How to Encourage Your Dog to Sleep in Your Bed
Allow your dog to sleep in the room., Reward your dog for noticing the bed., Teach your dog to wait for an invitation before jumping on the bed., Reinforce the desired behavior with a command., Be patient if you have a cautious dog.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Allow your dog to sleep in the room.
Do not invite your dog into the bed with you right away.
For several reasons, this is a bad idea.
You need to ease your dog into sleeping in your bed.
Start by letting him in your room at night.
To start, move your dog's bed in your room.
Coax him to bed with you when you go to sleep at night.
Allow him to take some time getting used to your bedroom.
Dogs can become stressed by new routines.
If your dog is used to sleeping in his own bed in the living room, sleeping in your bed is a whole new behavior.
This can be stressful and your dog may be hesitant at first.Also, you need to make it clear that you're in charge.
If your dog thinks the bed is his, he may become territorial about it.
This could lead to him taking up too much space or whining when he can't get in the bedroom.
These kinds of behaviors should not be encouraged or reinforced. -
Step 2: Reward your dog for noticing the bed.
Start small.
Some dogs will willingly hop on any comfortable bit of furniture.
However, other dogs may be cautious about anything unfamiliar.
If your dog is unsure of your bed, start with tiny rewards.
If he glances at the bed, approaches it, or sniffs it, reward him.Dogs live in the immediate.
Reward the action as soon as it happens.
It might be helpful to keep a small bag of treats in the bedroom.
This way, you'll be able to reward your dog as soon as the behavior occurs.There are many ways to reward a dog.
Some people buy training clickers at a local pet store.
When the dog behaves, they click and give him a small treat.
The dog will learn that a clicking sound means he's done something right.
However, if you don't want to go that route you can simply offer the dog praise when you see him noticing the bed and provide a small treat as well.
Dogs tend to respond well to food as a reward., If you want your dog to sleep in your bed, train him to wait for an invitation first.
Dogs need a certain amount of structure.
If your dog hops on and off the bed at his own desire, he may become territorial about the bed.
Make sure he knows it's your bed and he's allowed on when you say so.
Teach your dog to sit before the bed.
If he starts trying to jump in the bed, say, "No" and then have him sit.
Wait a few moments and then say something like, "Go to bed!" while patting the bed to signify that it's time to sleep.Do a few training sessions each day while you're still establishing the rules.
You can use positive reinforcements, like praise or treats, when your dog completes the behavior successfully.Eventually, you'll want your dog to come sit by the bed and wait for an invitation before climbing in bed with you each night., It can be helpful to have a command that tells your dog it's time for bed.
This can make bedtime smoother for both of you.
For example, when you're ready to turn out the lights you could say something like, "Go to bed." This tells your dog it's time to hop in the bed and lie down.
Each night, as you're winding down to rest, say, "Go to bed" right before you turn out the lights.
You want your dog to associate this command with sleep time., Some dogs are more skittish than others.
If your dog is nervous by nature, it may take awhile to get him used to your bed.
Cautious dogs are generally slower to learn new behaviors.
They may need more rewards as encouragement.
If you have a cautious dog, go slowly and reward often.
It may take a few months to get your dog sleeping in the bed with you if he's generally nervous. -
Step 3: Teach your dog to wait for an invitation before jumping on the bed.
-
Step 4: Reinforce the desired behavior with a command.
-
Step 5: Be patient if you have a cautious dog.
Detailed Guide
Do not invite your dog into the bed with you right away.
For several reasons, this is a bad idea.
You need to ease your dog into sleeping in your bed.
Start by letting him in your room at night.
To start, move your dog's bed in your room.
Coax him to bed with you when you go to sleep at night.
Allow him to take some time getting used to your bedroom.
Dogs can become stressed by new routines.
If your dog is used to sleeping in his own bed in the living room, sleeping in your bed is a whole new behavior.
This can be stressful and your dog may be hesitant at first.Also, you need to make it clear that you're in charge.
If your dog thinks the bed is his, he may become territorial about it.
This could lead to him taking up too much space or whining when he can't get in the bedroom.
These kinds of behaviors should not be encouraged or reinforced.
Start small.
Some dogs will willingly hop on any comfortable bit of furniture.
However, other dogs may be cautious about anything unfamiliar.
If your dog is unsure of your bed, start with tiny rewards.
If he glances at the bed, approaches it, or sniffs it, reward him.Dogs live in the immediate.
Reward the action as soon as it happens.
It might be helpful to keep a small bag of treats in the bedroom.
This way, you'll be able to reward your dog as soon as the behavior occurs.There are many ways to reward a dog.
Some people buy training clickers at a local pet store.
When the dog behaves, they click and give him a small treat.
The dog will learn that a clicking sound means he's done something right.
However, if you don't want to go that route you can simply offer the dog praise when you see him noticing the bed and provide a small treat as well.
Dogs tend to respond well to food as a reward., If you want your dog to sleep in your bed, train him to wait for an invitation first.
Dogs need a certain amount of structure.
If your dog hops on and off the bed at his own desire, he may become territorial about the bed.
Make sure he knows it's your bed and he's allowed on when you say so.
Teach your dog to sit before the bed.
If he starts trying to jump in the bed, say, "No" and then have him sit.
Wait a few moments and then say something like, "Go to bed!" while patting the bed to signify that it's time to sleep.Do a few training sessions each day while you're still establishing the rules.
You can use positive reinforcements, like praise or treats, when your dog completes the behavior successfully.Eventually, you'll want your dog to come sit by the bed and wait for an invitation before climbing in bed with you each night., It can be helpful to have a command that tells your dog it's time for bed.
This can make bedtime smoother for both of you.
For example, when you're ready to turn out the lights you could say something like, "Go to bed." This tells your dog it's time to hop in the bed and lie down.
Each night, as you're winding down to rest, say, "Go to bed" right before you turn out the lights.
You want your dog to associate this command with sleep time., Some dogs are more skittish than others.
If your dog is nervous by nature, it may take awhile to get him used to your bed.
Cautious dogs are generally slower to learn new behaviors.
They may need more rewards as encouragement.
If you have a cautious dog, go slowly and reward often.
It may take a few months to get your dog sleeping in the bed with you if he's generally nervous.
About the Author
Harold Roberts
Harold Roberts has dedicated 1 years to mastering marketing strategies. As a content creator, Harold focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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