<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Ratatosk</b></i>
Excellent! We just got a basset rescue dog at our house. Real sweetheart and I'll be taking him to obedience school next month. But in the meantime, could you refresh my memory on how to keep the dog off the bed.
I tell him OFF and gently pull him by the collar, but he's still a pup and gets a tad excited -- 9 months old.</end quote></div>
Specifically to keep your pup off the bed, never let him up in the first place. Otherwise he doesnt know when he is allowed and when he isn't allowed.
Provide a bed specifically for the dog, make sure its nice and comfy or alternatively a crate (crates minic an artificial den provided they are trained to use one)
If pup is already on the bed, use a treat and lure him off the bed the minute hes off the bed mark the behaviour with a "yes" or clicker and give him the treat.
(you have to teach the meaning of yes or the clicker to begin with)
No words
Pup will soon associate that it is more rewarding for him to be on the floor then on the bed. Remember beds are comfortable and smell of us so he isn't necessarily getting on the bed because of the big D word (D=Dominance)
Alternatively you could use remote punishment which means that the punishment comes directly from the behaviour he is doing. ie put double sided tape on the bed so that when he jumps up on the bed his paws will stick to the tape (dogs generally do not like this sensation) close the door when you are not present
You want to avoid pulling him down off the bed even gently because even though you don't see it you are indirectly giving your pup attention, the same with speaking to him, he is still getting your attention.
Remember that a behaviour that has been rewarded in the past is going to get worse before it gets better when you stop rewarding it, because it use to work and pup doesnt understand why suddenly he isnt getting the same reaction so he will try harder, but if you make it more rewarding for him to be on the floor then it wont take him long to figure out that there is nothing in it for him when he gets on the bed treats come when he has 4 feet on the floor (but remember self rewarding behaviour of having a nice cosy bed to sleep on so when you are not present put pup in a position he cannot practice bad behaviour, shut the door when you are not around or use baby safe gates to keep pup out of bedrooms)
My house has baby gates in place in areas I don't wish my dogs to go, like the kitchen, some of the bedrooms etc. It's better and easier to prevent a behaviour from escalating then trying to extinguish it after it has already become a habit or problem!!...
Send me a Pm if you want more information or information on how to find a good puppy school or if this makes no sense at all LOLetc
