Is it possible to retrain the dog to NOT sleep with us on the big bed? Of course it is, but you have to be patient!
When you bring home a new puppy it’s almost impossible to stick to the rules and educate him firmly from the start. You want to hug and snuggle with him, give him all the love he begs for, especially at night when you hear him whimper, all alone.
Most of us, prone to a feeling of guilt for leaving this cute little puppy all alone in a new place, let him get on the bed and sleep with us, and then hope that it won’t be hard to get him to sleep in his own bed.
Truth is, dogs have a hard time when their habits are changed, and telling them “good boy” or giving them a treat is just not enough to get him to adapt to a new set of rules.
Experts agree that shutting him out of our room to get him to understand his place is not a good idea. He’ll scratch on the door and whine all night, we’ll not get any sleep and he could be traumatized by the idea that he no longer belongs to the pack.
So what should we do? An analysis of his character will give us some clues on what approach we should take.
If we have an anxious dog that wants to keep a watchful eye over us, then it’s a good idea to put up a little fence, like the Ferplast Pet Gate, in front of the bedroom door and put a nice comfortable dog bed by it. This way he can keep everything under control and get used to sleeping in another place too.
If, on the other hand, we have a very spoiled and rebellious dog, the experts suggest we make their stay on our bed an uncomfortable one. Pretend to be asleep but move around all the time, that will bother him and he won’t sleep like he wants to. After a while, he’ll get tired of all the activity and go sleep somewhere more ‘comfortable’ – his own bed – which should be placed near the door to our room.
Armed with patience, get your dog a really comfortable bed of his own, one that can take the place of ours, like the beautiful Dandy, by Ferplast, made of cotton and plush. Little by little, he’ll get used to his new independence.
And if we miss having him on the bed? Don’t give in! Once we have accustomed him to sleeping in his own bed, don’t go back on your determination, never let him sleep with you again… otherwise all the effort will have been for naught!