We have a German Shepherd who is almost 2 years old, and he has suddenly decided he doesn’t want to come back inside to go to bed at night. To give you some context: ever since he was a puppy, we’ve taken him out into the garden at around 11pm for his last toilet break, then we come back in, put him in his crate, and go to bed. Obviously, when we first got him, we adjusted things so he could gradually learn to sleep through the night, but he picked it up quite quickly. Since he’s grown up, we haven’t had any issues; he usually comes back in on his own to settle in his crate without us having to say a word, and he stays quiet until we get up in the morning.
However, for the past few days, he hasn’t wanted to come back in when we let him out. We wait, we let him stay in the garden a bit longer, we call him, and we even try to lure him with a treat, but nothing works. In the end, my husband has had to go and get him and lead him back by his collar. We’ve been racking our brains to figure out why his behaviour has changed, but absolutely nothing has changed in our routine. We’re completely baffled! It seems a bit late for it to be a "teenage phase". He started being a bit stubborn when he was around 8 months old (but he didn't give us any trouble with bedtime then). We’ve actually found that since he was about 16-18 months old, he’s started to settle down, so I really don't think it's just adolescence.
Any ideas what is going on with him? And how can we get him to come back inside for bed without a fuss again? Because right now, the situation isn’t fun for him or for us. Thanks in advance!
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Hi Jeanne, thanks for your reply. I must have been writing mine while you were posting yours, which is why I didn't address the points you raised. So: - Regarding exercise, he has 2 hours of walks a day, split into three walks, two of which are off-lead. I also try to take him out with some doggy friends once or twice a week. I make sure not to always do the same walk; I have a flexible schedule so I can afford to take the car and go a bit further from home so the walk is new and more stimulating. So there we go, I don't spend all day with him, but I think we’re doing alright in terms of exercise ^^ - We’re going to try leaving his pen open over the next few nights. I'll keep you updated :)
Oops, I hadn't seen this message just before today's one.
Okay regarding the walks.
Maybe he’d enjoy one longer off-lead walk rather than three shorter ones where he has to stay on the lead for one of them...
Why three, by the way? Morning, noon, and night? To give the day some structure?
We’ve been racking our brains trying to find a reason for this change in behaviour, but absolutely nothing has changed in our routine. We're completely stumped! And I think he's a bit old for it to be a teenage phase.
Hi there,
How exactly was he behaving? That might give us some clues.
Was he turning his back on you, or just giving you the cold shoulder?
Lying on the ground?
Was he sniffing around? Taking his time?
Was he staring at something in particular? (I gather not... but still.)
Was he facing you and then moving away when you called him?
...
Otherwise, I think if absolutely nothing has changed in your routine, then he might (or may have been) simply trying to tell you that he wanted (and perhaps needed) to stay outside longer, to get out more.
You managed to get him back inside, but I think you should keep what happened in the back of your mind and try to address it, as he was definitely trying to tell you something, especially if it’s happened several nights in a row.
You didn't mention what his walks are like? Duration, frequency, variety, what do they actually consist of...?
Hi everyone! I said I'd keep you all posted... so we’ve brought the training gear back out: the long lead and the treats! To be honest, it’s a bit of a let-down to have to go back to basics for something that hasn't been an issue for over a year, but there we go.
So, before letting him out in the garden for his last wee of the night, we put him on the long lead. Five minutes later we call him back; if he doesn't come, we calmly go and get him, encourage him with treats, and he comes back inside. After a few days, we only gave him treats if he came back of his own accord, or at least if we didn't have to nudge him too much with the lead. And after a while, he’s started coming back on his own again! So, problem solved... for now, anyway – you never know if he’ll start acting up again one day! 🙄
Hi Jeanne, thanks for your reply. I must have been typing mine while you were posting yours, which is why I didn't address the points you raised. So:
- Regarding exercise, he gets 2 hours of walks a day, split into three outings, two of which are off-lead. I also try to walk him with some doggy friends once or twice a week. I try not to always do the same route; I have a flexible schedule so I can take the car and go a bit further afield so the walk is new and more stimulating. So, I don't spend all day with him, but I think we're doing alright in terms of activity levels ^^
- We’re going to try leaving his pen open for the next few nights. I’ll keep you posted :)
Thanks for your replies :) I'll go through your points one by one:
- A female in season, I’m not sure. There are a few dogs in the neighbourhood but I don’t know them that well. That said, when he’s in the garden during the day, he doesn’t seem to be looking for anything in particular; he just enjoys sunbathing quietly.
- Too hot, that’s possible. He’s got long fur and he’s never seemed to mind the cold outside. But then, the heating’s been on since the start of winter, so why would it suddenly be too much for him now? :/
- Him watching for critters is possible too: we live on the edge of a field, and once the sun goes down, he sometimes runs to the bottom of the garden and barks at something behind the hedge. At night and at this time of year, it’s unlikely to be humans... It’s a bit of a pain if he prefers staying out to watch for wildlife. For a start, I don’t think he realises that if we did leave him out at night, he’d actually have to stay out all night (I’m not getting up to let him back in whenever he fancies). And if he barks at 4am, it’s going to be a bit of a nuisance for us and the neighbours...
- As for the pen, we didn’t think we’d still be using it now that he’s grown up. But since he goes in there of his own accord, we just carried on with it. We could try leaving it open at night.
- Something scaring him, we’ve thought about it and racked our brains, but honestly, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, not even something minor. Plus, he’s not the nervous type; he’s comfortable everywhere and it takes a lot to faze him.
There could be plenty of reasons for this change in behaviour. It might be that your dog feels the need to burn off some energy and get some fresh air. If that’s the case, you could try making his walks longer during the day. German Shepherds need a lot of exercise, and ideally, he should be let off the lead for a good part of the walk so he can really let off steam.
Also, if he doesn’t want to come back inside in the evening, it might be that something is bothering him indoors. Maybe he feels a bit cramped in his playpen, and swapping the pen for a dog bed might suit him better. It’s also possible that the room he sleeps in is too hot or too cold, or perhaps he doesn’t feel entirely safe there... There are many possible explanations. You could try changing the location and his bedding to see what suits your dog best.
As for the playpen, is he maybe getting a bit too big for it now? It’s handy when they're a puppy, but I reckon he can do without it now. Perhaps he’s feeling a bit cramped and is trying to let you know?
Maybe he’s also getting too hot and prefers staying cool out in the garden?
Or could something that seemed totally minor to you have given him a bit of a fright?
