When Jack Russell Lily Lost Her Night’s Sleep
How would you cope with being kept awake every night?
True stories from the life of professional dog behaviourist Theo Stewart. She lives in a pretty town in South West England and has helped thousand of dogs and their owners to live happier lives together over the last 20 years.
What happens when an 11-year-old Jack Russell suddenly decides the night is for anything but sleeping?
Meet Lily. And meet her very tired humans.
Lily is the sweetest little terrier.
She’s been part of her owners’ family for over a decade.
One day, five weeks ago, she stopped sleeping at night.
Her loving humans tried everything. They took her to the vet. They ran tests and scans.
But Lily just dozed during the day, wide awake by night.
The vet discovered lesions on Lily’s liver and enlarged adrenal glands.
But the real culprit? Possibly cognitive decline—age creeping in.
Medications were prescribed.
They did little to help.
It seemed Lily had changed, almost overnight.
Her owners were exhausted, waking to frantic panting and constant wandering. Night after night, Lily paced, panted, and drank water like a pup in a desert.
They looked at her and thought, “This isn’t the Lily we know.”
Sleep? A distant memory.
They worried about pain—maybe doggy dementia.
And the more they tried to fix things, the less they seemed to improve.
I recalled my own dog, Pickle, who did something similar at fourteen.
We found ways to ease his nights, calm his frantic digging, and settle his anxious pacing.
I suspected Lily’s situation could be similar.
But each dog is different, so I kept my approach flexible.
By now, Lily’s owners felt hopeless.
They considered a costly specialist.
They even wondered if it was time to say goodbye.
Nobody was sleeping. Nobody saw a way forward.
Then, together, we explored small changes—calming routines, gentle walks, food puzzles, and ways to reduce night-time stress.
She doesn’t need big adventures anymore.
Just a bit of purpose and enrichment.
Little by little, Lily began sleeping again.
Her owners even enjoyed a full night’s rest for the first time in five weeks.
“We have our baby back,” they told me.
Lily now claims a third of their king-size bed, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Next time
Now that Lily and her human family are getting some much-needed rest, it’s time to meet a new friend who’s causing a different kind of trouble.
Next time, you’ll meet Bertie, the Cocker Spaniel who’s turned his garden into a bird-hunting ground.
You won’t want to miss the creative ways his humans try to keep him grounded—literally.
About the author
Theo Stewart is a dog behaviourist who lives in a pretty town in South West England. She has been a regular dog behaviour expert on local BBC Radio.
This is a true story. For privacy, names and details have been changed.
Remember, every dog is unique. Always consult a professional for advice tailored to your dog’s needs. Click here to get help that will be tailored to you and your dog.
Author: Theo Stewart
Editor: Sarah Hyndman (Theo’s daughter)
Thank you for getting in touch.
If you take a look at my case stories, there are over 1000 of them, using the search box, you should find examples and ideas. Most things though are applied specifically to your own dog. The same size doesn't fit all :-) Here is the link: www.dogidog.co.uk/my-case-stories
Hello and thanks for a nice story. Can you share any of calming routines that worked for this case? Thanks a lot.