How to teach my dog to sleep in his bed
When a dog comes into our lives, there are many educational guidelines that must be taught. And not only that, but we must be firm with these teachings over time. One of the lessons that we must first show a puppy is what its proper resting place is. This is usually the bed that we have bought for him, so if you have ever wondered «How to teach my dog to sleep in his bed?», here you will find the answer.
Why should your dog sleep in his bed?
Before explaining how to teach a dog to sleep in his bed, it is important that you understand other issues. For example, why it is essential that your dog gets used to sleeping in his own bed, instead of yours.
It is true that sleeping together can be very tender and pleasant for both of you, but it is not entirely recommended. Some of the reasons that explain this are the following:
Sleeping with your pet can alter your sleep cycles, worsening the quality of your rest. Think that at any moment the animal can wake up and bark for some sound it hears, move, etc. and annoy you.
When you sleep with your dog in bed, you are giving him part of a space that is yours and that you need to rest. In fact, when the dog is too big, it often happens that the person is completely «cornered» in his own bed.
The dog is not as clean as you think. Even though you follow the necessary hygiene routines to keep your dog as clean as possible, it will never be 100% clean. Stop to reflect: you take the animal outside several times a day and bathe it approximately once a month. After reflecting, you will understand that all that dirt that you do not see, but that is on its legs and fur, passes to your sheets.
If you sleep with your partner, having your pet in the middle could cause some conflicts between the two.
In addition, another reason why the dog must learn to sleep in his bed is that, once you allow him to sleep in yours for a while, then it will be very difficult for him to understand that this is not correct if you change your bed. idea.
How to teach my dog to sleep in his bed
The truth is that there are several factors that must be taken into account when teaching my dog to sleep in his bed. Let’s see them one by one.
1. Choose the appropriate bed for your dog
The first step, without a doubt, is to correctly choose the dog’s bed.
The bed should not only be a comfortable place to sleep, but it has to be comfortable in all aspects. Among them, that the animal feels safe in it.
That bed must have a thick enough base so that the furry is isolated from the ground. That will protect you from the winter cold. In addition, it will also help make it softer and more comfortable for him.
As for the size, the bed should be large enough for the animal to fully stretch out. Keep this in mind if you are going to acquire it when it is a puppy and you want it to continue serving as an adult.
Fortunately, today on the market there are many dog beds of different models and with varied characteristics, so you can always find the one that best suits your faithful four-legged friend.
For example, at Mascoboutique they offer a wide variety of them, all made with high-quality materials. You can choose between various brands, designed and tested to take care of the rest and health of your pet. And not only that, but they all have a very elegant style that will ensure that, wherever you place your dog’s bed, it will not clash with your home.
Finally, the material from which the bed is made must be harmless to the health of your pet, since, unfortunately, there are dogs that destroy their bed.
In addition, it is also important that it is easily washable.
2. Get psyched up
Yes, it is curious, but when you ask yourself «How to teach my dog to sleep in his bed?», one of the first questions that you must be clear about is that you want it to be so. That is, you really want your pet to rest in his bed and not in yours or on the sofa, for example.
This is very important, since when you start this teaching, you must be aware that you will have to maintain fixed rules at all times. There will be no exceptions and, furthermore, all the people who live in the same house will have to follow them.
3. Associate the bed with something positive
The bed should be a positive place for your pet if you want him to sleep on it. For that reason, you should never scold your dog when it is in it, as it will lose security.
On the contrary, you should associate it with something positive. To do this, you can place some appropriate treats on her and instruct her to search the bed. It is important that he also learns to recognize the word «bed», so that he knows where to go when you ask him to.
This exercise should be repeated once or twice a day until he learns to understand it.
4. Help him relax when he’s in bed
When you see that your pet is lying on its bed, take the opportunity to give it some relaxing caresses.
This will help you feel even better when you’re in it, associating the bed with a very positive feeling of rest and tranquility.
Do not forget also the verbal reinforcement, speaking to him in a soft and calm voice.