... [Faulkner's] developed a yen for sleeping outside, and for refusing to come in at night. I'm working on retraining that behavior, because he gets barky in the middle of the night, or whiny if it's damp (he has shelter out there). His pack (us) sleep in the cave (house) at night and that's one angle I'm using-- he's very pack-cooperative in his basic orientation. Yesterday I made him stay up all day, only one short nap, because I think he's got his days and nights mixed up from too much daytime inactivity and therefore too much nocturnal activity. Tonight he'll get not only the bell cue and treat reward when he comes in, but an invitation to sleep upstairs in OUR part of the cave, as he does whenever Hardi is away overnight.


UPDATE:

The above strategies worked well but were not foolproof... Hardi had to augment them by going out in the dark to tell F what a "BAD DOG" he was for not coming in when called. The next several nights F came in without that part, then he tried to go back to the "make me do it" approach. But we're not only smarter due to being human-- we're MUSICIANS, and musicians have-- AMPS.

Hardi has now chastised him twice by remote-- aiming his small battery-operated amp at the window that overlooks the dog yard. If F doesn't come when called and cued, he gets a round of BAD DOG, and he jumps up onto the dog porch and comes right in! And is of course rewarded and praised.

~S~