How do I break a bad habit?

Question

How do you break a bad habit?

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Its all my fault and I take the full blame. We have come a long way with Bella but there is just one thing that is going on that I have to stop but I don't know how. When I first let her sleep out of the crate at night she slept on her own very cozy bed in our room. Then she started to jump in bed during the night, we were too tired to push her off. But we don't want her in the bed, I don;t know why but I just think a dog should sleep in their own bed. So what do I do to change this--I can't start her back in the crate because I know she will whine ---should I leash her to the foot of the bed to keep her where I want her? I know it was just plain stupid of me to allow her in the bed in the first place, when she was smaller I thought it was cozy but now I just want to be cozy with my husband. Go ahead, throttle me, but then give me some advice please

Bellas crate doesn't allow her to stretch out full length (she is a large dog) the crate is a size large but just not long enough---she likes to sleep way stretched. I don;t mind her next to me on the floor in her bed, I just don't want to smell dog in my bed, I feel like I have totally spoiled her --I don;t feel in control--she is ruling my bedroom--it has to stop.

I don't know how to choose a best answer----you are all giving me some great advice and I thank ALL OF YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

You may have to re train her to do what you want her to do ,and NOT what she wants you to do, you may have to start from scratch if you have to.So putting her in her crate again isn't all a bad thing if she whines then ignore her ,she'll give up at some point and go to sleep.You can start the process early so before you and hubby go to bed put the ROYAL NESS in her crate, and if she whines then say go to sleep in a stern voice, my pooch had a bad habit of whining even though she has not slept with me in my bed. She sometimes still has something to say but I always win that battle no matter how cute she is. Good luck

Answer 2

No throttling necessary. Whew!
You do need to put her back in the crate though. Get some earplugs, and then ignore her when she fusses. Cover the crate to stop her whining sooner....and remember to always make her crate a great place for her to be. Give her treats for being in there (without fussing), feed her in there, play crate games with her:
http://www.finchester.org/dogs/dog_diary/2005/08/crate-training.html

and be prepared for an extinction burst from her. You have let her be on the bed and now you're changing the rules. That's OK, but she will fuss about it for a while. If you shush her, or let her out of her crate, you are rewarding the fussing and it will take that much longer for her to learn to be quiet!
I hope I helped.

Answer 3

I wouldn't leash her to the bed, she'll probably get tangled or be uncomfortable..I would put her back in the crate but in your room so she can see you. It's not so much the bed that she likes it's more the closeness with her humans. A couple of days of patience and she'll be okay...remember dogs don't have the notion of time as humans do. But one important thing once she's off the bed it's gotta be for good...can't be once on once off...

Answer 4

I let my puppy sleep with me but after reading your question it makes me rethink about it.
Anyway when I put my puppy in his crate he hates it. he is such a loving puppy that he wants to be held and hugged.
At first he didn't know how to cry...then it started making noises then now he cries like a little baby. He knew that I was watching him and that if he continues I will let him out.
So i covered the crate with a thin blanket. It's been couple days since I've been covering the crate and now when I put him in his crate he is very quiet.
Good luck!

Answer 5

No reaming from me! You can go back to the kennel, but if you are a light sleeper you can leash her to where you want her to sleep. Give just enough leash to let her stand up and turn around. At night say bed and point to her bed, if she gets on yous say now, PUT her on her bed and say BED. Use the leash for about a week then just start making her go on her own, keep a spray bottle handy, she gets on the bed spray her say no, and put her back on her bed

Answer 6

The dog I house sit for is a 100 lbs Weimeriener who LOVES to sleep on the bed regardless if I want him there or not.

The only way to fix this problem is have a code word for her bed. "Lay down", "go to bed", whatever you choose. Until she learns this word you're going to have wake up, and make sure she gets off your bed and goes to hers or she'll always want to sleep on yours.

You're breaking an old habit and building a new one and that will take time, patience and consistancy. (Key word consistancy). For a while you can alternate - you need your hubby's cooperation - to make sure it sticks. Once it does.. she'll be fine.

The Weimeriner (Duece) - I can tell him "go to bed" half asleep, and he's off the bed and curled up in the corner. He's just testing to see if he can get away with it.

Good Luck

Answer 7

I do not like crates! My dog slept with me and my b/f at first too, but then he got too big! So he has a doggy bed and the foot of our bed. It took a couple weeks, but we just pushed him off (everytime!!) and said "Bed time"(sounds weird, I know). He finally got the point, You just have to be consistant. Now when we're headed to bed for the night I say "Duke, bed time" and he goes straight to HIS bed.

Answer 8

definite, I bit my nails for a lengthy time period. Then I were given braces and it become not person-friendly to chew my nails. Now they're off and that i do not chew them anymore. It become like interior the first week of that I broke the habit. :)