Many people love it when their pet sleeps with them in bed. It feels comfortable and safe when sleeping with your pet dog. Some dogs may feel clumsy when asked to sleep in bed and it may take some time for them to get used to your sleep schedule. However, with a little time, you too will end up sleeping with your dog every night.
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Method 1 of 3: Introducing Your Dog to the Bed
Step 1. Let your dog sleep in your bedroom
Do not immediately invite him to sleep in your bed. This is a bad idea for several reasons. You should get your dog used to sleeping in your bed. Start by letting him sleep in your room every night.
- Start by moving your dog bed to your room. Get him to sleep in bed with you at night. Give him time to familiarize himself with your bedroom.
- Dogs can become stressed with new routines. If your dog is used to sleeping in his own bed in the living room, sleeping in your bed is very new. This can stress him out and he may have doubts at first.
- In addition, you must make it clear that you are in control. If your dog feels that your bed belongs to him, he can be territorial. This can make him take up too much space or whine when he can't get into the bedroom. This kind of behavior should not be provoked or allowed.
Step 2. Reward your dog when he notices your bed
Start slowly. Some dogs happily jump onto comfortable-looking furniture. However, other dogs can be wary of anything unfamiliar. If your dog is unsure of your bed, start with small rewards. If he glances at, approaches or sniffs your bed, reward him.
- Dogs live in the present. Immediately reward his actions as soon as he does it. Maybe you can keep a bag of snacks in your bedroom. This way, you can reward your dog immediately after he's done something expected.
- There are many ways to reward a dog. There are tools that make a clicking sound. How to use it, when the dog behaves as he wishes, this tool is sounded and after that the treat is given. The dog will associate this clicking sound with the correct action. However, if you don't want to use this tool, you can praise your dog when he sees him looking at your bed and then give him a treat. Dogs tend to respond well to food rewards.
Step 3. Teach your dog to wait for an invitation before jumping into bed
If you want your dog to sleep in your bed, train him to wait for your call first. Dogs need some kind of structure. If your dog can jump up and down the bed at will, he can become territorial. Make sure he knows it's your bed and he can climb on it when you invite him.
- Teach the dog to sit in front of the bed. If he wants to jump into bed, say "No," and tell him to sit down. Wait a moment and say commands like, "Get into bed!" while patting the bed to indicate that it is time for bed.
- Do a few training sessions each day while you're still enforcing the rules. You can use positive encouragement, such as praise or rewards, when your dog does something well.
- Ultimately, your goal is for the dog to sit by the bed and wait for an invitation before getting into bed each night.
Step 4. Provoke the desired behavior with the command
It can be helpful to have certain commands that let your dog know it's time to sleep. This can make bedtime easier for both of you. For example, when you are ready to turn off the light, you can say, "Get into bed." This lets your dog know that it's time to get into bed and lie down. Every night whenever you are ready for bed, say, "Get into bed" before you turn off the light. This can make your dog associate this command with it's time for bed.
Step 5. Try to be patient if your dog tends to be wary
Some dogs are more suspicious than others. If your dog is naturally nervous, it can take a while to get used to your bed. Alert dogs are generally slower to learn new behaviors. It could be that he needs more rewards to encourage him. If your dog is suspicious, try to slow things down and reward him more often. It may take a few months for your dog to settle into bed if he is naturally nervous.
Method 2 of 3: Encouraging Good Behavior
Step 1. Lure him with positivity
Dogs need positive feedback to be nice. When your dog is comfortable in bed, give him something positive. Every night, while he's in bed with you, give him a compliment or reward to show that he's acting the right way.
Step 2. Make positive associations with the bed
If your dog is not a very fast learner, you can help speed up this process by making positive associations with the bed. Your dog will be more excited to join you in bed each night if he sees the bed as a place where fun and happy things happen.
- Try to feed the dog on or near the bed. You can put a towel on the bed so it doesn't fall apart.
- Put a few things that dogs love in bed with you. Leave the toys and blankets on the bed.
- Take the time to just sit in bed with your dog. You can watch TV or read a book and let your dog get into bed with you. Occasionally caress or praise him.
- But be careful not to teach him to associate anything too distracting with the bed. You want to make him sleep through the night and not disturb you. Therefore, playing with him in bed is not a good idea.
Step 3. Don't provoke unwanted behavior
Dogs also respond well to negative feedback. Some behaviors can interfere with your sleep.
- Dogs may not respond well to punishment or yelling. Sometimes it's easier to ignore bad behavior. If the dog sees he is not getting a response, he can stop. For example, if your dog whines or barks at night, ignore it. Yelling at him can make him feel like you're barking back, prompting him to keep doing it.
- If your dog continues to misbehave, picking up something he likes can also be an effective way to stop this behavior. Sometimes dogs act to get your attention, whether it's good or bad, and yelling at them can only encourage them to continue misbehaving. Instead of yelling at your dog when it bothers you at night, try laying it on the floor. Don't let him go back to bed until he's calmed down. Eventually, your dog will notice that some of his behaviors are getting him kicked out of bed. And he will stop doing it.
Step 4. Respect your dog's comfort zone
It feels good to share a bed with your dog. And this should be a positive experience for both of you. Many people like to snuggle with their pets, but some dogs don't like being touched, especially when they're about to sleep. If your dog growls or jerks when you touch him, stop. Let your dog sleep in its own place.
Method 3 of 3: Setting a Sleep Schedule
Step 1. Exercise with the dog near bedtime
If you share a bed with your dog, it's important to make sure he sleeps through the night. Thus, you can sleep soundly. One way to encourage your dog to sleep is to exercise with him before bedtime. Take him for a walk when it's quite late. Take time to play with him in the living room with his favorite toys. This way, your dog will close his eyes when you turn off the light.
Step 2. Follow a regular sleep schedule
You are the essence of your dog's life. He wants to wake up when you wake up and be near you when you sleep. If you want to make sure he's getting enough sleep, go to bed regularly on a schedule. If you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, you can sleep better. You won't be so restless when you sleep.
Step 3. Take the dog outside before bedtime
Dogs may have trouble sleeping if they need to urinate. Take him out before you go to sleep. If you stay up late enough, you don't need to run him around for too long. Let him out to pee and then go back into the house. He will feel more comfortable and will likely be able to sleep more quickly.
Step 4. Put ice cubes in your dog's bowl
Your dog may feel thirsty at night. However, if he drinks too much, he may feel the urge to urinate again. If she needs to pee, she will find it harder to sleep. You can put some ice cubes in the bowl at night. If he is thirsty, he can lick this ice cube. Thus, he drank a little water but not too much to disturb his sleep.
