back at night!) by this constant jumping on (and then off) the bed.
I’m very grateful for all your advice though. I guess it will continue until we are so shattered from them that they will finally be allowed to stay on the bed and just have to put up with the little beggars night time antics. I can’t see any other solution.