Teach Your Dog to Stay on Her Bed – Trusty Tails Treat Kitchen Review

Note: That Mutt has partnered with Trusty Tails Treat Kitchen to bring you this post.

Just leave a comment below to enter our giveaway for a sample pack of three bags! Click here.

If you’d prefer not to have your mutt hovering and drooling while you’re eating, one solution is to teach her to stay on a dog bed.

This sounds nice, but of course it’s more challenging than you might think.

In this post, I’ll go over a few tips and reminders for teaching a dog to stay on her bed. The treats we’re featuring today are from Trusty Tails Treat Kitchen.

Trusty Tails treats are hand mixed in small batches in Hoboken, N.J. They’re made with 100 percent all-natural, human-grade ingredients. I can tell the treats are made with care and love. You will not regret buying these or sending them to a friend’s dog as a holiday gift.

Use code THATMUTT10OFF to save 10% at checkout on orders $14.95 or more. Order here.

Three tips to get your dog to stay on her dog bed

Tip #1: Praise while the dog is still staying.

Give your pup verbal praise with treats and attention while she’s still on the bed. The treats and praise should come only while she’s staying so she’s not tempted to jump up to get the treat.

Then, release her with a word like “free!” or “done!”

Of course, the treats also have to be something highly valued your pup is willing to work for.

Trusty Tails treats come in three varieties:

• cheddar cheese
• apple & coconut
• peanut butter & honey

Which flavor would your pup like to try? Let me know in the comments! 

Tip #2: Start off with really short stay sessions.

I mean short distances AND a short timeframe.

Like, you’ll probably have to stand right next to the dog bed at first and keep the stay to just 10 seconds.

If even that is too challenging, you might need to put a leash on your dog and even step on the leash to keep her still.

Tip #3: Return and reward often.

If your dog is getting up often, it’s likely because:

• The challenge is too great (distance or time)
• She’s testing you and your seriousness
• She’s learned she gets your attention if she gets up

I always train my foster dogs to stay on a dog bed, and one thing they figure out fast is if they get up (break from stay) they get my attention because I go over and put them back.

I’m extremely stubborn and will return a dog to her bed 10 or 15 times. Obviously this isn’t ideal because what is it really teaching the dog? She’s either making a game out of it or she’s getting frustrated.

So what’s better?

The solution is to return to your dog often when she’s still staying (so, before she gets up) and to give praise and treats for staying. Then, leave again. And then return again with more treats! See?

At first I have to return to the dog every 30 seconds. Then maybe after a few training sessions we’re able to work up to every 2 minutes, then 5 minutes, etc., until I can actually eat a whole meal while she remains in a stay.

Obviously this requires lots of practice (and patience!) in short sessions with highly valued rewards. Some dogs will get it instantly because they’ve already learned a solid stay. Others need to start with the basics and take longer to catch on.

More info on Trusty Tails Treat Kitchen

Trusty Tails Pet Care was founded in 2006 by Heather Gaida. The business offers services such as pet sitting and dog walking, and she started making treats for her clients’ pets around the holidays.

Well, the dogs and cats loved Heather’s treats and … you can see where it went from there!

If you’re a professional who works with dogs, I’d highly recommend these treats as gifts to your clients’ dogs. Or, if you plan to give gifts to the dogs in your family, these treats are so cute!

Trusty Tails treats are 100 percent made in the United States. They are handmade with locally sourced, human-grade ingredients and then baked in small batches.

And yes, the company says this means you can eat them too! I of course tried them. (I ate three.) They’re good! Honestly. Probably just a little too crunchy for most people.

The treats contain no gluten, corn, wheat, soy, eggs, added sugar, added salt or any additives or preservatives.

Instead, the treats are made with garbanzo flour, potato starch, peanut butter, flaxseed, coconut oil, honey and cinnamon.

Order Trusty Tails Treats here

*Use code THATMUTT10OFF to save 10% on orders $14.95 or more.

Giveaway – Win a prize pack of treats from Trusty Tails

*Congrats to Ray!

Trusty Tails Treat Kitchen is giving away a sample pack of treats to one lucky reader of That Mutt. It is the same pack Ace and I received so your pup will get to try all three flavors.

To enter the Trusty Tails giveaway:

Just leave a comment below to let me know your dog wants IN on the drawing. In what situation does your dog need work on practicing stay?

I’ll choose one winner at random on Thursday Nov. 26. Thanksgiving! Must have a U.S. mailing address to win.

Would your dog like to try Trusty Tails treats?

Make sure to let me know by leaving a comment!