How can I get my older dog to sleep on a bed?

405 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by 3GSD4IPO, Feb 16, 2021

Fae

Discussion Starter · Feb 15, 2021

Jake is probably 10 or 11 years old. He comes inside to eat and sleep but does not like to be kept inside during the day. He actually gets aggressive if we try. But yall it's cold outside this year! So I caught him huddled up in a corner of my porch on top of a tarp. I thought I would just go out, buy a bed, put a warming pad inside of it, lay it on top of the tarp, and Jake would just be so grateful I would have a very happy boy. Instead he just moved to the other side of the porch and is just sleeping on the cold floor. Any advice is appreciated, I have no idea what to do.

Also, he has a dog house. He won't go inside that either.

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Kensi

· #2 · Feb 15, 2021

Did you try:
1. Rubbing something that smells like him on the bed to show him that it's his and not some scary new weird object. (rubbing him with a towel, then using the towel to rub the bed, something like that)
2. Doing a training session with it- throw treats on it to get him to go on it, then ask for a lie down- this gets him used to it.
3. Feeding his meals on it.

At the same time, depending on the temperature where you are, maybe he really is fine without it- but if he does seem to need it to be happy/healthy, maybe some of these will help?

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Fae

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 16, 2021

Kensi said:
Did you try:
1. Rubbing something that smells like him on the bed to show him that it's his and not some scary new weird object. (rubbing him with a towel, then using the towel to rub the bed, something like that)
2. Doing a training session with it- throw treats on it to get him to go on it, then ask for a lie down- this gets him used to it.
3. Feeding his meals on it.

At the same time, depending on the temperature where you are, maybe he really is fine without it- but if he does seem to need it to be happy/healthy, maybe some of these will help?

I did try the treats. He would sit on the bed, take a treat and then run to the yard to eat it. I put a bunch of treats on the bed to encourage him to walk on it to get them and it was kind of amazing how far he stretched in order to keep as many paws off the bed as possible.

I will wrap him up in a blanket and cuddle the poo out of him with it till he makes me stop and then put that on the bed to see of that will work!

He does like the cold but the lower 20s for long periods of time seems like a little too much but idk maybe I'm being over protective

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Shell

· #4 · Feb 16, 2021

He may be stressed by confined areas like a dog house. I would start with blocking off an area from the wind and any snow or rain and providing a pile of dry straw to burrow in.

What breed is he or basically, what coat type?

If he comes inside at night, does he have the option of choosing to come inside in the day; either a dog door or someone being home to let him in?

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3GSD4IPO

· #5 · Feb 16, 2021

Straw on the tarp in the corner of the porch might be just right for him. Give that a try.

Some dogs do not want to be inside.

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