If your dog won’t sleep on your bed with you anymore, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do to get it to sleep on your bed again.
So, why won’t my dog sleep on my bed anymore? Possible reasons why your dog won’t sleep on your bed anymore are that there is not enough room for it, you have inadvertently encouraged it not to sleep there, it is being protective or that it found a more comfortable place to sleep.
There are a number of possible causes but there are also a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why it has been doing it. There are also a number of things you can do about it.
Why your dog won’t sleep on your bed anymore
Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Not enough room
The cause could be that it feels like there is not enough room for it on your bed. This would be more likely if your bed is not very large, if you have a big dog and if it does not appear to be doing it due to any of the other reasons mentioned below. In this case, an option would be to give it a space to lay down next to your bed.
It is being protective
It could actually be the case that it has been doing it because it has been being protective. This would be more likely if it has started sleeping in a spot that people have to walk through such as the top of the stairs.
It has a more comfortable place to sleep
It could also be the case that it has been doing it because it found a spot that is more comfortable. It might find your bed to be too hot, there might not be enough space or you might nudge it too often. It would help to consider if anything might have been causing it to have trouble sleeping in your bed and to correct it if possible.
Encouraging the behavior
It might be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged it not to sleep in your bed by rewarding it when it does not do it or by punishing it in some way when it does. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention or treats when it sleeps elsewhere, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Instead, it would help to encourage it to sleep in your bed by giving it positive reinforcement training and rewarding it when it shows signs of sleeping in your bed.
Feeling threatened
The reason why it has been doing it might be that it has been feeling threatened. This would be more likely if it started doing it suddenly after an event such as you shouting at it or punishing it in some way. It would also be more likely if it has been avoiding you during the day as well. In this case, it would help to interact with it calmly and to use positive reinforcement training to change its behavior.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
What else happened when your dog first stopped sleeping on your bed
It would help to consider what else happened when it first stopped sleeping in your bed since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to stop. For example, if it stopped doing it at around the same time that the weather became hotter, it could be the case that it has been finding your room to be too hot at night.
If it always does it
If it does sleep in your bed, it would also help to consider what is different when it does do it.
For example, if it does it when you are not in the bed, it might be the case that it thinks you are annoyed with it.
What to do to get your dog to sleep on your bed again
Below are some options you have when getting your dog to sleep in your bed again.
Give it training
One option would be to train it to sleep in your bed with the use of positive reinforcement training. This is where you encourage it to behave in a certain way by rewarding it when it shows signs of behaving that way.
To use it to get it to lay or sleep in your bed, you could do something such as the following:
- Make the location, you want it to sleep in, comfortable.
- Get your dog to stand there and reward it
- Encourage your dog to lay down by giving it a treat
- Continue to repeat the process a few times daily until it realizes that laying there results in it getting rewards
Avoid encouraging it not to sleep on your bed
As mentioned above, it could be the case that it has learned that it gets rewards when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it shows signs of sleeping where you want it to and to try to redirect its focus when it is about to sleep somewhere else.
Give it room
If there is not currently space for it to lay down in your bed with you, it would help to give it space. It would also help to make your bedroom comfortable for it so that it is more likely to want to sleep there.
Be calm with it
When interacting with your dog, it would also help to be calm. It could be the case that it has been avoiding you due to feeling threatened. To get it to behave the way you want, it would help to give it positive reinforcement training instead of punishment-based training.