Scratchings-and-Sniffings

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Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks Posted: 20 Mar 2010 07:43 AM PDT I got an interesting question from a reader in the Great State of North Carolina earlier this week. Seems she needs to provide some remedial education for her two Boston Terriers. There appears to be a slight difference of opinion about the sleeping arrangements for both dogs and humans. Reading between the lines, I get the impression that the husband is tired of sharing his bed with the dogs even though there is a pretty long history of the dogs being allowed to do just that. I also get the impression that the wife could care less, but in deference to her husbands wishes, would like some advice in getting the dogs back down on the floor.  One of the dogs is ten years old and sleeping with his humans has become habit. The other Boston is younger and more ambivalent about where he sleeps. First of all, breaking a habit is always more difficult than teaching what you want in the first place. It can be done, but, it requires some patience and consistency. For starters the rules can't change when the husband is out of town. If sleeping on the bed is outlawed the new rules need to be enforced at all times.   I would start by buying the dogs a new bed. One for each if they like to sleep by themselves or one bigger bed if they like to sleep together. I prefer those beds with sides like the one Miles has. Whether or not you keep the dog's beds in the bedroom is really up to you. The key is to gradually make the new dog bed a higher value option than the human bed.   They have to begin to see the new bed as the preferred place to be. They should be praised for hanging out there and, if they have toys, they should be placed in and around the bed.   If you are a clicker training devotee you would start by shaping the behavior with treats and the clicker. Any move the dogs make towards the bed is reinforced by a click and a treat. This assumes that the dogs are already conditioned to the click and treat sequence. Eventually they will get the idea that the desired behavior is to get in the bed and they will be rewarded. A command can eventually be paired with the behavior. Something like "settle" or "bed" might work.   If the dogs have basic obedience training they can be taught to lie down or sit in the new bed and rewarded for successful behavior. A word or command followed by copious praise will help them get the idea.    Once the new behavior is learned it has to be consistently applied. Put them in their bed prior to getting into bed yourself. Any attempts to leave the dog bed and get into the human bed should not be allowed. Gently, but firmly, use the newly learned command if they try a sneak attack at 4 in the morning and don't forget praise and reward. There may be a few early wake ups, but with consistency they should get the idea in a week or so of positive reinforcement.   Of course, this all seems really easy when you just talk about it. It may be more difficult to put into action. It could be a good opportunity for a refresher training course for both dogs and people.   If you find it tough to do on your own, seek out a trainer that uses a reward based training system. Our training consultant will do private one on one classes for specific issues. I would guess that you could learn enough about the process that one class would get you on the way to a dog free bed.

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