How can I train my dog to be comfortable with sleeping by my side?
I have a year and a half old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a neutered male named Ein, who boldly refuses to lay with me in my bed, seeking to immediately escape any time i try to set him on it. While it was very easy to train him commands like Sit, or behaviors like sitting 2 feet from the food bowl until the food is poured, I think he is a very intelligent dog, but I can’t seem to figure out why he is so panicked about my bed and refuses to stay there with me. The door to my room is always open, and i do not ever try to forcibly restrain him on my bed (a twin/full size staggered bunk bed). Perhaps the bed or my room smell too strongly like myself, and it confuses or annoys him? He loves going into my parents room (normally kept closed) and insists at sleeping at the foot of their bed. If i sleep in their bed, he will sleep on it with me, so it’s not a problem between Ein and me, but rather Ein and my bed. My parents bed is a king size canopy bed. Any thoughts or suggestions?
October 27th, 2010 at 1:06 am
He could be nervous about the bunkbed aspect of your bed, i would imagine thats it. He might see the other bed above him and get worried.
October 27th, 2010 at 1:51 am
What i would do in your situation is that i would try to spend as much play time as i can in the room to get your doggie as comfortable as he can. Try to get him to explore different places in your room and play with him until he gets tired and he’ll eventually learn that your bed is just as nice and comfy as your parents. Good luck.
October 27th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Just don’t force it
October 27th, 2010 at 2:56 am
It could be that he just doesn’t like the mattress/bedding or the support that it has for the mattress(if its the bars that run under the mattress…our oldest corgi couldn’t stand my sister’s futon because of the bars you could feel under the mattress…she couldn’t get comfortable) or just doesn’t think he has enough room. The bunk beds may play a part if he doesn’t like someone else being up there and not being able to see them. What ever it is…don’t force him..invite him and just let it up to him to decide.
If you really, really need to have him sleep there, you can start by spending a lot of time playing with him in your room….if he likes fetch, throw his favorite fetch toy on the bed after throwing it around your room a few times…if he doesn’t go for it then you’ll know he just doesn’t like your bed. If he does go for it, get it from his mouth BEFORE he gets down and just keep tossing it on your bed and maybe play tug with him on your bed too…that should get him use to it so that he associates your bed with fun and not something bad. From there it’ll just be a matter of time.