Options
dog Training Advice needed
My other half has just adopted a 3 year old labrador. He is fully trained, very well behaved except 1 thing, he will only sleep on the bed! I am quite adamant that i dont even want the dog in the bedroom, let alone on my bed! Can anyone give any good advice for training him to sleep downstairs on his own bed? He will sleep on his dog bed during the day but at night he just wont do it! Thanks in advance!
0
Comments
(ps you might be better asking this in the pets forum)
I am not a fan of the use of them even from when a puppy
Why don't you buy a puppy/baby gate to put at the bottom of the stairs.... If possible put the dogs bed at the bottom of the stairs so he can be near as possible to you at night, hear you moving around and see you coming in the morning...
It may take a while for him to get used to things, if he is used to a routine of being upstais
You can also give him treats, toys and chew when on this bed so he has positive associatons with it.
Start with it beside your bed at night so he has your company nearby, (remember he has probably always slept on the bed previously, plus he is in a new place and may be a little insecure), if necesary tether him there, so long as you sleep lightly enough to hear if he gets into any difficulties.
When he will happily settle and stay on his bed at night, without a tether, gradually move it to where you eventually want him to sleep.
but if its only used to sleeping on the bed etc then anything would be unfair - my dog started sleeping in a crate at about 6 months old and now wont sleep nowhere else (even though she has a seperate blanket & basket). if i leave her out at night she just barks till i go open the crate up...
arent dogs weird sometimes?
have to agree, the dog will feel anything but the bed is unfair if you look at it from that view. i would say crate it but just during the night, get the largest one you can, put its normal bed in there, maybe a few treats, and leave it in there over night. either that or you could get a baby gate or puppy gate and put it up and your bedroom door, so it can get to your room but not in it. the dog should be used to just laying down and sleeping during the night so i see no issue with crating it as it will just encourage it to lay down and sleep where the new owners would like it to instead of where it wants to.
during the day his 'den'/crate is left open with his bedding in it downstairs and he sleeps in it when he wants and no one is allowed to disturb him when he's in his den.
At night I carry the crate upstairs (it's one of the collapsable fabric ones from pets at home) and he started by sleeping right next to the bed, so i could literally touch him with my hand if he needed reassurance. He cried for a while the first few days as he was used to sleeping with his litter... or in your dogs case.. used to sleeping with his human pack.
Once he settled i gradually moved it away and now he is in the hall. The next step after a week will be to close the door. And then once he is ok sleeping with the door closed (and in a puppies case once he can go through the night with no accidents) he will be moved downstairs and the crate will be left open for him.
The only reason his crate door is closed while he's so young is so that he can't go to the loo in the house while i sleep... he whines, i carry him out no fuss and then back to bed, although he's sleeping through now.
If your dog can go all night which he will be doing at 3, then you won't need to worry about taking him to the loo but for the first few weeks i would keep it closed as he's big enough to just jump on the bed.
Once he's given in to sleeping in the same room in his crate gradually move it until he is downstairs in his crate...
also try giving him a toy with like penaut butter ur tuna hidden in it...every night so that he doesn't see going to his bed as a bad thing, and only give him this when he goes to his dog beh, not human bed.
He will whinge though lol.... good luck!!!
Why did you start allowing him to do this? Dogs need consistency from the get go. Your the boss and he needs to know that and so does your other half LOL:D.
You have to set boundary's from the start of your relationship.
When he has his evening walk and you are ready for bed then you must put him in the room with his bed, perhaps some chews and a treat.
Door shut or child gate to stop the dog going up the stairs. Dont fuss the dog the more you do that the more the dog will want to follow you.
The dog might whine and protest but you have to be strong.
Its hard I know especially when they have big brown eyes and give you that special look LOL (from them both):D
Although its handy when we go camping...like having a little hot water bottle
Haha I'm with you, my dog is my sleeping buddy to, he's a fabulous cuddle partner
lol I could never do that people! We already have four legs in the bed and that means my four legged friend has to give me and my partner some much needed alone non-doggie time...
although last night when alfie was stung by a bee i did let him settle on the bed and then put him in his bed once he was sleeping soundly
it is hard lol, especially when they're poorly for the first time lol
Aw I can understand when you are in a relationship of course; it must get very overcrowded and awkward! But mine is spoilt rotten now; he thinks his bed downstairs is specifically to hold all his toys! And can always be found on my bed or beside it.
Haha..Danny is the same, he uses his bed as a toy box (and the occasional afternoon nap)
I do have a partner though which is why our bed is so crowded
At least Danny is only small though, and he does tend to get too hot in the night, so moves to the downstairs sofa..where he lays on back with his feet in the air, after chucking my cushions on the floor :eek:
My late Border Collie was as big as me..and there were quite a few times he stretched out and knocked me out of the bed
Its probably more sensible not the have them in the bed, and I can see why people wouldnt want to...but I am a sucker for those big brown eyes and I do love a doggy cuddle
I wouldn't know what had happened if my dog pushed me out of bed lol. I once woke up during a fire alarm in a hotel and started searching the tea cups as I thought the smoke must be coming from behind them!