From the first days of the puppy’s stay in the house, the animal should be accustomed to the fact that it will have its own separate place for sleep and rest. Unconditional execution of the command “Get in place!” necessary for both miniature breeds and large pets. Along with this command, in the alphabet of dog etiquette, toilet training the puppy is of paramount importance.
Setting up a resting place for the puppy
With the appearance of a furry fidget in the house, the owner should take care of arranging a cozy nest. The animal should associate it with safety, warmth and evoke positive emotions.
For this purpose, a place for sleeping and rest should be arranged in a quiet corner of the living room. The bed or house where the dog will rest should not be placed on the aisle or in damp and cold rooms. Air conditioning systems and close proximity to heating appliances should be avoided.
Experienced breeders recommend setting up a place to rest in a quiet and peaceful part of the house. For miniature and medium-sized dog breeds, you can purchase a comfortable dog bed in specialized pet stores. Pets are happy to live in foam houses. For large dogs, special beds are available for sale, reinforced with a frame structure and equipped with soft textile sides.
You can arrange a place for your pet to rest and sleep yourself. For these purposes, a small mattress or blanket is suitable, which should be equipped with a removable cover so that it can be cleaned regularly.
Having prepared a warm bedding or bed, the owner can begin training the puppy. The first steps in mastering the “Place” command should be taken as soon as the animal gets tired after playing or walking.
A tired puppy usually begins to lie down to rest. At this moment, the pet should be taken to an equipped bedding or bed and in a friendly but firm voice give the command “Place” and step aside. If the dog settles down, he should be petted and treated with a treat. When training, you need to show patience and perseverance, as the puppy can get too excited, forget about sleep and follow the owner.
The animal should be taught to sleep and rest in a strictly designated area every time the puppy gets ready for bed. Treats and petting will help reinforce the skill. The owner should ensure that the young pet flawlessly carries out the command without encouragement. The puppy should develop only positive associations with the “Place” command, therefore, during training, punishing the dog for disobedience is excluded.
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Organization of a sleeping place
It is important that the place of sleep evokes positive emotions and attracts the puppy. There is no need to take your pet to a bed or send it to bed as punishment. This will cause stress when trying to put your puppy down. Make this place cozy, it should be comfortable, not cold and not hot. In winter, provide a warm soft blanket, in summer - dense cool material, set the optimal temperature in the room where the puppy sleeps. Allow him to take some kind of toy. Perhaps a softly turned on radio or a ticking clock nearby will help put the baby to sleep.
At first, if the puppy is overly anxious and does not want to be left alone, place his bed next to the bed where you sleep. Go to bed together and put your hand down, let it calm the puppy. Usually after 10 minutes he falls asleep. It is forbidden to take an animal into bed to calm it down! It will be difficult to wean him off in the future. Gradually move the couch further and further from the bed and move it closer to its permanent location. The pet will gradually get used to the changes and will soon begin to rest peacefully until the morning.
Sometimes dogs wake up at night to check that their owner is okay. This phenomenon is observed in both puppies and adult guard breeds. Having arrived in the master bedroom and making sure that he is sleeping peacefully, the dog will go on to sleep. If your pet has this habit, do not leave it indoors overnight.
How to accustom a dog to a new place
If, due to some circumstances, the owner has changed the pet’s sleeping and resting area, or the animal is in an unknown habitat, the dog should be shown its personal territory. It is advisable to take the bedding from the old one and lay it on the new bed. This technique will calm your four-legged friend and make you feel safe.
To get accustomed to a new place, the dog should be allowed to sniff it and get used to it. Having called your pet with a friendly shout, you need to point to the bed prepared for him and give the appropriate command. A positive result must be reinforced with treats and affection.
Weaning methods
Before you tell your dog where he should sleep at night, you need to take him for a walk. It is important that the pet spends more energy, then the dog will have less resistance when laying down in a new place. You can lure the dog with its favorite treat, and praise it if it lies down on the bed.
It’s easier to sleep-train a dog that understands commands. The main command given by the owner clearly and clearly is “”. After executing the command, it is important to praise the pet or give it a reward. If the dog tries to leave the bed, you must clearly pronounce the command “ ” and take the pet to its place. Over time and regular training, the dog will begin to understand where its private place is.
Having firmly decided that the dog should not sleep in the same bed with its owner, it is necessary to act consistently, without allowing concessions. This will help preserve the dog's psyche! A few sleepless nights, and the animal will get used to sleeping in a place designated and equipped for it. It is possible that the dog will try to pity its owner, but he must be adamant.
Under no circumstances should you succumb to provocations. If a dog begins to howl and whine when the owner goes to bed and leaves it on his bed, you should not shout at the animal. You can take a short walk outside without letting your dog play. In the event that the pet does not want to go to the toilet, but simply shows its dissatisfaction with being removed from the owner’s bed, all requests must be ignored.
Note!
