Where does your dog sleep at night?

Question

My dog sleeps on the bed and does occasioanally disturb me by lying on my legs. I suppose he likes to have the contact feeling. if I leave him downstairs he howls. he is now 8 1/2 yrs old. too late to break the habit????

Good answer from bored, but I can see myself on the floor a few nights !!!!

Answer 1

you can teach an old dog new tricks. If he has a basket/bed or something, bring it into your room to wean him off the bed. Be firm, but not nasty, and give treats for good behaviour.

Answer 2

My dogs sleep on my bed with me. Either at the end of the bed, or beside me.

If you really need to break the habit, you could try this. First get a really comfortable dog bed, perhaps one of those that lift off of the ground. Something portable. When you're around the house bring the dog bed with you. That way if you dog follows you, he may lay down on the bed.When he does, praise him or give him a little treat. Every night bring this into your bedroom with you. When you find the dog moving around, give him pushes with your foot. If you keep this up he may become uncomfortable and jump off of the bed, going to his own. You could also (if it isn't too much of a hassle) raise your bed. You can do this by getting a new box spring or mattress and putting it in your bed under or on top of the other. This can make if more uncomfortable for the dog to get on the bed, at least until you can get him off of your bed. You could also 'rough it' for one night. Get out the old sleeping bag and an outdoor sleeping mat. Put it down next to his bed and sleep there. If it truly is that he sleeps there because of your companionship (which the habit of laying on your legs really points to) he should lay beside you, on his bed.

When your dog starts sleeping on his own bed, be sure to praise him. I hope all of this helps!

Answer 3

Well, I just adopted a 9 yr old chihuahua, and the previous owner let her sleep in bed with her, but I don´t want that.
I bought her two doggie-beds/baskets, one for in the living room, and one for in my bedroom at night.
In the beginning she tried to get in bed with me, but I´d tell her No! and would lift her into her bed and tell her to stay. I sleep the first few nights I did this. But after about 4 days I started to see progress. I have had her for a little over a week now, and she still tries to get in my bed at the beginning of the night and then about an hour later again, but after that she stays in her own bed. And when she does try to get in I tell her no (firmly), and she looks at me and I tell her in your own bed, and off she goes, and then I immediately say "Good girl!".

You have to be very consequent, you cannot ever let it slide because then you send your dog the wrong message.

As your dog is male you might have a tougher time as he is more likely to want to go into battle over who is the alpha male, but if you stick with it and stay consequent you really should be able to break the habit.

Answer 4

My dog sleeps downstairs in his crate whichcontains a big comfy bed for him & water he's done this since we got him as a pup so now wen he see's us locking up etc he goes in hiself & goes too sleep.
It's probably too late 4 you to brake the habit but i cudnt sleep wiv the dog he'd wake me up all the time, best thing is to get a bed and put it the side off your bed so he can see you and praise him for going on it eventually the dog will learn - this is the place to sleep

Good Luck

Answer 5

Way too late to train a dog not to do that. Training dogs should be when they are born to around 3 months old.
However, you could probably try putting a kind of cot or bed next to your bed and get him to sleep there for a while.

Answer 6

My dog has his own bed underneath the sink in the laundry room. He likes it and goes there to nap during the day too.

We tell him that he's the guard dog & he's doing a good job when he sleeps there. He's a dachshund & 12 yrs old, lol.
But he's been doing this all his life.

Answer 7

My dog now sleeps in his bed next to my side of the bed. He is 5 years old and has only been doing this for about a year. Previous to that he slept on the bed with me, but i got remarried and new husband didnt really like it so we managed to get him to sleep in his own bed alongside ours. In the beginning he kept standing up on his little legs and looking up at me, but i didnt speak to him, i just kept putting him back in his own bed and eventually he got the message.

Answer 8

yes its 2 late 2 break the habit u no the saying old dogs new tricks mine sleeps in her bed in the hall down stairs

Answer 9

It's never too late, will take a bit longer to sink in though than if it was a puppy. You just have to put up with the howling until it realises you're not giving in. Mine sleep in their beds in the kitchen and they have never been allowed upstairs from being 12 weeks old. Mine must wonder whats up there and where we disappear to every night!

Answer 10

yep our three dogs sleep with us even though we have a king size bed i think we are looking to go for a queen size,they are comfortable and sleep in or out of bed so at the end of the day they are part of the family and get treated like family.