How to Keep the Dog Off Bed When I Am Gone
- In a calm and assertive fashion, tell your dog to get off the bed. Once it does so, reward it with a treat. Do this until your dog starts to understand that your bed is off-limits.
- Place one of your old sweatshirts in your dog’s bed so the smell reminds it of you. That way your dog will stay calm when you leave the house.
- Lure your dog into its own bed using doggy treats.
How to Keep the Dog Off Bed When I Am Gone: Tips and Tricks
Hopefully, you now understand why your dog enjoys sleeping in your bed so much. Here’s the part where I give you some tips and tricks on how to change your dog’s behavior. But, keep in mind that if you’re really desperate to keep your dog out of your bed, you will need to be persistent.
In my experience, it will most likely take you more than a week to train your pup, and you’ll probably have to deal with plenty of furballs and doggy tantrums while you’re at it. So, be patient. Without further ado, here is the answer to the question: how to keep the dog off the bed when I am gone.
Tip #1: Use a Reward System
Dogs learn to listen better when you reward them. If that reward just so happens to be a doggy treat, all the better.
First, you will need to pretend to leave your house. So, act the way you usually do, grab your keys, put on your jacket, and say goodbye to your dog. Then, wait outside your door for a few minutes, and go back inside. Try to be as quiet as possible.
If your dog is like mine, I’m willing to bet it’s already snuggled up on your bedsheets, snoring away. Without scaring it, call out its name, and say: off. Be calm, yet assertive when doing so, or else your dog won’t take you seriously.
Do this until your dog gets out of your bed, and when it does, give it a doggy treat. However, you should keep in mind that you will have to do this until your dog starts to understand that your bed is off-limits.
Tip #2: Put Something That Smells Like You in the Doggy Bed
Since your dog needs something that smells like you to keep it calm, try putting one of your old sweatshirts into its doggy bed. Also, it’s a good idea to install a lock on your bedroom door (if you don’t already have one) so your dog can’t get into your bed while you’re out.
Tip #3: Lure Your Dog Into the Doggy Bed (See our pick of dog beds on Amazon)
This tip is similar to the previous one, except you’ll be using treats instead of an old sweatshirt.
Try to lure your dog into its bed using one of the doggy treats. When it gets into the bed, remember to give your pup a pat on the head, and let it eat another treat.
By doing so, you’re showing your dog that staying in that bed is good. You can also try out this method by using doggy toys instead of treats. Soon your pup will start using its bed on its own.
How to Keep the Dog Off Bed When I Am Gone
It’s common knowledge that dogs absolutely love sleeping in a warm, comfy bed. Even more so when we’re not at home! But, if you’re not really into cleaning fur off of your bedsheets each and every day, this article on how to keep the dog off the bed when I am gone will help you train your pup to sleep in its own bed.
But first, let me explain why dogs like sleeping in our beds so much. After all, the best way to fix your dog’s behavior is to understand why it does what it does in the first place.
Why Do Dogs Like to Sleep In Our Beds?
In summary, there are three main reasons why dogs like sleeping in their owner’s beds (some are more obvious than others).
#1. Dogs Are Pack Animals
The first thing you need to understand is that dogs are pack animals. When they’re born, they eat, sleep, and breathe with their siblings. In fact, you can usually catch them sleeping on top of one another, snuggled up beside their mom’s soft underbelly.
As they grow, although they do start to act as individuals to some extent, they still tend to huddle up together when it’s bedtime.
Ultimately, as soon as you take in a dog, it will consider you a part of its pack. Especially during those first few days when it’s still a puppy. That means it will want to keep as close to you as possible, at all times.
#2. Dogs Are Creatures of Habit
It doesn’t matter whether you own a puppy or a fully-grown canine — as soon as you let your dog climb into your bed, you can say goodbye to sleeping on a fur-less pillow!
. However, if you take a firm stance right off the bat, you won’t have to worry about breaking this habit.
On the other hand, since you’ve already typed how to keep the dog off bed when I am gone into your search bar, I’m guessing that ship has already sailed!
#3. Dogs Like The Smell of Their Owners
Keep in mind that you are your dog’s whole world. When you leave your pup home alone, it can feel scared or stressed. In that case, it will try to look for something familiar to calm itself down. Since a dog’s sense of smell is its primary sense, it will immediately start sniffing around to find something that smells like you. After all, dogs like to be able to smell their owner’s scent at all times.
Since your bed is obviously covered in your scent, it’s perfectly normal for your dog to want to jump right in when you leave the house.
The bottom line is, your puppy feels safest when it can smell your scent.
Pros of Letting Your Dog Sleep in Your Bed When You’re Gone
Yes, you read it right. There are in fact pros to letting your dog sleep in your bed!
#1. No Doggy Tantrums
As I mentioned previously, when you leave your pup home alone, it will get scared/stressed. I found out the hard way that a stressed dog equals a shredded carpet and chewed-up shoes!
However, when I do let my dog sleep in my bed, I come home to intact shoes and carpet!
#2. You’ll Get All the Cuddles!
Come on, there’s nothing better than getting those playful cuddles when you let your dog get into your bed! It’s happy, you’re happy, so what’s a little fur on your bed sheet, anyway?
But, since you’re here to learn how to keep your pup off your bed, let’s get to the part you’ve been waiting for.
The Conclusion
I hope my how to keep the dog off bed when I am gone article has helped you achieve a better understanding of why dogs love climbing into their owner’s beds every chance they get.
Ultimately, unless you teach your dog to sleep in its own bed, it will always want to sleep in yours and will sneak into it any time it can.
Keep in mind that every tip I mentioned in this article requires patience and understanding. Oh, and some doggy treats, of course!
