Blanket training with puppies

Feb 5, 2023

By Eva Schober

Blanket training with puppies – an important skill for everyday life together

Having a puppy in the house is an exciting time for every dog owner. However, there are many things to consider when raising and training a puppy. An important skill to teach your puppy is blanket training.

Blanket training helps the puppy relax and calm down. It also offers him a permanent place to rest after an exciting day. This is especially important because puppies have a lot of energy and often get upset easily when meeting new environments or people.

Why do I need a blanket for rest training with a puppy?

You may now be wondering why you need a blanket or pillow for this type of training?
Can't your puppy just learn to calm down on his own? Unfortunately, not all dogs can do this - puppies and young dogs in particular tend to be restless because every day is so exciting and everything is new.
This is where the blanket is a great help in training: your puppy learns to associate the blanket with rest. The blanket acts as a boundary for your puppy without you having to use an actual boundary. This way the puppy has a fixed place and quickly knows what exactly you mean when you want to send him to it. This makes your training together a lot easier.

But how do you start blanket training? Here are a few steps we can recommend:

Choose a suitable place for the puppy: This place should be comfortable, quiet and safe. It is important that the space is easily accessible for the puppy, but also far enough away from the normal activities of the household to give him the peace and quiet he needs.
Use a Blanket or Pillow: Use a comfortable blanket or pillow to create space for the puppy. Make sure the pillow is a size that is comfortable for the puppy but also allows room for movement and stretching.
Send your puppy to his place. You can do this by throwing a treat onto the blanket or pillow. Your puppy will get it. Then call him back to you and repeat this step.
After you've thrown a treat at it a few times, you can introduce a command such as "blanket."
You then say this command at the moment when the puppy is picking up the treat from the blanket.
As a next step, you can use the "blanket" command beforehand - before you give him the treat. He will have understood by now that he has to go to the ceiling to do this. If he's not ready yet, you can lead him with a short leash, repeat the command and then feed him the treat on the blanket.
Praise your puppy when he goes to his place: If the puppy goes to his place without you telling him to, you should praise him very often at the beginning and give him a treat every now and then when you're not training. This will help your puppy form a positive association with his space.
Practice blanket training daily: Train with the puppy daily. Try to do it at least once a day for a few minutes. Make sure that the puppy is not disturbed while he is resting in his place or while you are training.
Gradually increase the duration of blanket training: As the puppy begins to feel comfortable in his place, you will need to command him to go on the blanket less and less often.

The longer your puppy stays in his place, the more self-control and relaxation he will develop. Puppies should be given enough breaks so that they can then move around and play extensively.

Relaxed alone time through blanket training with the puppy

An important part of blanket training is that the puppy learns to stay in his place when you leave the house or apartment. You can do this by leaving the puppy alone on the blanket for short periods of time while staying in the same room. Then you can change rooms, close the door every now and then and leave the apartment completely for a very short time.
Over time, you can leave the puppy alone for longer and longer periods of time until he can fully relax in his place, even when you are not home.

Less stress through blanket training with your puppy

It is also important to mention that blanket training is important not only for the puppy but also for you as the owner. It can help regulate the puppy's energy and provide him with a safe place to relax. In addition, knowing that your puppy is relaxed while you are away from home can also help you reduce stress and tension.

If you implement the above steps little by little, you will see how it helps both you and your pup live a happier, more relaxed life together.

Why is adequate sleep so important for puppies?

Puppies should rest or sleep between 18-20 hours a day. This is when your body regenerates and you process the stimuli you experience. It is important that puppies get enough rest to replenish their energy reserves. But young puppies often want to explore the world more and sometimes need help to rest.
This is where ceiling training comes into play. Blanket training teaches puppies that it is important to take regular breaks and rest. An overtired puppy often becomes restless and stressed, so it's important to give him the opportunity to rest.

Blanket training with your puppy brings these advantages:

Improving self-control and relaxation: Blanket training helps the puppy regulate his energy and calm down, resulting in improved impulse control and greater relaxation.
Creating a Safe Place: Blanket training provides the puppy with a safe place to relax, which helps promote greater calm and stability.
Reducing Stress and Tension: Blanket training can help both the puppy and you as the owner reduce stress and tension.
Regulating Energy: Blanket training helps regulate the puppy's energy and promote more consistent behavior.
Improving Bonding: Blanket training can also help strengthen the bond between the puppy and the owner since it is a shared activity where you both spend time together.
Preparing for the future: Blanket training can also help the puppy prepare for future challenges as it helps him adapt to rules and structure.

A little tip at the end: A clicker can also help you to successfully master blanket training. A clicker is used to give the puppy positive feedback while he is blanket training and to give him clear signals when he has correctly performed a certain action. The advantage of this is that you can react much faster with a clicker than if you just give him one treat at a time. You can find out how to set up the clicker in this blog post .