[lemonlauren]

I don't know the right way to go about this at all, or even how exactly to have learned from our "mistake"(?), but we spoiled our little boy with holding him all the time for naps, and we're paying for it now...

When he's tired, he won't just go lay down somewhere on his own and snooze. Instead, he follows us around and whines and growls and just acts horribly pitiful in the hopes that one of us will put him on our lap so he can get to sleep. (This is for daytime naps only of course - he's good about his crate at bedtime). He has literally followed me around, dead tired and eyes barely half open, whining, for over an hour. In the past few days we've been ignoring him figuring he'd eventually HAVE to go lay down on his own. He has, but it's an incredibly difficult hour or so before he's so exhausted he gets up on a couch and passes out (and for some reason for these naps he just has to be perched precariously up on the top of the couch, not on the sitting part).

Though I don't know exactly what I would change to help fix this issue if I ever get another puppy, I think there has to be some helping the pup learn to recognize on his own when he's tired, and be able to lay down on his own - maybe not in the first week you have her, but at some point. But like I said, I don't really know exactly what I should have done differently, they're just so wonderful to snuggle with and hold. Nikko is napping on the couch right now, but only after he fell asleep first 20 min ago on his dad's lap, and his dad gently transplanted him onto the couch.

Lauren & Nikko

PS: I really don't mean to sound like a downer, lol. Just realized I might've come off that way... but it really does sound like she's bonded with you, which is such a wonderful WONDERFUL thing. :-) The day-old tshirt is a great idea! Hopefully that helps you a bit.