Is your dog sleeping on your bed, chair or couch?

On Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 at 4:26 pm, No Comments »

Why do dogs tend to sleep on the couch in your favorite chair or even sleep on your bed? They seem to love these places and often go further, even if we continue to ask them to come down.

Certainly, sofas, chairs and other furniture is very comfortable and is one reason why dogs love to spend time on them. Another important reason is often to do with domination. Before dogs became household, the alpha dog or leader of the pack, would always choose a high sleeping that special place to sleep. Feral or wild dogs in packs like wolves continue to sleep in this direction. The highest packing sleeping at a level that is physically higher than other pack members. The hierarchical nature of the packaging is wired into modern dogs. By letting your dog sleep on the furniture, which is higher than the ground (the same places as you relax and sleep on), you can even contact him, he is your equal. You can even connect your dog is more dominant than you. This is especially true if your dog regularly exhibits other behaviors dominant and has the potential to escalate into real problems, including aggression. These behaviors include other dominant grunts at you, leaning on you, eating the food before the human family, entering or leaving the front door and are not usually listen to you so that the dog knows that every member Family is a higher rank, generally do not exhibit these behaviors.

It is therefore good practice not to allow your dog access to these means of high-sleep (or for reasons of relaxation in height) to ensure your position as leader of the pack. If you are not home and the dog has access to higher places to rest, but to put some objects that dogs do not like the sofa or chair in question is an excellent idea. There are plastic in most pet stores that have plastic tips on foams that are perfect for this situation. If the dog jumps on the sofa or chair, it lands on the rounded tips that do not injure the dog, but make it uncomfortable for the dog to lie down.

It is preferable that the dog instead of relaxation and sleep is a comfortable blanket or a basket on the floor. The dog must be provided with their own dog bed which is comfortable and help them to relax properly. This will avoid potential behavioral problems associated with dominance. As always, all dogs must be trained in basic obedience and questions of dominance should be discussed with your veterinarian or trainer.