How To Teach Your Dog to Sleep Alone

Dogs are like children. These animals need constant attention, and always want to be in close proximity to their owner. Adult humans, however, need private time to accomplish certain tasks that require a great amount of privacy. Chief among these private matters is sleeping. Dogs always think that your space is there's. This is particularly true of the bed. All pet owners know that the canine of the house always wants to sleep in the same bed as its owner. However, sharing the covers and the mattress with a active furry friend is never easy, and only sometimes desired. Claim your space, by purchasing an inexpensive dog bed for your pooch. Certain companies even manufacture dog beds for large dogs. At the same time, many companies manufacture beds out of modern materials. One of the best examples of this is the memory foam beds. However, this article’s purpose is not to discuss the products. On the contrary, this article is designed to teach you how to teach the owner to teach the dog to enjoy his own space.
The dog's sense of smell is an all-powerful motivator. She uses it to locate food, danger, and to recognize friends or enemies. The most important use, as far as bed training is concerned, is that she uses it to detect the "Alpha Male" or "Alpha Female" in her "pack". Since the pack is your family and the alpha male or female is the family member who the dog thinks of as the "leader", your sent means a lot to the animal, since you provide food, protection, and shelter. Therefore, your scent tells the dog that it is safe with you. You can take advantage of that by placing your scent on the bed before your dog uses it for the first time. Here's how: Remove the bedding and rub it up against your skin. The goal here is to transfer your odor to the fabric. Don't be afraid to really rub your scent into the fabric, your dog is going to derive great comfort from the scent. Next, rub your hands along any railings or non-fabric pieces that make up the bed. Again your goal is to transfer your scent. Once you have permeated the bed with your scent, allow other family members to do the same. Your dog's nose is keen enough to pick out each of the individual scents and will immediately recognize that its family has accepted the new thing as part of its surroundings.



Once the dog bed has been well conditioned, place a few of your dog's toys on the bed or possible a bed covers and calls your dog to the bed, allowing him or her to investigate the new furniture by sniffing around. Pat your hand on the dog bed to see if he will get in it. If he will not enter the new bed freely, place him on it gently. He doesn't have to lie down on it yet; this is simply an effort to get him accustomed to the bed, and add his own scent. This is a natural act of dogs, which is referred to as "marking." When your dog is in the bed, make sure to praise him or her, and give him a treat. This type of positive reinforcement is very necessary to ensure that your dog knows his place in the home. Your goal is to let your dog associate the dog bed with comfort.