If you have a dog as a pet, you will know that they are great animals to live with; however, it is not always possible for a dog to sleep in its bed.
It is very common in dogs, especially in younger ones, that there are small acts of rebellion on their part. Many get on the couch, they are in places where they don’t have to be or they don’t recognize where they belong.
On some occasions this tends to be a great headache for the owner, since on top of that we do not dare to scold the animal because we love it too much, for which it ends up spoiled and causing greater evils in the long term.
Fortunately, there are many ways to correct a dog’s behavior, all without resorting to aggression and without scolding our best friend. The ways that I am going to teach you are related to studies such as those of Pavlov, with NLP anchors and with attitudes of punishment and reward. They are scientifically proven methods that I myself have tried with my dog with good results.
Without further ado, I offer you the best ways I know to train a dog to sleep in his bed, so pay close attention.
What do you need to teach a dog to sleep in his bed?
- Dog-food.
- A dog bed.
Instructions to teach a dog to sleep in his bed
- Decide the dog’s bed: Although this seems obvious, it is very important to choose the bed for the dog, since many people do not have this clear because they do not know where to put the dog, changing its bed. This should not be done, since it is much easier for the dog to associate a place to sleep than to associate several, just as you like to have a single bed, so does he. Find a place that is comfortable for the dog, perfectly padded and that is exclusively yours. Some good places are to put his bed next to yours, in a built-in closet, in the living room area or in some area of the corridor. A shed in the garden is also a good idea, definitely something that is comfortable for both the dog and you.
- Lure the dog to that spot: The best way for a dog to associate a spot with something is for him to associate that a treat will drop when he does it correctly, but first you have to lure the dog to that spot. Put some of his favorite food inside his bed, so the dog will come to it and see if the bed is comfortable or not. At first he won not want to be there and will leave, but little by little he will start to like to sleep in his bed.
- Reward good behavior: In addition to putting food inside the house, we need something else, in the form of positive stimulation for the animal, so that it knows that doing this is correct and that it will bring benefits. Each time you go to his bed, reward the dog with a pet and a little food, so that the dog associates going to bed with food. After a while, the dog will have associated sleeping with the bed and it will no longer be necessary to give him more food as a reward.
- Teach him what not to do: From doncomos.com we reject bad behavior with pets, however, we do support proper education in them and we believe that dogs should be trained not to do bad things. When he climbs somewhere other than the bed, gently move him away from there and say the word NO every time he does it. In the end, the dog will associate getting on the bed with the dreaded word NO, which he has heard you say when you didn’t want to do something and has associated it with negative emotions, therefore he will avoid getting back on the places he shouldn’t, all of this we have achieved it without aggressiveness and without scolding the dog, just saying a single word.
Tips for teaching a dog to sleep in his bed
- Be patient: This method works correctly; however, you must be patient, especially if the dog is very nervous, since it is very difficult to make them acquire a new attitude and habit. Repeat every day until the dog gets used to it. The time it takes to do so depend a lot on the animal, and can vary from a few days to a few months in the most rebellious dogs. The thing is to have patience, not be aggressive and wait until the dog does it, since sooner or later it will, you just have to learn to wait and be a patient, calm and animal-loving person.
