Letting your dog sleep in your bed is perfectly acceptable. In fact, many pet owners love the comfort of snuggling with their dogs at night. Yet, some people find it difficult to sleep well with their dog in the bed. If you’re one of them, it’s important to learn how to keep your dog off your bed so you can enjoy a restful night’s sleep.
If you have bought a quality dog bed, but he still wants to sleep in your bed, you can change this habit. But you maybe want to know exactly ‘how to keep my dog off my bed’. With proper training and attention, you can teach your dog to sleep in her own bed.
Why Is It Important To Keep Dog Off Bed?
Evidence suggests that sharing a bed with a pet can prolong your life. And letting your dog sleep in your bed with you can be a great way to bond with your canine buddy.
However, pet parents are divided on the issue, and emotions run deep. Some owners swear by their pooches and wouldn’t want their dog to sleep anywhere else. Others dread the mere thought of sharing a bed with their beloved pets.
So, what are the main issues? And why is it important to train dog to stay off bed? Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why keeping dog off bed is important.
Safety and Health Risks: keeping your dog off your bed reduces the risk of catching an illness or disease. If your pooch steps on or ingests feces, he could transmit pet-to-human parasites or bacteria like heartworms or salmonella. [1]
Since it walks on lots of things, the probability of your pup carrying parasites or bacteria you don’t want on your mattress or sheets is relatively high. If you have allergies, sleeping with your dog may worsen your condition.
Loss of Quality Sleep: Studies have shown that many pet parents experience some sort of sleep disruption due to sharing a bed with their adult dogs. Many others are concerned about their dog barking while sleeping. This sleep disorder is not uncommon, but it occurs based on the breed, the level of activity they had during the day, and the dog’s personality.
Keeping your pooch in a separate sleep area or bed will be beneficial not only to your dog but also to your ability to enjoy a good night’s rest.
Family Strife: Jealousy, aggression, and family conflicts have also been associated with a dog’s sleeping arrangement. We’ve heard many stories of relationships and marriages put at risk because the household pet has taken control of the house as the pack leader and controls the bedroom too.
Bear in mind that a high-quality dog bed is also comfortable and it can help keep dog off bed while away – an important consideration for dog owners who want to keep their bed free of fur or damage from a dog’s sharp nails.
So those are the reasons why you should learn how to keep my dog off the bed. Dogs furniture and dog beds introduced at a young age, supported with consistent training can help keep your pup off your own bed.
5 Steps On How To Keep Your Dog Off The Bed
Here is our step-by-step guide and tips on how to keep dogs off bed:
1. Establish Your Dog’s Sleep Area
First things first, your dog should have his own sleep area if you want to keep dog out of bedroom. Choose a high-quality dog bed that suits your pet’s sleeping style.
It’s also important to measure your pup in order to choose the correct-sized dog bed and other doggie products at a nearby pet store. The bed should be large enough for your pooch to stretch out and rest comfortably.
Your dog also needs time to get used to the spot before you can expect him to stay on the bed throughout the night. Pooches are generally wary of unfamiliar items. This is because they smell differently, and this means trouble for your pooch. If the bed smells differently, your dog won’t trust it.
Initially, position the bed in a spot where your pooch spends plenty of time, for example, your bedroom, living room, or a relaxing corner of your house. Also, place his favorite toys close to the bed. This will help make his sleep area more appealing to him. You can also put a piece of cloth that smells like you in his sleep area to encourage him to stay on his bed.
Soon, the bed will begin to smell like the rest of your home. Over time, your pup will start feeling comfortable on his bed.
2. Practice Inviting Your Dog To Get On The Bed
Don’t allow your pup to enter your bedroom door or jump into your bed unannounced. If you allow him to do that uninvited, it will be more difficult to get him off your bed.
Make sure your dog only enters the room on command. Once you wake up in the morning, make sure he waits patiently for your command so he can finally get out of bed.
3. Train Your Dog With “Off” Commands
Like us humans, pets learn at their own speed and require patience and consistency. When training dog to stay off bed, don’t try to forcefully get him out of the bed. Alternatively, train him the ‘Off’ command.
Placing a treat near his nose, raise it to your bed and utter the word “On”. When he jumps onto the bed, don’t give him the treat. Make sure to ignore it the whining at all times.
Lower the same treat gradually towards the floor or the ground and say “Off”. Once he jumps down, it’s time to give him the treat. Repeat this process every day until he masters the command.
4. Use Positive Reinforcements to Correct Behavior
Many pet parents use a bottle of water to correct bad behavior such as taking a nap on the couch or bed. But using positive reinforcement training whereby you reward acceptable behavior with treats and praise, instead of punishing the dog for unacceptable behavior, is also a great way to successfully train him.
Praise your pooch when he goes to sleep on his bed on his own or when he lies down on his bed immediately you say “Go to Bed”. That way, your dog will learn to associate sleeping on their bed with something good rather than negativity or punishment.
5. Reward Your Dog With Treats
With any aspect of dog training, it’s vital to reward your dog with treats. This will let your dog know that he has done exactly what you expected of him. Rewarding acceptable behaviors can increase the rate at which it happens. Rewards also help to make the training sessions enjoyable and productive.
The rewards you use can be anything from dog toys to food treats or even belly rubs. Choose a reward that Fido loves the most.
Once you figure this out, you can now use it to instill good bed manners. But remember, being consistent and the patient is an important part of dog training. If you’re having difficulty, it’s time to hire a professional dog trainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it unhealthy to let dogs sleep in your bed?
No, it is not unhealthy to let dogs sleep in your bed – it is safe, provided you are both healthy. According to Pet MD, there’s little evidence that healthy pets pose a risk to human health.
However, they do appreciate that allowing your dog to lick you can transmit nasty infections, so avoid sharing kisses with your dog at bedtime. Moreover, keeping your dog and their bed clean can lower the risk of catching any diseases.
Why do dogs want to sleep on your bed?
Dogs want to sleep on your bed simply because it’s in their nature to sleep together and it allows them to feel safer and more comfortable.
How do I get my dog to stay on his bed?
You can get your dog to stay on his bed by training him early. Get your pup on his bed and command him to remain there. Give them a toy to chew on to ease the process.
When your dog stays on his bed for around 30 seconds, praise him. Gradually increase the duration to one minute, and then reward him. Then, increase the duration to 1.5 minutes, and reward all the way up to 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes.
Don’t reward him if he gets up. Simply command him to go back to the bed and reward him when the time is right. It’s also a good idea to confine him in his crate when you are away from home.
Conclusion
Sharing a bed with your dog can be a very rewarding experience on a psychological level. Dogs are a man’s best friend – and for good reason. However, these are cases where owners and dogs sleeping together becomes a problem for reasons that the pet owner can better understand.
That’s why so many people want to learn how to train a dog to stay off the bed. So, if you have been wondering how to stop dog sleeping in bed with you or how to train your dog to stay off the bed, you’re not alone.
The most important thing when training your dog to keep off bed is to establish yourself as the pack leader, without using punishment as a training method.
Even if you and your pet are best friends, you should always show leadership, so your dog can learn to obey. Pets and their owners can still be great buddies even if they don’t sleep on the same bed.
Finally, never lose your temper when training your puppy. If any method takes more time than you expected, be patient. Avoid shrouding or yelling, and most of all don’t forcefully get him out of the best. In any case, you don’t want your pup to be afraid of you, do you?
