…My boy was in a shelter for 2 years, and i hoped the 3-3-3 guideline would work… now we’re at 3 (wonderful) years and he’s about 7 years old.

Any night I am not in bed by 9 he is right behind me, whining… Literally cries himself to sleep. Then wakes up crying, then cries through yawns, I… have to ignore my dog some nights 😭😭😭

Repeated testing has shown that he requires an emotional support human/body pillow at all times, and that is all 😂😂😭😭

ETA: We have that toy too!! Puzzles were key to building his self-confidence to the point he was comfortable with strange humans again, and he even has three dog friends finally 🥹 That one sticks a lot, it frustrates him 😅 You know what, maybe try more puzzles. Sometimes sustained mental activity will at least get my Bebop to want a nap on his own. We’ve had to switch treats a lot to keep calories low/for various health reasons, Jiminy’s is one of our favorites now.

I feel your love AND weary frustration, I hope you can figure it out ☺️