We have stayed true to having Wrigley sleep downstairs in his playpen. It has basically become the norm in our house. He sleeps completely through the night and when we get up around 7 for work he is ready to start his day.
Husband usually goes downstairs first since he supposed to leave before me. He lets Wrigley out of the playpen and plays with him for a second then gives him a cookie and takes off for work. This leaves me to hear him whining, in only a way a Shiba can, for me to come downstairs to entertain him. On my days that I have work I have some time to feed him, go outside and play with him before sticking him back into the playpen until I come home from work for lunch to free him.
On my days off or days I don't go into work until later I still hear my little Shiba cries right by the gate we have blocking the stairs. He sits by the stairs and whines his little head off. I try to wait until he is quite for a couple minutes since I don't want him to think that whining gets me to come running but somehow I think that we have created a routine of him whining and us coming down the stairs.
Its so hard to resist though, since he is not really a barker (only if he hears another dog or sees something different outside will he give a couple of alert barks to let us know) its not really annoying but sounds more pathetic. Like he really misses us and wants to see us soooo bad. Then I feel bad that I am laying in bed so I get up to see him and I get the best welcome from my wiggle monster. He runs to get a toy so we can begin playing right away.
Just recently my Husband told me that when he lets him out of the playpen instead of Wrigley's usually greeting to my Husband he runs to the stairs and wants to go upstairs. How sweet I think that he wants to see me! He loves me more, I win! Of course my Husband is sad that he doesn't care about him and wants to see me. But then the other day I came downstairs first and let him out of the playpen. What happens next is my little love bug runs right past me and to the stairs. Ouch, I was totally rejected!
We now have realized it is neither Husband or I that interests Wrigley, it is the upstairs. We have been dethroned by the chance of him getting to run around upstairs and go crazy underneath our bed. I guess I can see the draw for him. The underneath of our bed is like crack to him. He goes crazy scooting around down there.
I wouldn't mind too much but we have so much stuff crammed under the bed that I hate to have him start chewing on random things. Which he always seems to find that random paper or wrapper that has fallen under there. I have gotten into more trouble with Husband by having Wrigley pull out candy wrappers that he didn't know about! Wrigley also gets a little too protective when we try to look at him or get him out. He goes into devil dog mode that normally we don't see. So it looks like the gate and the whines are staying for awhile.
Just recently my Husband told me that when he lets him out of the playpen instead of Wrigley's usually greeting to my Husband he runs to the stairs and wants to go upstairs. How sweet I think that he wants to see me! He loves me more, I win! Of course my Husband is sad that he doesn't care about him and wants to see me. But then the other day I came downstairs first and let him out of the playpen. What happens next is my little love bug runs right past me and to the stairs. Ouch, I was totally rejected!
We now have realized it is neither Husband or I that interests Wrigley, it is the upstairs. We have been dethroned by the chance of him getting to run around upstairs and go crazy underneath our bed. I guess I can see the draw for him. The underneath of our bed is like crack to him. He goes crazy scooting around down there.
I wouldn't mind too much but we have so much stuff crammed under the bed that I hate to have him start chewing on random things. Which he always seems to find that random paper or wrapper that has fallen under there. I have gotten into more trouble with Husband by having Wrigley pull out candy wrappers that he didn't know about! Wrigley also gets a little too protective when we try to look at him or get him out. He goes into devil dog mode that normally we don't see. So it looks like the gate and the whines are staying for awhile.
