How to Train Your Dog to Jump onto the Bed

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How to Train Your Dog to Jump onto the Bed

Easy

2-5 Days

General

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Introduction

For most of us, teaching our dogs to jump on the bed means simply, not teaching your dog not to jump on the bed! Our dogs want to be with us, beds are comfortable, and if you are on the bed for several hours each night, chances are your dog will be quite happy to join you there! Dogs are pack animals and your dog was probably born into a litter of several puppies, which meant that for the first several weeks of his life, he slept in a big pile, with his sibling and his mom. Dogs like to sleep with others; they like the body heat and the closeness.

Usually, pet owners are focused on keeping their dog off the bed, especially if you have a large breed dog--what is cute as a puppy may not be cute when your dog weighs 100 pounds! But what if your dog won't get up on the bed, and you want him to join you there. Well then, you will need to teach him to jump on the bed and maybe provide a little aid, depending on what the issue is that is preventing your dog from joining you on his own.

Defining Tasks

For some dogs, jumping on the bed with their owners is not something that comes naturally. It may be that your dog has a physical limitation due to size or an orthopedic condition, in which case you will need to provide your dog with an aid to help him get up on the bed. Doggy stairs that allow your dog to reach and jump onto furniture can be homemade or purchased commercially through pet supply stores. Sometimes, the dog is just afraid to jump on the bed, and training is required to overcome this anxiety. If you have recently added a mature dog to your family that was taught not to jump on furniture in their previous home, and you want your dog to join you on the bed now, you will need to help your new dog understand that he is now welcome on the bed. This will require some patience and training so as not to confuse your dog. Ideally, you will ask your dog to jump up on the bed by patting the bed and providing a verbal signal, such as 'come on up', or 'jump on the bed'. Your dog will then jump up and join you on the bed for cuddles, or to curl up and sleep.

Many pet owners enjoy having their dogs sleep on the bed with them for company, or to keep their feet warm, and most dogs love to join their owners, so motivating your dog to jump on the bed is usually not hard, but a dog that has experienced pain when jumping on furniture due to a medical condition, is anxious about jumping, or was previously taught not to jump on furniture will require some assistance learning this behavior.

Getting Started

If your dog is resisting jumping onto the bed and needs training to accomplish this, your dog may also need physical assistance to jump on the bed. If your dog's size or physical limitations are a factor you will need to provide a small set of steps or a box to help your dog jump on the bed. Steps can also be useful in helping train a dog that is anxious or otherwise resistant to jumping up on a bed. You will want to avoid any negative reinforcement or punishment while training your dog to jump on the bed, as you do not want to create a negative association in any way. Use treats as a reward for luring, or approximating behaviors towards jumping on the bed, and a clicker can be used to help shape jumping on the bed behavior.

The Lure Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

Put treat on edge of bed

Put a treat on the edge of the bed and ask your dog to get the treat. Let him take the treat without jumping on the bed, praise him, create a positive association

Step

Move treat back

Put the treat a little further back on the bed, but not so far that he can not reach it without jumping on the bed.

Step

Encourage paws up

Ask your dog to raise his paws up to the bed. Do not force him; encourage him, move the treat further forward if required. When your dog puts his front paws up on the bed to get the treat, let him have the treat and praise him.

Step

Encourage stretch onto bed

Continue to move the treat further back so your dog has to reach, putting his paws and upper body further onto the bed.

Step

Encourage jump on bed

Get on the bed. Move the treat far enough back so that your dog has to jump up onto the bed to get the treat. When your dog comes up, make a big deal, be excited for him, let him have the treat and lots of praise.

The Shape with Assistance Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

Set up assistance

Put a set of stairs, a crate, or a box next to the bed that your dog can use as an aide to getting up on the bed. Make sure it is sturdy and safe.

Step

Teach dog to use assistance

Ask your dog to jump up on the first stair, or onto the crate. Pat the surface and say "jump up."

Step

Reward success

When your dog gets up on the crate or stair, give your dog a treat and lots of praise.

Step

Move to bed

When your dog is comfortable climb up on the box, crate, or stair, ask your dog to jump up onto the bed.

