Your Little Angel is the apple of your eye, but you do not want to spoil him to an extent that he starts taking this gentle behavior from your side for granted. One of the best examples of this scenario is when you allow your pooch to come to your bed and he growls at you. Now this is an unacceptable behavior. While growling is an act that dogs do to convey their discomfort or disapproval it is a good thing that you learn about this thing before it becomes dangerous. Once the growling starts you can rest assured that a snap or bite is on the way.
How to deal with Dog growling when asked to get off the bed?
So, the best thing that you can do is to prevent the scenario where the doggie feels to growl rather than punishing your furry friend for growling. The best thing that you can do in such a situation is to disallow your tyke to get on the bed. But it is not that easy because your furry friend looks into your eyes and wants to stay there with you and so it is not a straightforward solution. The other alternative is to ignore the growling of the doggie and relax, but personally speaking, it is a little discomforting when your furry friend growls at you that too in your own bed.
Hence, there are two options available to dog owners to tackle the situation:
Either stop the doggie from growling at you in your bed or do not show any concern. It is entirely at your discretion how you want to tackle the situation.
Before we move ahead, it is important to know the reasons for which your doggie is growling at the first place:
Reasons Of Dog Growling On Bed
- He is fearful of the fact that he will be rolled on or sat on
- He is growling due to pain from being touched or bumped
- He is guarding the bed from other pets in the house
- He is possessive of you
- He is possessive of your spouse
- Your dog perceives your bed as a resource and is guarding it
But most probably it has been found that dogs growl in beds due to possessiveness or guarding behavior. Never discount the health of your doggie, as he can even growl due to pain.
Let us now look at some of the things that you can do to break the growling habit of your pooch on bed:
How To Get Your Dog To Stop Growling ? (Find 7 Tips Of Correcting Dog Growling On Bed)
1. Have a stringent regulation of allowing your pooch to get on your bed only when he is called
It is always fun when you have a company in your bed, but personally speaking, if your pooch growls at you in your own bed it is important that you lay stringent regulation temporarily wherein your dog should not be allowed to get on any kind of furniture in the house for at least couple of weeks. It is also recommended to have a stringent “invitation only” rule.
This means that you take the decision as to when the pooch will be allowed to get on the bed not the other way around. We recommend you to use the “up” command and block or stop the dog from getting on the bed in all circumstances. You can even use a dog crate or a kennel along with closing the bedroom door locked selectively so that your doggie does not get on the bed without your consent.
2. Use the “off” command to get the doggie out of the bed
It is very important that you teach your doggie “off” command and then divert his attention from the bed to treats; and train them when to get on the bed through “up” command.
3. If your pooch jumps up without permission calmly block him
If your doggie does not follow your command and jumps up, then calmly block him or use the command “no” and get them off the bed. Never allow frustration or anger to get to you when you command your pooch. Always be serious while giving commands to your tyke. Train the doggie to learn the command “No” by repeating it at least five to six times so that he knows what is expected of him when you say the command.
But still if he does not follow the instructions then close the bedroom door, utilize a leash to tether him or put him in a crate so that he can be kept away from your bed. After a short while when you think that your pooch has calmed down command him to come to your bed through “up” command.
4. Design a small area specifically made for your doggie on your bed
You can have a blanket or dog bed beside your bed where the pooch is only allowed when you give the “up” command. You can have the area anywhere on the bed, but it is recommended to have it at the foot of the bed.
5. Get rid of your tyke from your bed whenever he growls
After you give consent to your doggie through “up” command and he gets on the bed and growls immediately ask him to get down through the “off” command. Put a cool hand and calmly put him on the ground without displaying any emotion. The specific reason for not showing any emotion to your doggie is to minimize the tension between both of you. Never ever scold your pooch for growling. Instead, block him when he tries to jump up or put him in a crate in another room.
6. Whenever required utilize a crate or kennel
If your doggie growls on the bed, put him in a crate or kennel during the night. This way you can make him realize that growling on the bed is not a good habit. Then after some time when he calms down you can take him to your bedroom and allow him to get in the bed. Remember, he has already lost the privilege of getting in the bed it is just that you are giving him an incentive for good behavior in terms of treat or quality dog supplies depicted by him when he is put of crate or kennel.
7. Make your pooch earn the right to get on your bed
It is a general saying that “There is no free lunch” and this saying can be applied while training your tyke. Train your dog with treats, playtime and other incentives so that he understands that getting on your bed is a privilege that he needs to earn. Make him learn about the positive aspects of being calm and with a little hard work and training he will learn to associate being calm as a reward for getting on your bed.
When you separate the doggie from your bed take care of the following things mentioned below:
- If you think that your pooch will turn aggressive and nip or bite you then it is better to persuade him with a toy or food. It will work as a means to protect you from being bitten from the pet
- Have a harness or leash on your doggie if that assists in calming his aggressive behavior
Remember, your pooch is just like a baby. The more you try to stop them from doing something, the more they will try to do that thing. Just train them and teach them the positive aspects of being calm in the bed. This will go a long way in ensuring that your tyke learns to be calm when he is on your bed.
Have you faced a similar situation with your doggie? If yes; post it in the comments section and we would be glad to learn about the different things that you did to calm your pet who knows; we might even publish a blog enumerating your personal experience and giving you due credit for the incident. Till then keep reading!!