Why won’t my dog use a dog bed?

It’s a surprisingly common experience. You take time to deliberate over a new bed for your beloved dog. You’ve done your research, looked up the reviews online and made sure to choose just the right size and material for their comfort. 

The new bed arrives, but your cherished pooch doesn’t seem to share your enthusiasm for their new sleeping space. In fact, on the first night, they turn their nose up at it and choose to sleep on the floor…

Sounds familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. And it’s almost certainly not a sign of any problem. In this blog, we get to the bottom of why this might happen.

We also give you tips on how to get your dog to sleep in their bed and tell you when it might be a cause for concern if a dog refuses to do so.

The top four reasons why your dog won’t use a dog bed

1. Your dog is feeling too hot

On a muggy summer’s night, the well-insulated bed you carefully selected might be the last place your furry friend would choose to sleep. If a dog’s feeling too hot, it would surely rather find a cold spot on the floor to sleep in comfort rather than snoozing on an over-warm bed. Our mattress & cushion bed range helps dogs keep cool while they rest.

      2. Your dog is feeling too cold

This might seem less obvious, but on a cold night, a dog may still choose to shun the extra insulation offered by its bed. If the bed itself is in too cold a part of the house, a chilly dog is likely to avoid it in favour of a spot near a heat source. Even if that spot is on the floor. You could find that simply shifting the bed to a hotter part of the house on a cold night is all it takes to get your dog to use his or her bed. The cocoon shape of our nest bed range will help to keep your dog feeling warm and snug.

• You chose the wrong bed size for your dog

It may seem obvious, but if your dog’s bed is too small for it to be comfortable, then there’s a pretty good chance it will choose not to sleep in it. Similarly, if the bed is too spacious then the dog could feel cold at night. And, once again, dogs are very happy to vote with their feet when they’re not satisfied with a bed. 

• Your dog doesn’t find the bed comfortable

A dog may reject a bed that is either too soft or too hard. Indeed, we all have our own preferences for the types of mattresses, blankets and pillows that we prefer when looking for a comfortable night’s sleep. And dogs are no different. You can find our full range of top rated beds (that are also kind to the planet) right here.

How to encourage your dog to sleep in their bed

If you don’t want to let a sleeping dog lie (on the floor) then it should be easy enough to train them into their bed. Once you’ve made sure that the four points above are not an issue, the simple routine to follow is to place the bed in a part of the house where they already seem comfortable lying. Then select a simple command like “go to your bed” and guide them to the bed while saying the command. Finally, reward with treats whenever they follow the command. Hopefully, you should soon have a pooch that’s happily snoozing in his or her bed whenever they feel like it. 

When to worry if your dog is not using their dog bed

Generally speaking, if a dog is refusing to sleep in his or her bed then it’s nothing to worry about. It’s most likely one of the reasons above, meaning that it can either be easily fixed or it’s just not that big a deal. However, if a dog makes a sudden change from sleeping in their bed it could be a sign that they are in some sort of pain. 

Perhaps, especially with an older dog, they might have lost some mobility and could be finding it difficult to reach their usual sleeping space, especially if it involves going up or down stairs. In such cases, if your dog is not sleeping in its bed, it could be something worth mentioning to the vet, so that they can make an informed assessment of your furry friend’s mobility.

Summary

It’s worth remembering that dogs are creatures of habit. And they really don’t care what anyone thinks of them sleeping on the floor rather than on the fancy new bed you just bought for them. 

If you want to get your dog to sleep in their bed, try to work out why they aren’t and consider doing a little extra training to get them in. 

It’s really nothing to worry about though unless you have concerns that your dog might be in pain or have lost mobility. If so, a simple trip to the vet should provide you with any extra assistance required. 

If you would like further guidance for choosing the best bed for your dog, check out our blog post.

We hope you’ve found this blog helpful. Please feel free to leave your own tips and thoughts on dogs not sleeping in their beds in the comments below. 

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