Training your dog to sleep alone: A quick beginner’s guide
When you get into bed at night, your dog probably loves to come up for a cuddle. And you love it too! But there always comes a point where you get too hot, there are boney dog legs sticking into your back, and your dog simply ends up taking most of the space!
Many dog owners have been there, and while some don’t seem to mind the disturbed, uncomfortable sleep it causes, it’s a big problem for the rest!
And if you’d love to get a proper night’s sleep again, but you’re not sure how to deal with a dog that sees your bed as their own, we’re here to help. Here’s a quick beginner’s guide to training your dog to sleep alone.
Reward them for using their own bed
You’ve spent hours combing the web for perfect dog beds, the kind that look as snuggly and soft as your own blankets. And you’ve bought two or three of them home for your dog to use, watched them climb in and take a nap… and they still prefer your bed.
It’s a common case! Dogs love their own beds, but they love your bed more. So you need to make them prefer their own bed over yours. To do this, reward them whenever you find them laying in their bed.
You don’t want to go too over the top here, as you’re not trying to excite your dog in a way that gets them straight back up again. But sitting nearby and petting them, providing them with a small treat after they’ve stepped into the bed and laid down, and a bit of verbal praise go a long way.
Try not to let them sleep on your bed
This is the crux of the whole issue. You can encourage and reward your dog for sleeping in their own bed all you like, but they’re still going to want to be in your bed if you don’t draw a boundary there
It might not feel all that great to do, but this means you need to encourage your dog to stay off the bed.
Verbal commands usually work best here. Come up with a phrase that refers to bedtime alone, and use that to tell your dog to go into their own bed. Reward them for following the command, and even keep their bed near your own so they don’t have to go too far away from you.
Be consistent
Consistency is key in dog training. You can’t try out bed commands for a few days and think your dog will know what’s what. You need to keep it up and do it every single time you either get into bed, or you see your dog getting onto your bed. They won’t learn to sleep alone without this routine.
When your dog’s sleeping habits start infringing on your own sleep quality, it’s time to teach them to sleep alone. Use these tips to build a training routine.
