How to Keep Your Dog off Bed

1. GIVE YOUR DOG HIS OWN BED

Obviously, if your dog need to make a choice between your comfy bed and the hard cold floor, he will definitely choose your bed. But if you give him a bed of his own, he will be more willing to stay on his own bed.

So choose a dog bed that fits your dog’s size and sleeping style, and make sure the bed you choose is big enough for your dog to stretch out and relax.

Also it will take some time for your dog to get used to his new bed before getting him to sleep on it at night alone.

2. START FROM THE FIRST DAY

For new puppies, the best thing you can to is to start this from the very beginning – the first day your dog is in your home. If you start bad habits of having them in the bed with you, it will be very hard for you to break those habits.

Whether you are bringing home a new puppy or adopting an adult dog from rescue, you will need to start sleep training on the very first night. The rule is that they don’t sleep on your bed. It’s extremely important when they are transitioning to your home.

3. CRATE TRAIN DOGS THAT ARE NOT HOUSE TRAINED

It’s also best with puppies or dogs that are not house trained yet to start crate training – teach them to accept a dog crate or cage as a familiar and safe location.

A crate or a cage make things more easier. It will ensure he doesn’t go to other rooms or chew up your belongings when you are sleeping. It will also keep him safe even when you are not at home.

4. TIRE HIM OUT BEFORE BEDTIME

Another rule for getting a dog not to sleep in your bed is to make sure that he’s tired at that time. Can a dog fall asleep easily when he’s still full of energy? Of course not! If your dog’s mind or body is not tired, he will want to be playing with you and not ready to settle down.

So make sure to tire him out before bed. Take him for a walk, then give him a puzzle toy to work on. He will gradually feel tired mentally and physically, and he will be ready to settle down at bedtime.

5. COMMAND YOUR DOG TO "GO TO BED"

It’s good to use command training when you want your dog to lie on his own bed or in his crate. Say “go to bed” and get him in the crate or his own dog bed. When he gets on his own bed, praise him “good dog” or “good girl” and give him a treat. Guadually your dog will know this is where he supposed to be.

At the beginning, you may have to do more rewarding with treats and praise just to let your dog know that this is where he should be, not his human parent’s bed.

6. IGNORE WHINING

In the beginning, your dog may not be happy about having to sleep by himslef. He may get up, walk walk around, whine or howl to get your attention. Some dog will look around for a better place to sleep, but then they will come back to their bed in the end. You need to ignore the noise. Just continue with command training and positive reinforcement.

If they do trying to climb up on to your bed, just put them back on their bed and let them know that this is where you need to be sleeping. If he’s housetrained, that shouldn’t be a problem. If he’s not, he should be in a crate. So you don’t need to be worry about that.

7. CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Being consistent is the absolute key to any kind of training, and the same goes for training a dog not to sleep in your bed. If you allow him in your bed once in a while, you are going to break all the training that you have done in the past because he may think that’s OK to get back in your bed. If he learns that, it will be very difficult to get him to take you seriously.

Remember, the key here is consistency. It is ALL the time that your dog need to sleep on his own bed, NOT SOME of the time.

8. ADD ENTERTAINMENT & SOMETHING THAT SMELLS LIKE YOU

Dogs are like human babies. They are more comforted by their human parents’ smell. So you can place a blanket or one of your clothes (maybe a sweater or a T-shirt) that smells like you on his bed. Having your scent near him will help him to calm down and relax. He will have the feeling that he’s near you when he’s on his own bed.

Adding entertaimment for your dog will also help the sleep training. You can give him a toy or chew. This will give him a good reason to stay there.

The same can be set if your dog is in a crate.

9. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE

Everybody in your home should be on board. If you have children or anybody else that lives in your home or sleep in your home, make sure they are on the same page. If your dog is able to go into the next room and gets into somebody else’s bed, that’s not helping. He needs to be mean and sleep on a dog bed or in his crate all the time.

That must go to daytime too, not just night time. Your dog shouldn’t be allowed to climb in to somebody’s bed and sleep in the afternoon. There shouldn’t be any exceptions. So make sure anybody in your family is on board.