Step

Reward on the bed

When your dog jumps onto the bed, provide a treat and praise.

Step

Remove assistance

Practice using the assistance subject, box, or stairs. If your dog requires this help for physical reasons, leave it in place. If your dog should be able to jump to the bed without assistance, remove the box, and ask your dog to jump on the bed without it. If your dog is resistant, replace the assistance object and continue practice. Try removing it again at a later time.

The Shape Method

Effective

0 Votes

Step

Reinforce approach bed

Have a clicker available and wait for your dog to approach the bed. When your dog comes near the bed, click and treat. Repeat until your dog associates the bed with reinforcement.

Step

Reinforce head on bed

Sit on the edge of the bed and tap next to you. When the dog puts his head up on the bed next to you, click and treat.

Step

Reinforce paw on bed

Now encourage your dog to put a paw up, place your hand with the treat on the edge of the bed, when your dog paws your hand, click and treat.

Step

Reinforce paws on bed

Move your hand with the treat back, require your dog to put both paws up before you click and treat to mark the behavior.

Step

Reinforce jump on bed

Now get up on the bed with your clicker and a treat, ask your dog to jump up and join you. If he jumps up, click and treat. If not, move farther forward, requiring him to stretch up onto the bed to get a click and treat. Gradually move back until he jumps up to reach you and click and treat.

Step

Remove reinforcement

Start removing the click, just ask for jump up and give a treat. Eventually, you can stop providing the treat as your dog will jump up on the bed to be with you and receive praise and attention.

Success Stories and Training Questions

Training Questions and Answers

Question

Stella

Goldendoodle

4 Years

1 found helpful

Question

1 found helpful

Stella

Goldendoodle

4 Years

My dog seems confused. She used to jump on the bed and stay the whole night. Now she whines to get up onto the bed, and even though we 'invite' her by slapping our hand on the bed, she continues to whine and not jump up. Some times she will eventually jump up, then jumps off, roams a little and starts the process again. It's severely affecting our sleep and she seems stressed. Please help!

1 year, 6 months ago

Stella's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

494 Dog owners recommended

Hello Barbara, It sounds like one of two or three things might be going on. If Stella was not allowed on the bed or thought she was in trouble for being on the bed at some point, then she wants to get on but is afraid she will get in trouble. If Stella has never gotten in trouble for being on the bed she was probably kicked or rolled onto during the night while you slept, so now she wants to be with you but is afraid that it will happen again. Lastly, if her legs or joints are sore for any reason, then she might be hesitant to jump because it hurts, which makes her feel upset. If she is being kicked during your sleep or is sore and it hurts for her to jump, then I would advise you to teach her a "Place", "Bed", or "Crate" command and have her sleep in her own bed in a designated area. If she is crate trained or you are willing to crate her, then I would recommend using the crate, at least at first, until she gets in the habit of sleeping in her own location so that you do not have to work on enforcing the command during the night while she is developing a new sleeping habit. If you want her to sleep on the bed with you and you think she is willing, then during the day teach her to stay on the bed when you give her a command like "Bed" or "Sleep". Teach her this during the day when you can enforce the command and prevent her from getting off. When it's time to get off the bed tell her another command like "Okay" or "Off". To teach her that do what you would do while teaching a "Place" command but simply substitute the. "Place" for the bed and tell her "Bed" or "Sleep" instead of "Place". This training will only work if she is not being kicked at night during your sleep. If she is being kicked, then she simply needs to learn to sleep in her own bed for the whining to stop. To teach her to be on her bed, attach a leash to her, quickly lead her over to your bed and use her momentum to get her to jump up on the bed. As soon as she jumps up place a treat on the bed and tell her "Bed". If she tries to jump off block her exit and calmly tell her no. When she stops trying to jump off or lays down, then place another treat on the bed. Give her another treat every ten minutes that she stays on the bed. Block her whenever she tries to jump off. When you are ready for her to get off, tell her "Off" or "Okay" and give a gentle tug on the leash and praise her when she gets off, but do not give her a treat for that part. Practice all of this until you can tell her to get on the bed and she will jump up on her own and stay there until she is told to get off. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

1 year, 6 months ago

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