On Your Bed!

How many times does Rusty lay on the couch when he's supposed to be on his bed?

Umm... we're not good owners there because he does it every day. But he chews on his toys and gets his Kong on his bed. We've made his dog bed a good place. New toys = only on the dog bed.

So when visitors come over, do we want Rusty to go to his bed and stay there until we say it's ok? Yes, we definitely do. What if it's the UPS guy with a package - like new shoes! I don't want Rusty running out the door, barking or being a general MONSTER. Instead, I'd like him calm, relaxed and in his "safe spot" in the living room.

So to teach On Your Bed you'll need:

1. Dog bed
2. High value treats
3. The Dog
4. Clicker (if you use the clicker)

Step 1. Start off with lots of room around you. Place the dog bed in between you and the dog.

Step 2. With a treat, lead Rusty onto the dog bed and say "On your bed!"

Step 3. Lead him into laying down.

Step 4. Once his body is laying down, click and treat.

Step 5. Repeat several times.

Remember - dogs do get bored easily, so once they learn it, you're going to have to switch it up a little bit. Bring the bed into the kitchen, the bedroom and outside. Dogs don't generalize, so if you want to make sure that Rusty knows how to do this in several different places, make him do "On Your Bed" with different beds and in different places. Just make sure that you let Rusty know which bed is his to begin with (what if there's more than one dog? You want them to have their own spots, so in that case, always use the same dog bed).

Here's a short video that explains it a little more - just make sure that your dog is in the laying down position, they'll have an easier time when you put them in a stay.

Have fun!