Hello everyone. I'm looking for some advice because I'm at my wits' end with my dog's behaviour, which has changed, especially at bedtime. I've had my dog for 10 years; he's a small Spitz cross weighing about 9 lbs (around 4kg), and for the last 10 years, he's always slept in my bed with me. He's turning 12 this year. Recently, sometimes when it's time for bed, he gets onto the bed with a toy and then jumps back down; he does this over and over, gets really restless, scratches at the bedspread, jumps up and down, and makes little whimpering noises. Basically, for the last two nights, I haven't been able to get to sleep properly, so I'm really sleep-deprived because of the disruption. Yet, when I get home from work in the evening, he's perfectly calm sitting next to me on the sofa, and he's home alone for about 3 hours in the evening. I've set up a camera, and when I check it, he's calm on the bed too. The only solution I've found so far is to make him sleep in the kitchen, locked in with his bed. He spent the whole night there for the first time yesterday. He was whining and barking at first. I went down to give him a telling-off, and after that, I finally managed to get some sleep. I don't understand this behaviour when he used to sleep so peacefully in bed, right up against me. I'm worried he'll wonder why he's suddenly sleeping in the kitchen, but I don't know what else to do. I can't keep going without any sleep. What do you all think? Thanks.