Yelling at a dog when it begins to howl and whine, asking to go to bed with its owner, can provoke the development of a behavioral problem. Thus, the dog understands that it has managed to attract the attention of its leader, and will continue in the same spirit.
If the dog dares and jumps onto the sofa anyway, it is important to shoo it away and indicate your place, using the appropriate command. To correct behavior, you can use positive reinforcement. It is necessary to encourage the pet in every possible way when it obeys - praise when the dog goes to its place after a command or at its own request.
Teaching an adult animal to sleep on its own bed
Quite often an adult animal comes into the house. Training in this case becomes more complicated. An adult dog has his own habits and may lack certain skills. An unfamiliar environment also makes learning difficult.
For the training process to be successful, the owner first needs to introduce the dog to the new home, let the dog sniff everything, go around all the corners and hidden corners. When the dog calms down, you can begin to accustom it to your territory using exactly the same techniques as a small puppy.
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We train the animal for the command “Place!”
In order for training sessions to accustom a pet to a bed or bedding to be effective, the owner must adhere to the following rules and recommendations of dog handlers:
- Dog training should be carried out after a walk or meal, when the animal is physiologically ready to rest.
- Do not train the dog on an empty stomach, when feeling unwell or in an excited state.
- Practice the “Place” command only in relation to the lounger.
- During training, do not put the dog down by force.
- Reward with affection and treats only after the dog lies down on the bedding on its own.
- Under no circumstances should you take away a puppy’s treats or favorite toy, which he happily brought to his bed.
- In order for the animal to perceive its territory as a safe and inviolable home, toys brought by the dog should not be removed in front of it.
- The command should be given kindly, but with firmness in the voice.
Training your pet to perform the “Place” command should take place in a calm environment. At first, you should avoid distractions and conduct classes without strangers. However, when the dog learns to flawlessly carry out a command, you can complicate the task and carry out training in the presence of other household members, achieving its precise execution.
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Basics - starting training step by step
We begin to answer the question - how to accustom a puppy to a place to sleep. At the moment when your pet has had enough of playing or eating a hearty meal and begins to go to bed, pick it up and take it to the conditional place of stay during rest. Then, before putting it down, say clearly “place”, and then lower it onto the mat. It is recommended to say the “place” command again and pet the baby, encouraging him for his obedience.
Initially, your pet will try to escape and get rid of your care. In this situation, you should hold the dog in place, while constantly repeating the appropriate command. If the dog listened to you (and if not, then here), you need to encourage it, say “well done” or “good”, while petting it and giving it a treat. Then, try to carefully stand up and move away, watching your pet’s reaction.
If your pet immediately falls asleep and masters the command, you can postpone the exercise until next time and feel free to go about your business. If the dog gets loose and decides to fall asleep in another place, the lesson requires repetition. It should be noted that over the course of a week, such manipulations are repeated 3 to 5 times, until the dog itself begins to go to its place at your command.
This technique is ideal for training a pet in situations where the dog begins to ask for food from the table, howl, bark at the vacuum cleaner when cleaning, or simply spin around underfoot.
It is ideal to use a children's mattress as a "dog" place. It is small and suitable in size for a dog of any category. The height of the product will allow your pet to sleep warm and protect it from hypothermia and colds. The average cost of such a mattress is no more than 2000 rubles. They are sold in a wide range in baby stores.
You should take into account the fact that it is much easier to accustom a dog to the “place” command when it comes tired from a walk or is full. A lot of problems will be caused by the puppy's condition when he smells food or is distracted by the actions of other people in the house. This technique is ideal for raising young dogs, aged 1 to 2 months. It is much more difficult to explain this to an older dog.
How to toilet train a dog
A puppy should be taught to relieve himself in a strictly designated place at the age of 2 - 4 months. Training tactics depend on the breed of the animal and the toilet chosen by the owner. Miniature pets, such as Chihuahuas, in apartment living conditions are often accustomed to a tray or a special oilcloth. Medium and large dogs are most often walked on the street or in the courtyard of a private house.
Be patient until you go outside
Most owners prefer to walk their pets in the fresh air. Dogs not only relieve themselves, but also play and develop physical strength and endurance. Adult animals can wait until the next walk and not crap in the apartment. Due to their physiological characteristics, puppies up to eight months of age cannot endure for a long time, and the owner should know this.
Before the age of 4 months, puddles and more serious consequences on the carpet and floor are common. You should not punish the puppy, much less rub his nose in “dirty tricks.” Teaching a dog to be clean is a long process and requires endurance and patience from the owner.
Once the puppy reaches four months of age, toilet training should begin. Every time after waking up and feeding, the animal must be taken outside. When the pet does its business, you need to praise it and treat it with something tasty. Only after this can you play and walk with the dog. You should choose a place for the toilet outside that is quiet and windless, so that foreign odors and other animals do not distract the dog.
Until the age of 6 months, your pet should be walked at least 5 times a day. If a puddle does appear, you should not punish the puppy. At the age of six months, the frequency of toilet walks can be reduced to three.
