I am having a problem with Strider at night.
Since the kiddies are back in school, Strider is caged more during the day while we are all at school and work. He is actually only in there for a couple of hours, then has a break for an hour or so because I go home for lunch to let him out and let them all run and be crazy, then back in for a couple of hours. When Casey gets home from school at 3pm he is free until we all go to school/work in the AM.
He has been free at night for the last couple of months, and would just go to sleep on the blanket bed on my bedroom floor until my alarm went off at 5:30 AM and I would let them all out. Until this last week.
Now he wakes me or Dale up at least every hour to hour and a half wanting attention, or he is in the living room harrassing Merlin, barking and growling, or after Raven, who then noisily tries to end his life in my son's bedroom. The only thing he does not do is sleep. So niether does anyone else.
We have tried long walks and runs in the forest preserves and play sessions in the evening to tire him out...to no avail.
Finally, at 3:30 this morning in desperation, I put him back in his crate and locked the door. There was blessed silence, and I actually got two hours of uninterrupted slumber.
I really don't want to cage him at night in addition to during the day, but we have to sleep, and Raven or Merlin are going to kill him if he doesn't leave them alone too.
In your opinion, if I start caging him again at night is it a punishment or behavior modification?
Tell me that I am a bad MOM if you have to, don't pull any punches, I can take it and I want to know what you really think.
Stella