"Go to bed"

[Peppermint]

Trying to teach my almost two year old to settle down by telling him "go to bed," and treat-luring him onto his bed and laying down for two seconds before he gets rewarded. This went well for most of the first session until he started laying down just beside the bed. Now, it WOULD be cute to have a play-asleep trick (, too funny) but we already have Bang, Bang down...

I wonder if he's testing this new 'trick' out, trying to see if he can just lay down instead of going all the way to the bed to do it, or am I doing something wrong? Thoughts?

 

[BoozerBaby]

wish I could help but I always just hugged and kissed my boy said mama loves baby mama's going to bed are you coming with mama and he would either follow or join me within 2 mins he was such a great boy

 

[johann]

He is probably trying to figure out exactly what is getting him the reward (the down, being near the bed, or being on the bed).

We taught "go to bed" in sections. At first, Johann would get click/rewarded as soon as his front feet were on the bed (placed a treat on his bed, had him about 5 feet away, gave command and released him). Then we upped it to having all 4 feet on the bed (same process as above). Then we faded out the treat lure and instead would click as soon as his 4 feet were on the bed...then went over and fed him a treat. Once he was consistently running to his bed on command, we added the second command of "down".

Once his feet were on the bed (and they quickly learn to turn around and face you for the treat), click and treat. Then add the "down" command. Click and jackpot treat once he's laying down. Johann learned quickly that just going to his bed got him 1 cookie, but going and laying down got him a bunch of cookies.

If you want to teach a settle command, consider doing mat work training. Very helpful in getting a long down/stay or "settle". http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-training/157563-has-anybody-heard-technique.html (see my post on this thread for an explanation, I'm too lazy to retype)

 

[CrazyCharlie]

Well, with Charlie and Jersey we would tell them its "time for bed" and move them off the couch and they would follow us into the bedroom and then we would tell them to lay down in their beds and they got it eventually. Of course, Charlies bed is OUR bed so.... he waits with his head on the edge of the bed until we are in bed and we ask him to come up. LOL

 

[TwoDogs]

until he started laying down just beside the bed...am I doing something wrong? Thoughts?

You're really asking him to do a bunch of behaviors all chained together. Go to the bed from across the room, lay down on the bed, and continue laying on the bed for a period of time. The key to any behavior is breaking it down into its components and teaching each one seperately before trying to get the dog to perform the complete behavior chain.

My guess is that he doesn't understand that the words "go to bed" or the presence of the bed have anything to do with what you want him to do yet. He is probably cueing off the very obvious body language you are giving with the lure. This very likely looks just like how you used the lure when you taught him "down" originally. It is also very likely that to him, "down" means "lay down right in front of you". It sounds like he is trying to do the right thing as he understands it.

First, and completely seperately, I'd work on "down" on the bed until you can get it without luring if you don't already have it that solid yet. Once you've gotten a solid down on cue, you can start adding duration (staying in the down on the bed for a length of time).

Then, also completely seperately, I'd work on getting him to go to the bed--not really caring what he does there, stand, sit, lay down or whatever--and reward for that. Toss the reward onto the bed for him. Then I'd start adding distance to the equation. Send him to the bed from 2 feet away, then 3, then 4 always tossing the reward onto the bed from where you are. When you can send him from across the room, you know that he really knows it is about going to the bed.

Then I'd go back to only sending him to the bed from 2 or 3 feet away but once he's on the bed, I'd start cue a down. Do a whole bunch at a short distance and then increase the distance until you can send him to the bed and tell him down from across the room. Once he's doing this reliably, you can send him to the bed but don't say "down", just wait a bit. If you've done alot of practice, he should anticipate the verbal "down" and do it on his own. If he doesn't, just go back to practicing with the verbal "down". Still toss the reward from where you are to the bed.

Gradually, lengthen the duration that he is down before you toss the treat. Then, gradually start adding all sorts of things like sending him to the bed to settle into a down while you move around, turn your back or leave the room.

Good luck training.

 

[Hobbes]

Napoleon knows his go to bed command very well. I honestly don't know how he learned it or when we taught it to him, but all my wife or I have to do is say go to bed and go near the treat jar and he runs up the stairs and sits in hig doggie bed. He of course gets rewarded when he gets into bed. So he does get his reward before bed.

He could be in the bedroom or he could be in the basement, but the minute you say go to bed he goes tearing through the house (up two flights) and into his bed. Even when he's already sleeping on the couch, he'll get up off the couch and go to bed.

I think someone else said try it in stages.