Walk on oilcloth/tray
Recently, dwarf dog breeds have become incredibly popular in megalopolises and large cities: Yorkshire terrier, Chihuahua, toy terrier, Petit Brabançon and others. The miniature size allows you to organize a toilet for them in a city apartment. For this purpose, trays or special absorbent diapers are used.
The principle of training a dog to wear a diaper is to limit the free space. To do this, the puppy is fenced off from the rest of the room using boxes, providing him only with a place to rest and an absorbent diaper. Carefully observing the animal, it should be praised and treated with a treat at the moment when the puppy does its business after sleeping on a special cloth.
It should be placed on a diaper after feeding and active play, rewarding each time for a positive result. The fact that the puppy wants to go to the toilet is indicated by his behavior: he spins around in one place, sniffs the floor in search of a diaper.
Some dogs for some reason do not want to use a diaper. In this case, you can use newspapers. When the dog gets used to shitting on them, they can be placed in the tray.
For diaper or litter box training to be effective, it is important to choose the right location for it. To do this, you should watch the puppy. At first, the tray or diaper can be placed in the place chosen by the animal. Gradually, when the pet gets used to going where it should, the tray can be placed in a place convenient for the owner.
Relieve yourself in one place on the site
If the dog is kept in a country house or dacha, it will be convenient for the owner if the dog relieves itself in a designated area, and not throughout the entire area. You can teach this behavior by walking your dog after eating near the preferred toilet area. When the animal does its job where it needs to be, it needs to be praised and treated with something tasty.
This manipulation should be carried out every time you walk the dog. After some time, the dog will develop the habit of shitting in the same territory. But only if it is periodically cleaned.
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Accustoming an animal to the “Place” command and cleanliness is the basis of canine literacy. Knowing your territory and unquestioningly obeying the owner is not an easy task, requiring patience and goodwill. Consistent actions aimed at developing the necessary skill will help to accustom your pet to cleanliness.
What is the reason if the dog does not sleep well?
Pets spend almost half of their lives in the kingdom of Morpheus. The duration of sleep is primarily influenced by the breed of the dog. Thus, working shepherd dogs, Rottweilers and Dobermans can get by with 8-10 hours of sleep per day. Approximately the same duration of rest is observed in active pets.
Huskies, Jack Russell terriers, and representatives of some hunting breeds have short hours of sleep, which alternate with active wakefulness. Large breeds, such as St. Bernards, bullmastiffs, and Newfoundlands, are not averse to sleeping longer, up to 14-16 hours a day.
The owner, as a rule, faces the problem of sleep disturbances in a four-legged family member if a small puppy appears in the house. Young animals are often very worried about separation from their mother and their brothers and sisters and organize nightly “concerts” in their new home, not wanting to rest. However, a situation often arises when an adult dog sleeps poorly and disturbs the household.
Experienced dog breeders and veterinary specialists include the following among the causes of sleep disturbance in animals:
- Biorhythm disturbance . The dog's body obeys subtle biological laws. In this regard, in the summer, animals may experience a significant shortening of the sleep stage, which is associated with an increase in the duration of daylight hours. Often the pet lives according to the schedule of the household. If the owner, for example, returns home late, this can shift the dog’s biological clock, and it will sleep less.
- Emotional stress . Stress has the most negative effect on an animal's sleep duration. Prolonged mental stress due to a change of place of residence, death of an owner or family member can deprive an emotional pet of proper rest for a long time.
- Sleep disturbance is often observed in nervous and sensitive individuals. Such pets may suffer from insomnia, feeling a sense of fear, panic, and melancholy. New smells and an unfamiliar place can cause anxiety in the animal and lead to insomnia.
- an incorrect daily routine leads to sleep disturbances in a four-legged friend . If the dog spends little time in the fresh air, walks on the street are reduced to a 10-minute walk, then sooner or later this can lead to a reduction in the duration of rest.
- The cause of a pet's restless sleep is sometimes the wrong place for the dog to sleep . If the bed is located in a noisy place, near heating devices, the animal may experience discomfort and often wake up.
And here is more information about why a dog whines.
If it wakes up the owner
Often, four-legged pets not only keep themselves awake at night, but also wake up household members. The reason for this behavior may be some need, for example, if the dog is hungry or they forgot to give him a bowl of clean water. In this case, the owner should eliminate the cause of the animal’s insomnia and give the command “Place!”
Often an impulsive, ill-mannered animal can wake up household members. You only have to act ignorantly in the current situation once - pet and play with the dog at night, and this behavior will become regular.
If he asks to go outside
According to veterinary experts, the reason that the dog does not sleep well at night and asks to go outside may be a chronic disease. Digestive disorders, such as diarrhea or problems with the excretory system, force the animal to wake up in the middle of the night and wake the owner.
Your pet may be bothered by pain, discomfort, or disruptions in the functioning of body systems. A comprehensive examination at a veterinary clinic will help determine the cause of insomnia in your four-legged friend.
