How to Train Your Small Dog to Sit on His Bed

It's one thing for the dog to sit on his bed, it's quite another for him to stay there. If you want to avoid the dog equivalent of a jack-in-the-box then it's essential to teach the dog a rock solid 'stay' as part of getting him to sit for long periods of time on his bed.

Use a treat to lure you dog into a sitting position. To do this, hold the treat near your dog's nose so that he can smell it. Keeping the treat close to the dog, travel it in an arc over and above his head so that as his nose follows, his butt drops to the ground. Praise the dog for sitting.

A good 'stay' has two parts: time and distance. This means not only will the dog stay in a sitting position for a long time (but perhaps only when you are right in front of him) but he'll stay even when you step away or leave the room.

Staying close to the dog, work on the length of time the dog stays sitting. Give the dog a visual cue that he is expected to stay, such as holding a palm facing toward the dog. Start with a few seconds, repeating "stay" in a firm voice. Before the dog moves, give him a treat and praise him. Gradually extend the amount of time you expect the dog to stay still, before he gets praise. Do this incrementally, say five seconds, then ten seconds, building up to a minute and then longer. If the dog moves before the allotted time, say "No" or "Oops" in a disappointed voice and withhold the treat. Then have him sit and try again, but with a slightly shorter wait.

Once the dog has repeatedly accomplished a stay of a minute or so, you can start to add in distance. To do this, have the dog sit and stay, then take a step away. Almost immediately, step back, while signalling with your palm that the dog is to stay. Reward the dog. Build up the distance, by taking more steps away from the dog. Add a pause, so that the dog becomes used to staying when you are not by his side. Over time you will be able to cross the room and eventually leave the room, while the dog stays on his bed.

Once the dog knows how to stay, you can teach him that his bed is a good place to be, and encourage him to sit there. This is done by luring the dog with treats and praising him when all four paws are on the bed. Then have the dog sit and stay.

Arouse the dog's interest in the bed by hiding small treats in it. When the dog discover the hidden goodies, it will increase his curiosity and the likelihood of him investigating the bed. When you spot him sniffing around the area, praise him enthusiastically and tell him what a clever dog he his.

Use a tasty treat to attract the dog's attention. Using the treat as a lure, walk him over to the bed. Hold the treat over the bed in such a way that the dog steps on. When all four paws are on the bed, praise him and give him the reward.

Practice luring the dog to his bed. When the dog starts to anticipate where you are heading and runs ahead to get the treat, you can start adding a cue word. As he jumps onto the bed say "Bed" or "Place", or whichever cue word you have chosen. Repeat this lots of times over several training sessions.

Now the dog is familiar with the cue word, try using in the absence of a lure. When the dog runs to his bed, well done! You have put going to bed on cue.

Hopefully, your small dog is now going to his bed on command and able to stay there. Congratulations. You have taught your dog to achieve a task through a technique called chaining. Give your dog a big fuss for being so clever.

Although it's tempting to step away from your dog the moment he first learns to 'stay', avoid the temptation. Instinctively your dog will move to come to your side, which means him leaving the stay position. Instead, take your time to establish each step firmly in the dog's mind, before moving on.

Your dog is going to learn best with a series of short, fun training sessions, but which are repeated regularly. Aim for at least two, five to ten-minute training sessions per day.

If the dog refuses to go to his bed or breaks his stay, never punish him. Instead, say a disappointed "No" or "Oops" and ignore him. Then take the lesson back to the step before and re-establish that behavior.

Always finish each session on a happy note, with a command the dog is able to perform. For some this might be just a 'sit', but it's important to leave the dog feeling pleased and confident so that he looks forward to the next session.