Dog will not stay off the bed?

Question

My 225 lbs mastiff will not stay off the bed. no baby gate or closing the door will help. I have tryed almost everthing I can think off.
he is very well behaved except at night. I walk him with out a leash
he know that I am alpha (except at night) my wife is at her witts end with him.

Answer 1

I just was referred to this web-site on alpha dogs. I have a problem Rottweiler. Anyway go to this site it actually addresses the problem you are having with your dog. It says that your bedroom is your den and especially your bed and your dog should not be allowed in your room at all. It also recommends a crate. They do sell them big enough for your BIG sweetie. Check out this web-site it is very informative. Good luck.

http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm

Answer 2

I have been a k9 handler / training instructor for 20+ years in the US Navy and for the last 3 years since I retired. I have had Rottweilers, Akitas, Czheck Shepherds, Giant Schnauzer, a 195 lb male Giant Malamute and 165 lb female Mal, a 285 lb St. Bernard, and various other breeds. I don't profess to know everything, and all training methods don't work for every dog. If I knew when he does this, which side of the bed does he go to, will he get down if your wife tells him to - or only if you tell him to, are you still home when he does this. Without knowing all the particulars I can only give you a few tricks. If no one is in the bed when this happens you can place mouse traps on the bed. you can place laundry baskets on the bed. The trick is to make it so being on the bed is not a good experience, something he doesn't like. Or if there's something he will avoid ( again, something he doesn't like or is afraid of ), place it on, near, or around the bed. Get him his own bed and make that his comfort place. Hope this will help. I would like to hear if/what works.

Answer 3

Get him a big THICK comfy dog bed and put it right next to your bed (dogs that heavy need really thick beds to protect their joints anyway). Then at bedtime hop into bed. When doggie comes in greet him cheerfully and really praise him to the roof if he gets into his new bed. As soon as he jumps on your bed say NO sternly and squirt him with a water bottle. When he gets off praise and if he gets on the dog bed make a really big deal out of it, praising and such. Reach down from your place on the bed and pet him so he knows that even though he's down on his bed he's still very close to you (being physically higher than him will reinforce the alpha relationship too). The squirting and scolding may work in one night or it may take a few, but be consistent and he will soon learn the rules and learn to love his own special place.

Answer 4

All the same answers apply here. Your dog is not respecting you as alpha if you cannot get him to bend to your will - night or day.

Crate your dog at night, in a seperate room if necessary. My dogs are crated right next to my bed, but if your dog is challenging you AND aggrivating your wife (most importantly aggrivating your wife), you MUST teach the dog to sleep in a crate.

As a positive to crate training, you will be allowed to travel with your dog if he learns to be crated.

Lastly, you should NEVER walk a dog that size off leash. I know you say he's sweet, but if he ever flips, he's could easily hurt/kill someone and then you're going to be up a creek without a paddle or a dog.

Train your dog and be a responsible respectful owner. I know I wouldn't want to walk my Chi next to your unleashed mastiff.

Answer 5

With the "Bully Breeds", mastiffs, great danes, staffordshires, pits, It's like a need for them to sleep with the owner. I struggled with back problems from sharing the bed with the snoring mass who always manages to smash me up against the wall. I'm now at a place where I have trouble sleeping without him. But when I need him to sleep elswhere I close the door and he whines for awhile and eventually sleeps on the couch. Does your dog misbehave at night when not with you? If that's the case he may need to be caged. If he doesn't, make sure he has something to sleep on. The heavy dogs will not be comfortable on the floor. It's very hard on their joints. And just keep with it everynight until they get used to it. It's a lot like house breaking.

Answer 6

You have to assert yourself as the dog's master. Do not let the dog in the bedroom at all, ever. How can closing the door not help? Can the dog open the door with the knob? LOL Anyway, if nothing else works confine the dog to part of the house.

Answer 7

Try punishing your dog every time he jumps onto the bed. (not very hard, just something he doesn't like) and reward him every night he sleeps on the floor or in his bed. If you don't have a dog bed for him, I suggest you get one. I had the same problem with my dog and the bed fixed everything!

Answer 8

We had a similar problem with our JRT. He had always slept with the BF until I came into their lives, then he felt ousted. We solved the problem by putting a large ottoman next to the bed and praised him heartily when he was laying on it. He just wanted to be close to his humans, although once in bed with us he would get upset if we touched him or moved. The ottoman was a blessing and now he gets in bed with us when we first go to bed, gets his cuddles, then moves voluntarily to his ottoman. He especially prefers it when we are not quite ready for sleep ;-)

Answer 9

You can get an electric shock collar that sends a mild shock when he is in a forbidden area.They can be purchased with a remote.Good luck!

Answer 10

good lord!225lbs?
sounds like he's a big baby-----
need to wrestle him to the ground and make him understand YOU are the Boss---of course he might think it's a game------blow in his face --sometimes it works--keep doing that till he gets the idea---you just need to assert yourself and your authority