How to Teach Your Dog to Go To Bed

Teaching your dog to go to a particular location such as a rug or bed is useful when you would like your dog to move out of the way and stay put.

This behavior can aid in training polite greetings at the door, stay, stopping door dashing, and remaining calm around distractions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• mat, dog bed or crate
• treats
• clicker (optional)

1. Place a mat or dog bed on the floor. Each time your dog looks at the mat, click or say "yes" and toss a treat near the mat. Do this until you have given 25 rewards for looking at the mat. Take a break.

2. In the next session, reward your dog only if she touches the mat in some way. If your dog sniffs the mat, click or say "yes" and toss a treat near the mat. Do this until you have given 25 rewards. Take a break.

3. In each successive training session, decide what behavior will allow your dog to earn a treat. One paw on the mat, all fours on the mat, sitting on the mat, etc. If your dog is not giving you the behavior you decided on, you should go back one step and make it easier for a session. Once your dog learns that laying down on the mat is what works, it is time to add the verbal cue "bed", "place", "mat" or whatever you wish to call it. Say the cue as your dog is moving to the mat.

4. You may move the mat farther away when your dog lays on the mat 8 out of 10 times when you give the "bed" cue. Begin by moving the mat a few feet away. Say "bed". When your dog goes to the mat and lays down. Click or say "yes" and toss a treat on the ground near you so that you are set up to do another repetition. Practice this 10 times. Take a break, add more distance during the next training session.

5. When your dog will go to his bed reliably at a distance of ten feet, begin waiting a bit before you click or say "yes" and toss your treat. Add 5-10 seconds to each repetition during training sessions until your dog will stay on his bed for 2 minutes. If your dog gets up before you click or say yes, try having him stay a little less time until the waiting behavior is stronger.

6. When your dog goes to his bed on cue and will stay until you release him, you may wish to begin training this behavior in new locations or around more distractions. You will need to go back to the beginning when you change the location and distraction level until your dog understands that the "bed" cue means go to the mat no matter where the two of you are or what else is happening at the moment.

Tips & Warnings

• Go to "bed" gives your dog a behavior to do when he needs to move out of the way
• Take your time, if your dog is struggling to succeed, move back one step in the training process
• Use the same word for bed each time
• Each time you change the location or training environment, go back to the beginning.

[Desula]

on 5/26/2008 Thanks for the tips on teaching your dog to go to bed.