Adjustments for Violet and Auggie--advice needed plz

[Susan & the bullies]

Hi all-- I need help in getting our new night time routine settled. It used to be that Violet and Freida slept crated in our den. Auggie has always slept upstairs with us in his doggy bed.

Since Freida passed, I brought Violet's day bed upstairs and she's also been sleeping in our room. She was good the first few nights but then the last few nights she has been going after Auggie in the dark!!! Poor guy is usually just sitting on the floor dozing and she will pounce on him  totally unprovoked. I know she wants me and Karl to herself, she wants Auggie to go elsehwere. He does leave the room when she pounces on hiim. I don't care what their little hierarchy is, this is Auggie's bedroom, not hers. She's the new one in here and it really distresses me on his behalf as he is very sensitive and he has ALWAYS loved this time with us.

So....I brought her crate upstairs and put it in the adjoining bedroom. SHe is in there now and I can hear her huffing and puffing but she isn't yet whining or barking. Auggie is snoring away in his bed since he now doesn't have to worry about her going psycho on him.

What do you think? Is this a decent arrangment? Oy.....  Freida was our little buffer and peace keeper. She always bridged the hositility between these two. Well, the hositility Violet has for Auggie.....not the other way around. 

[Gracie & Bea's Mom]

Sounds like a good solution!
But, then again, my girls sleep in the dining room (AKA their bedroom) and I sleep at the opposite end of the house.

[ksdstny]

susan, i think it sounds fine. whatever works. she might even whine, cry or bark for awhile, she'll get used to it. unfortunately its going to be an adjustment period for her as it will be for all of you. i'm so sorry for that. she'll adapt to a new normal. does she have a fave toy or stuffy that you can put in there with her? that might help. otherwise i would just suggest you TRY to feel good about it, not stress and she wont either (sounds good right). xo

[khybeemaow]

What happens when you try to correct her when she goes after Auggie ( I kinda know the answer to that since Violet is Spike's long lost sister). Can she sleep in her crate in your room?

[Susan & the bullies]

Last night went ok, except that Karl was kept awake all night by Violet's nails clicking on the plastic tray in her crate (she pees if I put anything in there with her -- which would muffle the noise).  SO, tonight we are going to move her day bed into our bathroom which is in our master bedroom area and put up a low gate so she is more "part of things" and yet is deterred from going after Auggie. We'll see. 

Maggie, any corrections regarding Violet's outbursts go completely unheeded. She hangs her head down, knows she has done "bad" but it doesn't stop it.  It's weird, she tries so hard to please me but she has SUCH a short fuse with him. The outbursts are sort of like dive bomb attacks. It's a brief explosion rather than an all out fight. Thank God. He never, ever fights back. Poor dude.

On the upside, Auggie slept contentedly last night knowing she couldn't get him.

[emmabull]

I am sorry you are having to deal with this too. I know it makes you miss your baby girl even more. Emma always slept with me, and ALF and Sunny downstairs. When she died it didn't interrupt their sleeping. But 3 weeks later when Sunny went to the Bridge, ALF was suddenly alone. I felt so sorry for her I started letting her sleep with me. It didn't work out because she slept across the bed, being a Basset (very long) there was no room for me. I was on the edge. When I would try to move her she would cry out like I was killing her. After a few sleepless nights I moved her back downstairs and I don't think she really minded it. Of course 3 weeks later Simon moved in and she was no longer sleeping alone.

I think your new solution sounds perfect. But even if you have to move her downstairs, that's where she is use to sleeping and she may feel comfortable sleeping there even without Freida. Poor Auggie. I use to have to deal with Stitch's outbursts when he was staying with me. Everything would be fine, something would suddenly irritate him and he would go off on Emma. After a while she started fighting back. It was horrible to watch. After getting in the middle of their nighttime drama one night, I had to make him sleep downstairs. 

Good luck, I have been thinking about you and wondering how your babies were adjusting.   

[Susan & the bullies]

ok, we've battened down the hatches for tonight. Violet's in her big girl bed about 10' from us, in the bathroom with a very low gate. Auggie is snoozing on the floor. Fingers are crossed. Violet's next stop is back to the den in her crate if this doesn't work. I think you are right Terry, she probably wouldn't mind it there since she is used to it. Good gosh....   

[emmabull]

I hope this worked out for you. I know your heart is hurting and you feel so bad for Violet losing her sister. You need your rest too, make sure you are taking care of YOU too. You need a peaceful rest to be there for your babies.