Dogs are great pets, and you likely love your dogs very much. This doesn’t mean that you want your dogs to lay on all of your stuff, though.
You know very well that dogs can be quite pungent, and they also shed hair like nobody’s business. If your dog hops up on your bed, then there is a good chance that you will have to deal with smelly sheets and lots of dog hair.
Under normal circumstances, your dogs might know better than to try to hop up on the bed while you’re at home. However, what about those times when you are not at home?
Are you discovering that your dogs are getting on your bed while you’re away from home? Would you like to be able to do something to keep this from happening?
Read on to get advice about how to keep dogs off your bed when you’re not at home. This practical advice should help you to keep your bed clean and nice so that you can enjoy a relaxing sleep instead of having to wash your sheets.
1 – Block Your Bed
Blocking your bed is an option that could keep your dogs from being able to hop up to it. This might not be easy to pull off, but you could put things around your bed that will keep the dogs from being able to climb on top of it.
For example, you could place lots of household items that would be hard for dogs to move around the perimeter of the bed. This would make it so that the dogs wouldn’t really be able to practically get on the bed even if they tried to do so.
If you have stuff that you could use to block your bed, then this could work out well enough. It just isn’t likely the best solution because you can find easier ways to solve this issue.
The only reason why this might appeal to some people would be that they might have all of their dog’s stuff in their bedrooms. If your dog’s food bowl, water bowl, and dog bed are located in your bedroom, then you might not want to relocate those things every single time you need to leave the house.
If you can gather enough items to block off your bed, then you might be able to set up the blockade fast each time you’re getting ready to leave. Think about the practicality of this in your situation, but know that there are other options to consider that might appeal to you more.
2 – Training
Training can sometimes help your dogs to do well even when you’re not around. Dogs that have been extensively trained will be less likely to break rules than those that have not been trained.
You might benefit from having your dogs trained by a true professional who can help them out. Dog training works best when it is performed on young puppies.
If your dogs can learn to follow certain rules when they’re young puppies, then they will be able to do well throughout their entire lives. This is kind of where the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” comes from.
Trying to have an old dog trained will likely provide you with mixed results, but it can be worth a shot in certain ways. You can learn about dog training to try it for yourself, or you can sign up for classes to see what can be done.
As far as keeping your dog off of your bed goes, training might not be the most practical solution. There are other options to explore, though, so remain vigilant and keep reading.
3 – Put Dogs in Another Room
The most practical way to keep your dogs off of your bed while you’re away is to keep them in another room. If your dogs have been locked or closed off in another part of the house, then they simply won’t be able to get on your bed even if they want to.
If you know that you’re going to be going somewhere, then it makes sense to create a comfortable space for your dogs. You can place the dogs in this room until you’re going to return to the house.
Many homeowners will do their best to make little dog areas in their houses where the dogs can relax while they’re away. You could place dog beds on the floor in a certain part of the house so that the dogs can lay down.
If you have a room that is closed off from the rest of the house, then this should work perfectly. You really just want a spot where you can fit a dog bed, potentially some dog toys, and some water for the dogs.
Of course, this is a good solution only when you’re going to be leaving for short periods of time. But so long as you have room in your home, closing your dogs off in another room makes a lot of sense.
If you want your dogs to stay off of the furniture as well, then make sure that the room that you put them in doesn’t have couches or chairs. A spare bedroom that isn’t being used might make for a perfect dog room.
4 – Consider Dog Cages
Some dog owners are worried about dogs tearing up things in the house while they are away. This could present a problem to you if you have not had your dogs trained, and it might make the idea of putting them in a room less practical.
When you’re concerned that just having them blocked in a specific room won’t work, then you could start to open up to the idea of utilizing dog cages or crates. There are many types of dog cages that you could use for this, and finding what you need shouldn’t be all that difficult.
You can place your dog cages in a room that will be safe and comfortable for your dogs. This will give you a chance to keep them away from your bed, and they’ll still be able to be safe and happy while you’re away from home.
Many dog owners will try to make the dog cages more comfortable for dogs by placing dog beds at the bottom of the cages. You could also lay something such as a blanket at the bottom of the cage so long as you aren’t worried about your dogs peeing on them or chewing them up.
For many dog owners, putting your dogs in cages or dog pens while you’re away will be a very good idea. It keeps the dogs off of your beds, and it also prevents them from being able to get to areas of the house that have furniture.
If you don’t have a spare room that is completely free of furniture, then this likely makes the most sense. You could put your dog cages in your kitchen or your living room so long as you have enough room.
These types of dog cages are easy to put up, and they break down to become small enough that you can store them in most closet areas. If you’re looking for a simple fix, then this might be it.
5 – Put Your Dogs Outside
Of course, some people choose to keep their dogs outside when they are going to be away from home for a few hours. So long as the weather is nice enough, this shouldn’t be a big issue for most dogs.
You will want to be mindful of whether your area is safe for pets to be outside as well. For example, some areas might have predatory animals that would try to attack small dogs that are left unattended.
If that isn’t an issue where you live, then you might like the idea of putting your dogs outside while you’re away. You might have a fenced-in yard, and you could also keep your dogs secured to a particular area using dog leashes or chains.
Many homeowners will go so far as to build little dog houses for their dogs that they can hang out in while they’re outside. Just keep in mind that not all dogs are well-suited to spend many hours outdoors because they might get too cold.
6 – Consider Getting Someone to Watch the Dogs
If you’re going to be gone for more than a few hours, then it might be best to consider getting someone to watch your dogs for a while. You could have a family member or a friend of the family stop by to sit with the dogs.
This will ensure that your dogs will behave while you’re away, and it should make it easy to keep them off of the bed and your furniture. You’ll most likely only want to go to these lengths when you’re going to be gone for five hours or more, but it’s up to you to make that decision.
You could also drop your dogs off at a friend or family member’s place if they’re fine with that arrangement. Consider boarding your dogs at a kennel for a few days if you’re going on a little vacation.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys and also have two dogs and two cats. I grew up with pet dogs, cats, hamsters, budgies, cockatiels, and fish and also love horseback riding. In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.