How to Teach Your Dog to Sleep in His Bed

How to Teach Your Dog to Sleep in His Bed

Although sleeping with your dog may be a beautiful, fun and interesting experience, it is always advisable to teach your dog to sleep in his bed. You may have sleep problems, or your pet may have to sleep in another house where you can not curl up together in the same bed at night. So it is important to teach your dog to sleep in his bed and make your furry friend independent and able to rest easily. Keep reading because in this article on OneHowTo.com we explain how to teach your dog to sleep in his bed in detail.

Steps to follow:
1

As we said, sleeping with your dog is a very nice experience that will reinforce certain ties, but if your dog is always used to sleeping with you in your bed, then it will never be able to do it alone.

When a dog comes to your house one of the most important decisions is whether to let the animal sleep in your bed. It is a very personal matter and has a lot to do with where you draw the line, but it will have future repercussions. Your pet will obey any order you give them if you are consistent and coherent.

2

It is essential that you keep consistency in everything you say and do. You cannot scold the dog one day because he or she creeps into your bed and then one day give them a big hug when climbing up, because you're causing a lot of confusion for the dog. Your dog may not understand what is right.

Once your pet comes into your house, it's natural for them to choose multiple sites for resting, and if that site is not suitable for whatever reason, you have to make the animal understand that. So, you should decide from the start which it is the animal´s sleeping site and put the bed in the place you want it to be. If you've seen the dog likes to be near the window, sofa or your bed, put the animal´s bed near yours.

3

You should have the dog´s bed ready before your pet comes into your house, a comfortable bed that suits the size of your dog. It may not work perfectly the first time, but try to be understanding, firm and disciplined.

If your dog gets home, and you have no bed for them, look for a quilt that you do not use and maybe a good mattress to use at the moment. Once you can put the bed in a quiet place which your dog loves, try to be sure that it is a place near your bed that is quiet and respectful of their rest. When your dog wants to go to sleep, do not wake them to play. If you want your dog to understand that's the place to sleep, you should let them sleep, and avoid conflicting messages.

You can also create a bed for your dog yourself by following the instructions given in our article on how to make a dog bed. Here are some ideas to get it done!

4

If your dog or puppy comes home, you have to be assertive with teaching - but never aggressively. Dogs learn through repetition and positive reinforcement and through awards designed for dogs.

You'll have to teach them clearly where is the place to sleep. You will have to reward your dog every time they go to the right bed. But if the dog persists in sleeping in your bed, you have to tell the dog to go down. If you are patient and constantly repeat the order, the dog will not climb into your bed anymore. However, when an adult dog enters your house, it will be more difficult to make the dog sleep elsewhere - especially if the dog has never obeyed that order and has slept anywhere it wanted to, so you will have to focus more on training and proper discipline.

5

The procedure for to teach your dog sleep to sleep in his bed is:

  • Grab some treats and the dog leash if necessary, otherwise you can call the animal and cuddle it for a while.
  • Come to bed and incite the dog to lie down gently, and then give the animal a prize.
  • Repeat the "bed" command and continue to caressing its back. Then, make the dog get out of bed and repeat the operation.
  • Try to say the animal´s name to encourage the animal to use the bed and say a loving word. Once you get the animal into bed and it stays there, give the dog a treat again and repeat the whole process.

You may have to do this for several days, but eventually the dog will stay in the bed you have chosen for them. Your bed should be full of positive associations and good experiences. Make sure each day that your dog has an fitness program to complete, that its need to urinate and defecate is met, and that they have a good diet so that they are more inclined to rest on their special place.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Teach Your Dog to Sleep in His Bed, we recommend you visit our Pets category.