Break the habit: Stop your dog from sleeping on your bed

Dogs are great companions and wonderful pets to have in your home. So naturally, these fur animals will spend as much time with you as possible. Unfortunately, with this, you’ll find that your dog may develop a habit of sleeping on your bed.

Having their dog join them in bed is not an issue for some dog owners, and that’s great. However, you may find that your dog wakes up too early, is too big, and takes up a lot of space, or you need your bed back.

When this happens, it is time to invest in finding ways to stop your dog from sleeping on your bed. Breaking this habit will require a consistent effort from you to retrain your dog to sleep by itself. Here are some of the things you can implement to help you get started on breaking your dog’s habit.

Get the right bed for your dog

When trying to break your dog’s habit of sleeping in your bed, the first step is to get an alternative bed for your dog. Start by studying your dog’s sleeping habits and positions. Knowing where your dog loves to sleep will help you get a more suitable bed.

For example, a regular rectangular pet bed will do if your dog stretches a lot. However, if your dog curves a lot while sleeping, an oval bed will be a more practical investment. The point is to invest in a bed where your dog will be comfortable and will embrace it as its own.

Before going for a bed that fits your dog’s sleeping position, remember to measure your dog to ensure that you get the right-sized bed. Take a measuring tape, measure from the tip of your dog’s nose to its tail, and add some more inches for allowance.

Once you have all your measurements right, invest in a bed that also features your dog’s perks from sleeping in your bed. For instance, your dog could enjoy the warmth from your bed. Therefore, investing in a bed that features heating pads to meet your dog’s needs will allow for an easier transition.

Make your dog’s bed attractive 

Getting the right pet bed will not matter much if you can’t get your dog to get on it and start being comfortable with it. Consider making your dog cozy with different pillows and soft sheets to get your dog on its new pet bed. Doing this is an excellent way of making its bed fluffy and more comfortable than yours.

You could also make the bed more appealing by adding your dog’s favorite toys. Adding toys helps lure your dog into the pet bed and helps it get acquainted with its new sleeping area.

Play with your dog

A great way to train your dog to start sleeping on its pet bed is by draining its energy during play and directing it to its bed to rest. However, using this training method may be tricky since you may have a dog with a lot of energy to expend.

It may take extra time to tire your dog out if you have an energetic dog. Bring it home when your dog is tired and lead it to the pet bed using the leash. Once on the pet bed, give it a healthy dog treat to enjoy and get comfortable, making it more difficult to leave its bed in such a worn-out state.

If your dog gets out of its pet bed and straight to your bed, don’t force it back to its pet bed. Doing that will lead your dog to associate it with an unpleasant experience that it will strive to avoid. Therefore, you may undermine your efforts of getting your dog to stop sleeping in your bed.

Incorporate commands

Dogs respond well to commands and are very obedient when told to do or not do something, provided they are well trained. Puppies get easier after six months allowing you to train your dog to understand and follow commands like “no” or “off,” etc.

Using these commands during bedtime will come in handy to training your dog to stop sleeping on your bed. Study your dog’s behavior. When it jumps on your bed, immediately command it to get off.

A simple command such as “off” will do the job and communicate to your dog that you don’t want it on your bed. However, you’ll have to do this a few times since your dog may tend to jump back on your bed.

You may consider giving your dog a treat when it gets off and place it on its pet bed. Over time, your dog will get used to its pet bed and go straight into it. If your dog associates getting off your bed with treats, you’ll need to switch things up. Mix up your commands and delay the treats to avoid encouraging your dog to think that treats come easy and often.

Make getting on your bed difficult

Block your bed to make it difficult for your dog to jump on it. That will make it easier to help your dog sleep on its bed. If you are sleeping in the same room as your dog, you may need to invest in adding barriers around your bed.

Doing this will make it difficult for your dog to jump on your bed. You could also consider adding a pet-friendly gate around your dog’s bed. A barrier around your dog’s bed is an excellent idea to ensure your dog stays in his bed.

If you want to lure your dog to the bed, make it more appealing by adding some toys. Making it harder for your dog to get on your bed is a great strategy and may help retrain your dog more efficiently.

Keep in mind that your dog will whine and throw tantrums, especially when you block access to your bed.

If that happens, try to avoid responding and ignore it since it is a way for your dog to get your attention and get back on your bed. Keep a close eye on your dog and see how it responds to the new arrangements over time.

Nicole McCray is a die-hard animal lover who has worked in pet care for years. She is a former vet technician, a dog mom to her two rescue pups, and she grew up living and working at her family’s pet boarding facility. She loves using her writing talents to share the insight she’s learned throughout her career, hoping that her knowledge can help other pet parents out there!