A Dogs Bed

In our house, we have always treated the dog bed as a place for the dog only. Likewise our bed is for us only, we are the pack leaders and our space is respected as is there’s. A dog needs to know it has it’s own place.  When Scooby was young and pushy we used to put her on her bed when she was having a hyper session. We’d shut the door and leave her for 5 minutes away from the pack. Being away from the rest of the family seemed to give her some time for reflection and when she came back into the room she would be much calmer. As she got older, if she got over excited for any reason, she’d take herself off to her bed to take time out and calm down.

George, as you can see, is allowed to sleep on the sofa’s too. He came understanding the word ‘No’ and realises that if we are on the sofa then he cannot chance his luck to push us off, a firm ‘No’ asserts him to his place on the floor, or the other sofa. Reggie was well mannered and would ask if he could sit on the sofa before getting up, he’d look at the sofa and then look at you until you said ‘Up Ooh go’. Even then he’d sometimes check in with everyone else in the room, just in case they wanted the seat you know.

When a dog is sent to it’s bed it shouldn’t be a punishment where it is made to stay for long periods. If time out is required, a short time away from the pack lets the dog know it’s behaviour is not desirable. Start off by helping your dog associate it as a positive place by feeding treats on the bed.

On the nights George felt secure/exhausted enough to have the run of the downstairs, in the morning we found him on his bed under the staircase and not on the sofa’s, wagging his tail and rolling onto his back for a belly rub.

Currently, as he is showing signs of separation anxiety, we block the hallway so that he has less space to prance around getting anxious. He gets on his bed and sleeps through the night without a murmur, feeling safe and secure, reinforcing what a nice safe place the bed is.