My boy needs a bed...

Hey guys, I need a bit of advise.
Do your dogs have beds or places they can call their own other than their crates? Tommy has been crate trained from his first day with us at 8 weeks old. He loves it and will spend a lot of time it, without even being told. However it is in the back room, away from our lounge and in the evening he likes to sit with us in the lounge. Problem is that he wants to lie on my lap during this time. I have tried a bed for him but he just tears it to pieces. I don't want to put his crate in the lounge but how can I get him to chill out without being on the couch?
Cheers folks

Bed on the floor and teach him that he isn't allowed on the sofa. They do like to be close to you though and nothing beats a staffy snuggle

Try giving him a kong or something to chew on when you sit down, so he can sit in his bed having a nice, quiet chew to settle himself down. Also, until he's stopped his destructive chewing, try using carboard boxes from the supermarkets...it'll save you alot of money xD

Tough one. I'm personally a big softy and can occasionally be found sitting on the floor because the pooches have taken over the couches. However, in my den/office the couch is mine! They learn but take a bit longer when they really want someplace as their own (like your lap or couch). You might consider sitting next to the bed in the lounge until he comes to love the bed. You might also have to put the bed somewhere safe when not being used so he doesn't chew it. With training and consistency you can get there.

My Tommy ( ) will chew stuff like that when he ges a little bored , he will settle in a bed but much prefers the real thing so it is difficult to advise . However if this is the route you want to take then consistency is the key and some interesting treats

Dave wrote:My Tommy ( ) will chew stuff like that when he ges a little bored , he will settle in a bed but much prefers the real thing so it is difficult to advise . However if this is the route you want to take then consistency is the key and some interesting treats

Ditto -we put a bed in the lounge and they hate it! Too often there's one on each couch and we wouldn't have it any other way

We have one for Marley, she uses it when we are not in the room but once we are she likes to join us on the couch. I think if you give him a chew toy to keep his distracted he will eventually learn to use his bed.

show him that the bed 'is good' so chew toys etc to settle and relax. and teach him that the sofa is a no go. Tyke is not aloud on the sofa as a rule as it new but he has the run of the house so he tends to snuggle on the beds.

RoxysMum wrote:Ditto -we put a bed in the lounge and they hate it! Too often there's one on each couch and we wouldn't have it any other way

pattitxbda wrote:We have one for Marley, she uses it when we are not in the room but once we are she likes to join us on the couch. I think if you give him a chew toy to keep his distracted he will eventually learn to use his bed.

Marley is usually up with us, she has her little spot on the sofa, but if she has an icky toy like a frozen kong or something, we just keep putting it in her bed and after a couple of times she will chill with it on her bed. i personally enjoy her chilling with me lol, especially when we are watching tv hehe. my Hulu buddy for the shows my wife hates lol

Cheers guys, I will buy him anew bed at weekend and see how he gets on. I think I'll probably hide it away during times when he's playing and just bring it out in the evening.
However having said all this he went in his cage an hour ago and he looks settled for the night, lazy sod!

Alfie has had his cage since we first got him as well and we also have a nice large dog cushion in the lounge with us. He knows it as his bed and he knows his cage as the place he goes when we go out or goto bed. He always takes his toys on his bed and is always able to keep an eye on where we are.


This was only £35 and he has another one like this in his cage.

Iain

Bacchus has his crate in the conservatory plus a bed in the lounge and a bed in the kitchen as he likes to be with us most of the time, but he disappears sometimes and picks one of his beds for a snooze. He also likes to snuggle up to the radiator on the upstairs landing but his favourite places are either on the sofa in the conservatory with me when I'm reading or on the sofa in the lounge when I'm watching TV.
BTW uncharacteristically ( from what I gather on this forum ) he has never destroyed a bed.