BEHAVIOUR
How to Teach Your Dog the “Go to Bed” command
Want to teach your dog the “go to bed” command? Here is how you can do it in five, simple steps!
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist
Does your dog bolt straight to the door when the doorbell rings? Does she create havoc when the vacuum cleaner comes out? Or do you have a hard time getting work done because your dog refuses to give you space? Teaching your dog, a “go-to-bed” or place command is the perfect way to remedy any of these issues. The Go to Bed is essentially a send-away command that instructs your dog to go to a particular location, and with enough practise, to stay put over there, until asked otherwise.
To ensure that our dogs understand and always respond to our commands, it is also important to use positive reinforcement to teach them that performing a certain behaviour will get them valuable rewards. For this dog training exercise, we will be using doggy treats to encourage them to pay attention to us.
To ensure that our dogs understand and always respond to our commands, it is important to go forward at your dog’s pace and to use positive reinforcement to encourage them. Go to bed is a compound command made up of three basic cues. We are thus going to break it down into the following three steps and use lots of encouragement and treats to guide our dogs through this process. Let’s get into it!
To ensure that our dogs understand and always respond to our commands, it is also important to use positive reinforcement to teach them that performing a certain behaviour will get them valuable rewards. For this dog training exercise, we will be using doggy treats to encourage them to pay attention to us.
To ensure that our dogs understand and always respond to our commands, it is important to go forward at your dog’s pace and to use positive reinforcement to encourage them. Go to bed is a compound command made up of three basic cues. We are thus going to break it down into the following three steps and use lots of encouragement and treats to guide our dogs through this process. Let’s get into it!
1. The Send-away
Take a treat and use it to lure your dog onto their bed or placemat. If your dog refuses to get on the bed, you can put on a leash and nudge it towards the bed, accompanied by a treat lure to encourage them to get on the bed. Once all four paws are on the mat, give them the treat. After a few tries, you can slowly start adding the cue word “Go to bed” just as they are about to get on the bed.
2. Staying on the bed
Once they are on the bed, guide them into a “down” position and continue rewarding them with small, bite-sized bits to encourage them to remain there. You can also simply use a stay command if your dog knows it well. Do this for a minute or two.
If your dog has chosen to remain in the position for a good 10 to 30 seconds, well and good. If they seem to get distracted and move away from the bed, don’t worry! Lure them back on the bed and begin again. If need be, use the leash to communicate that you want them to remain on the bed.
3. Release from the stay
As your dog learns to stay on the bed for a good 10-15 seconds, say “off” and throw a treat away from the bed and let your dog go get it. Ideally, your dog should be getting off the bed only once you use the cue word “off”. But in case you see your dog breaking the stay before you give the cue word, do not hesitate to mark this behaviour anyway by adding the cue word.
Once your dog begins to ace these three steps, you can slowly elevate the command by working on gradually sending them to their bed from further and further away as well as by building duration in their stay.
2. Staying on the bed
Once they are on the bed, guide them into a “down” position and continue rewarding them with small, bite-sized bits to encourage them to remain there. You can also simply use a stay command if your dog knows it well. Do this for a minute or two.
If your dog has chosen to remain in the position for a good 10 to 30 seconds, well and good. If they seem to get distracted and move away from the bed, don’t worry! Lure them back on the bed and begin again. If need be, use the leash to communicate that you want them to remain on the bed.
3. Release from the stay
As your dog learns to stay on the bed for a good 10-15 seconds, say “off” and throw a treat away from the bed and let your dog go get it. Ideally, your dog should be getting off the bed only once you use the cue word “off”. But in case you see your dog breaking the stay before you give the cue word, do not hesitate to mark this behaviour anyway by adding the cue word.
Once your dog begins to ace these three steps, you can slowly elevate the command by working on gradually sending them to their bed from further and further away as well as by building duration in their stay.
Dog training expert Karthik R showing us how we can teach our dogs the 'Go To Bed' command
It is important that our dogs know certain, essential dog training commands such as Watch Me (Focus), Come, Stay, Leave it, etc. that can often come quite in handy during life-threatening situations. Not only does dog training help build a stronger bond between a dog and its parents, but it also grants them access to a lot more experiences in life without risking their safety. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try out this dog training command with your puppy and share videos with us @thepack.in on Instagram!
Happy Pet Parenting!
Happy Pet Parenting!
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About the author
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist, 5 yrs exp
Shivani is a dog trainer & behaviourist based in Bengaluru. She helps parents live more enriching lives with their dogs and is passionate about the cause of community dogs. Post-grad in Literature, Shivani also leads all content efforts at thePack.in
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