The go to bed obedience training command is a very useful and relatively easy command to teach your dog. Use of this command is great for,
when visitors arrive
when they are getting underfoot while you are trying to do housework
when you are busy and don’t want to be disturbed
when you just want some free space.
This command is very useful and practical and you will find yourself using it on a daily basis
One thing I will point out is that going to bed is not a punishment; it’s a place for them to go to where they will not be in the way. The bed should be a fun place that is comfortable for them to spend some time in.
As with all obedience commands, we are going to start off with some simple actions and then add a few variables to make it a little harder until he fully understands the verbal command. As you have seen throughout this site, I try to keep treats to a minimum and lavish with love.
The reasons are simple, you don’t always have a pocket full of treats but you do have a pocket full of love. You don’t want your dog to expect a tangible reward every time he does something and you don’t want any weight issues in the future.
If you don’t already have a spot designated for your dog to sleep, now is as good a time as any. First off, I would suggest that your dog’s bed is not outside, if he’s going to be part of the family.
His bed shouldn't be in the laundry room where he may be frightened of the noise of the washing machine and dryer or at least kept awake by it and it shouldn’t be on your bed. They need somewhere comfortable to go to but also be able to come out and be part of the family.
Teach your dog to go to bed - Step by Step
Decide on a name that you are going to call this go to place such as your bed, your cot, your mat or whatever, and stick with it.
Stand with your puppy dog about 4 or 5 feet away from the bed and say Go To Bed while pointing to the bed and at the same time throw a treat onto the bed. Puppy dog is sure to rush over to the bed to collect the tasty treat.
As soon as he does, say down. Using the down command will keep him there. Now go over to him and give him lots of praise and let him eat his treat if he hasn’t already done so.
Continue to go through this command to reinforce the behavior. We are also trying to get him to connect the phrase go to bed with the action. He will also know that going there is not a bad thing.
As he gets better at this, we want to increase the distance. With the other commands that you have taught him so far, we’ve increased the distance by you moving away from him. Now we will increase the distance between where you and your dog are standing and where he is going to end up; on the bed.
Let’s now change tactics a little and instead of throwing the treat, we are just going to tell him to go to bed using the verbal command and pointing. As soon as he does go to bed, go over and give him his treat and lots of praise.
If he is a bit slow at understanding at this point because there was no throwing, follow him as he goes to the bed. Repeat the command along the way if you have to. The idea is to get him onto the bed without being enticed with a reward first.
As soon as he’s on the bed and down, give him praise and rewards. Continue with this action while increasing the time that he gets on the bed and the time you go over and reward/praise him.
Now its time to start telling him to go to bed from a different room. If he doesn’t get it at first because the bed is in a different room, go along with him until he can see the bed. You don’t want to go up to the bed but stay in the doorway. When he gets on the bed, tell him good boy and leave the room.
Go back in after a few moments and give him a treat and praise. Continue this step until he goes to bed on his own. Go into him after a few minutes and praise him. You can practice at any time throughout the day, and even set some routine times when he needs to be on his bed such as when you need to go out, meal times and your bed time.
This exercise will take a couple of weeks for him to get it. I want to point out here that when you send him to bed, especially when visitors arrive, you don’t forget him.
Go to him and give him some praise and even a treat if you want to, but don’t forget he’s there otherwise he may feel rejection when visitors arrive.
As with all of the commands, there should be consistency in the command, correction and reward.
If you plan to train your dog at home Dog Training Mastery is a great tool to follow to ensure you train your dog the right way.
