Any suggestions on teaching dogs to NOT sleep on the bed?

sterlingsmom

So now that we've reached our limit of four dogs...two being rather large...we have no room in the bed. We upsized to a king size once Sterling hit about 70 pounds, but now with Colt, we just can't have all four in the bed. We don't sleep, the sheets have to be washed every day, and our allergies have been giving both my bf and I a fit...
So...we've been putting the jacks in their crates at night, and Colt has always slept on the floor and Sterling in the bed. The problem with this arrangement has been that Colt won't sleep through the night yet. He gets up 2-3 times to go out, and twice I didn't hear him and he peed on the floor in front of the door in our bedroom....We put Colt in his crate in the other room with the jacks last night and eventually put Sterling in hers because she was restless and licking all night long. I'd LOVE to be able for all of them to just stay off the bed and sleep on their beds on the floor....all night. Any suggestions??? BTW, Sterling thinks the bed is hers....we just crawl in there with her to keep her company, although she doesn't give us a problem when we move her over so we have some room.

LunaBrown · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject:

I'm all ears... with Luna being crated all day I would love for her to be able to sleep out of it at night, but all 50# of her and 10 miles of her legs also think we're just there to keep her warm!

anne · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject:

Do your dogs know "off"? You can sacrifice some nights of sleep and just keep telling them off until they give up.
Or it might be easier to put a dog bed next to your bed and then tether them so they cannot get on the bed.

sterlingsmom · Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:40 am Post subject:

ooohhh...the tethering. That's a great idea..I didn't think of that at all! They know off...Sterling, we have to DRAG off the bed. Colt doesn't know how to get up there, so that's not a big deal, but I think he's going to have to sleep in his crate until he stays all night long without wandering around...the jacks would probably tether as well...
Thank you Anne!

GailB · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:54 am Post subject:

We do this with our lab...works GREAT!!!!!!Everybody sleeps,especially her,even snores Laughing

katiesue1506 · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

We have Lexie sleep in her cage at night, but she still sleeps in our room. However she's 10 months old and has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 months old. She actually likes her cage at night because we keep an old comforter and I put a pillow in there for her and it's really comfy.

sterlingsmom · Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

we have two weims and two jrt's...one of the weims sleeps in his crate in our room but there's not room for four crates Wink

Beth · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:36 am Post subject:

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:56 am Post subject:

As they said, use the off command. I imagine you allow them on the couches too? Couple suggestions I've heard over years would be to:

(a) Only allow them on the bed and or furniture when invited. If they just hop up tell them off and pull them down

(b) Sometimes might be easier on them if you use a special blanket/bed they are allowed on (dog blanket/bed). That way you can put it on the bed and let them lay on it (or couch). Just something visual they recognize.

Our two short hairs sleep on the bed. Warning to those with spouses. I traveled frequently for work when our Kennedy was young. I went away one business trip with Kennedy sleeping in the kennel. First night after I came home it was time for bed, funny how our 6th month old princess beelined it onto the bed with my wife and burrowed her way under the covers. Fortunately our long haired sleeps on the floor contently (he has a dog bed I made him). I will pull them off the bed when I get in (and make them move intentionally from furniture) just to remind them who is in charge (My wife of course Rolling Eyes

)

Theresa · Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

We just spent one night telling Titan "OFF" and taking him to his bed (on the floor at the foot of my bed). After about five times, he got it and now lays in his bed. He gets on our bed when only one of us is there, but if my husband is home, Titan will jump down and go to his bed when my husband comes to bed.

youhavenoidea · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:48 am Post subject:

Before I was around, my boyfriend had two dogs (one Pit Bull, one Husky), whom he always allowed to sleep on the bed.

I put a stop to that. I know that sounds harsh, and I suck up and show love to the dogs as much as the next person, and then some . . . but I don't believe in animals (large dogs especially) on furniture.

To me, the easiest way is of course not to let them up at all since pups, but it's not impossible to re-train if that hasn't been the case. His were 3 and 4 when being on the furniture had to stop.

We (mostly "I", because the boyfriend begrudged me as much as the dogs did) just started telling the dogs "No" when they were looking to get up, and "Down" when they did. They will inevitably continue to sneak up once you're asleep for the first while, but stay really consistent with them, and they will eventually catch on.

Thor (the Pittie; the Husky has since passed away) not only now understands, and is to the point where once in a very blue moon (when I'm going to be washing the bedding that day, or he's not feeling good) he can be let up on invitation ONLY; he even gives you and "Are you sure?" look, and understands that that doesn't signify carte blanche for every time after that. For that matter, every other weekend when my stepson is here, he sleeps on HIS bed (I don't like that either, but the kid can't sleep without the dog, so I pick my battles).

If you don't have room for dog beds, or don't want to have them in your bedroom and have hardwood, do what I do. I simply fold an old towel in half and lay it on the floor, and tell him to "Get on your blankie". It gives him something a bit softer to sleep on, is MUCH easier to wash, more often, than a full-blown dog bed, and can be easily snatched up and tossed in the laundry at a moment's notice, to eliminate the eyesore.

As much as I was labeled the "meanie" for laying down the furniture law, my boyfriend is now thankful for a cleaner smelling house now that the dogs' smell isn't imbedded in EVERYTHING, NOT having to replace sheets through which claws have torn, having clean fresh bedding every night, and having better overall sleep, without having to contend with them.

Different things work for different people, but setting the boundaries for "people zones" and "doggie zones" in the house, I feel, helps with sanity, LOL, and also overall hierarchy, as the dogs KNOW that although loved by them very very much, they are NOT people, and not automatically entitled to the same priviledges.

And yes, it does get easier to say no to a face like this. Wink

sterlingsmom · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

Or you can do what I did to solve the problem...
I just kicked the bf out of the house, and now we (all the dogs and myself) sleep in the bed like one big happy family Very Happy

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:43 pm Post subject:

sterlingsmom · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject:

I love snugglin' with the doggies WAY more than the louse that was sharing my bed Razz