We brought Toto home and she slept through the first night like a baby! We made her all comfy in her "sleep" crate sitting on a chest next to our bed, left a little nightlite on where she could see us. The next afternoon we decided on a little afternoon nap. We snugged her in her crate and she would look at us and bark! In one of the books we studied before we got her they advised ... if they do something
you don't like ... you, in turn, should do something
they don't like such as tap on their crate with something metal. [They don't like the sound!] I took a little metal curtain rod and every time she barked I would tap and tell her "no" [not
whack, just a little tap!] After about six little taps and she never did it again [she also began to learn that if we said "no" that she was doing something that she should not do] ... however ... over time ... she and I got into the habit of snuggling up together and watching TV on our bed and Patrick would tuck her in her crate when he came to bed ... then .... she would be sleeping so peacefully he couldn't bear to disturb her .... then ... one thing led to another and ... YEP ... she sleeps with us every single night!!
It's amazing that we don't squash her but I suppose we are just always "aware" that she is there even when we sleep!!
She has a little wicker footstool at the foot of our bed and if she needs to go potty during the night she just gets up on her own like a "big girl" and goes to her weewee pad in her x-pen and never disturbs us at all!!
We solved the sleep problem and also, she learned that we didn't like the loud barking so she evidently wanted to please us and quit doing it altogether!! She never barks unless it's appropriate. If she isn't sure or "forgets", I simply look her in the eye and tell her "no loud barking ... we have to use our inside voice" and she begins to "talk" in her little baby Yorkie voice as if she understands perfectly!! She is absolutely AMAZING!!!
