Educate the dog to sleep in the doghouse

Does your dog love sleeping in your bed? Did you buy a comfortable bed, even more than your bed, but do not want to know anything? The answer is simple: if you let him do it since he arrived at home, it is normal for him to see it as a normal place to rest.

Do you want to teach the dog to sleep in the kennel and leave your bed? The solution in theory is very simple, it would be enough not to let it get on the bed any more, but then, if it makes sweet eyes, we all know how hard it is to resist it. 

In this article, we explain how to educate the dog to sleep in the doghouse step by step, but know that they want time and patience, because it may take weeks. With constancy and patience, however, you will see that you will be able to educate the dog to sleep in the kennel.

1) Before starting to teach the dog to sleep in the kennel, remember that you will always have to follow the same rules without exception. If you occasionally keep letting him get on the bed, he will continue to see him as something that belongs to him and where he can be without problems. You can not give him permission to stay with you on the bed and then order him to come down, hoping he will listen to you, indeed. In this way you will do nothing but confuse it, a very big problem when trying to educate a dog. It is also important that all people living at home follow the same rules.

Choose a comfortable bed, where the dog feels safe and at ease. Pay attention to the size and choose a large enough so that the dog can lie down and be comfortable. If it is a puppy but it is a race or a cross that will grow, think about the size that will have an adult once and as long as you fill the empty space with cushions.

Never scold the dog when it is in the kennel, otherwise you risk associating it with punishment. On the contrary, when she is resting and is quiet in the kennel, she uses positive reinforcement with greedy premiums, caresses and affectionate words.

2) Now that you have chosen the perfect kennel, it’s time to find out how to educate your dog to sleep in the doghouse step by step. Choose a specific word or phrase to associate with it, such as “kennel!” “let’s go to bed!”. The first few times it is sufficient for the dog to look in the direction of the dog bed or simply approach it. Also look in the same direction and leave some croquettes on the bed so that you associate it positively.

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In the first days of training, you can reward the dog with compliments or sweet words even when he is in the doghouse or passes over it. When he does, tell him “good / a” or “good!” and even give him a croquette so that he sees it as a positive stimulus. Never force it to interact or move closer to the kennel, it could have the opposite effect to the desired one.

When you try to educate your dog to sleep in the kennel, you should always have it handy with croquettes. Move the kennel a little, move it and observe the dog’s reaction when you say “feed it!”. Moving it will draw your attention and show it to you as a game. When you are seated or stretched out, you can give it the croquette as a reward.

3) Later, when the dog has learned to associate the command kennels with the object, move it to another room so that the dog will concentrate on it and not on the room where it is located. In this way he will understand that the only place he has to stay is the bed and not the bed or the sofa. If you do, do not scold him, but drive him with a croquette up to his bed and give it to him once he lays down or sits down.

If you have taught the dog to lie down, you can tell him the command when he is sitting on the kennel, so that he understands that he can relax and stay when he wants to rest. Remember that moving the kennel is important in the training phase and you do not necessarily have to choose the room where you are also because it is important for the dog to learn to be alone and to be independent.

4) After strengthening the bed-kibble association and as you progress, try to say only the word you chose and reduce food premiums, but do not spare either caresses or compliments. If it’s time to go to sleep and see that the dog gets up to come to your bed, tell him “no” and drive him back to the doghouse. If this happens again at the beginning of the training you can give it a croquette, otherwise try to reassure it with words and caresses. Strengthen long behavior, if necessary.

Avoid closing doors at home even when you’re away. In this way the dog will not feel abandoned or refused because he will understand that he can come in and out of where he wants. At night, if you want, close the door to educate the dog to sleep in the kennel and make him understand that it’s time to rest for everyone. If your four-legged friend cries, guide him on his bed, offer him a croquette and give him a lot of caresses before going back to bed. Remember that with time, patience, constancy and a lot of affection, the dog will learn to sleep in his kennel alone, no longer wanting to get on your bed.