It’s not fun at all to watch your dog sleep on dusty floors or occupy too much of your bed space, especially if you just bought them a dog bed. You might even be losing sleep just trying to figure out this problem, especially if you’re not equipped to professionally train a dog yet.
We’re here to help you effectively establish a sense of territory between you and your fur baby by providing three easy steps to teach your dog how to sleep on a dog bed. While it may take some time (depending on your dog’s abilities), these steps below will definitely make a difference in your dog’s habits.
Read on to find out how you can get started and what Perfect Petzzz can do to help you attempt to train your dog’s style of sleeping.
Training Steps: Get Your Dog in That Bed
There are a couple of reasons why your dog may not be following your instructions. As a responsible pet owner, the key is to reinforce behaviors by identifying factors that create the struggle. These factors may include objects, conditions, and situations that prevent your dog from learning how to sleep on a dog bed. Don’t know what these elements could be? We’ve gathered three basic steps to help you properly train your dog to sleep on a dog bed:
- Choose the Right Dog Bed
Take the time to observe if your dog is comfortable with the dog bed that you choose. You’ll know if your fur baby likes the pillow you select if they step around it and exhibit enough interest to at least sit on it.
As you go over different kinds of dog beds, you’ll need to test the cushioning and shape of each one: does your dog enjoy soft and round textures or firm and squarish ones? Explore various kinds of shapes, fabrics, and materials used by different manufacturers.
Generally speaking, dogs enjoy beds that have walls or edges to keep their body warm. Like a cuddle, these walls give them a sense of security and comfort while sleeping.
- Establish a Routine That Works
Training is easier said than done, so expect that committing to this task may lead to a sleepless night or two. Realize that training your dog requires more patience and repetition than you can imagine.
Set a schedule to train and to rest—this will help your dog remember what you are teaching them. Rushing or pressuring your dog won’t make them understand human behavior any faster, just like how we humans will not understand dog behavior overnight. Every dog is different, but always consider your dog’s pace.
- Follow Professional Instructions
Do your research before you facilitate any form of training because what and how you will train your dog should be ethical and practical. If you’re at a loss, seeking professional advice before going down the steps will give you a better understanding of the key tricks you need to know. For example, in teaching your dog how to sleep on a dog bed experts recommend using a “Settle Down” technique.
Don’t know how this "Settle Down" technique works? Here’s how it’s done:
- Teach a specific signal or gesture that will tell your dog to go “down”
- Ensure that your dog is familiar with this signal through constant practice
- When your dog is ready, place them on top of the dog bed and repeat the trick
- If your dog successfully sits or lies down on the dog bed, reward them with a dog treat of their choice
- Repeat all these steps until the behavior comes naturally to your dog
Perfect Petzzz: Meaningful Dog Bed Training
Establishing that your dog should sleep on a dog bed may take some time, but it will eventually come with enough patience, understanding, and practice. Need a way to improve your training education? Perfect Petzzz is here to shape your pet handler experience for the better with life-like 6-week-old toy puppies coated with 100% synthetic fur.
Understand the primary responsibilities of pet care and test your patience as you take on tasks with our exclusive package consisting of (1) new plush pet bed, one (1) collar with a pet tag, one (1) pet brush, and one (1) adoption certificate to capture real-life pet ownership experience.
The only difference is that you no longer have to problematize expensive trips to the vet, messy cleanups, and professional grooming. Make it a family affair and use the dog bed from the bundle to properly learn how training a dog to sleep on a plush bed is done with your kids.
Adopt your very own puppy through our Amazon shop today! Should you require further details about our products, contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!