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Should You Let Your Dog Sleep in Bed With You?
For many dog owners, there’s no good reason to be separated from your beloved pup — ever.
But there is a relevant debate among dog lovers/owners about whether it makes sense (or is healthy) for your dog to be accustomed to sleeping in the same bed as you. While some dog owners see no harm in it, and of course enjoy snuggling with Fluffy or Fido on a chilly night, others criticize the “habit” as “too permissive.”
When deciding what’s right for you and your dog in terms of letting the dog sleep in the bed, try to take the following into account:
- For the most part, dogs and humans tend to co-exist happily when sleeping in the same bed. Your dog will appreciate having the warmest spot in the house, and, assuming he’s well-behaved, he should allow you enough personal space so that you can get a good night’s rest. However, there can be drawbacks.
- While it may be comforting for both you and your pup to sleep in the same bed, one immediate issue is that it’s going to make something of a mess. All dogs, no matter how clean and well-primped, will naturally bring dirt, hair, dander and debris into your bed. And your bed is going to smell like dog at all times, no getting around that. This is going to require you to wash your bedding more often, and you’ll of course want to keep up your dog’s personal hygiene as well. This means wiping off your pup’s paws and giving him a quick brush-over before the two of you hit the hay.
- A criticism that pet owners can have about allowing your dog to sleep in your bed is that it can remove your dog’s awareness of your personal boundaries. To avoid this, make sure to reinforce the idea that your dog is sleeping in your bed because you are allowing it to happen. This means he should only jump up onto your bed when you give him the “come” command…and he should also get down when you tell him to do so. Similarly, if your dog ends up hogging more space than you’d like, he should move over when you command him to. If he responds with aggression or resistance, it may be time to reconsider your bed policy. Your dog should respect the boundaries you have established.
For the most part, a well-behaved dog will respect your space and will back off when you need him elsewhere. Give your pup the usual mix of love and positive reinforcement, and the two of you will make fine bedfellows.
Django Gold is a writer for Wet Nose Guide, an online dog care directory for owners on the go. When you’re away from home, find dog friendly hotels and dog supplies storesto help cure your canine’s cravings.
We let our pups sleep in the bed and they sometimes take up more space then we’d like. Linus is fine sleeping in the top corner, but Stetson likes to sleep diagonal. However, the good news is he will move when asked and both dogs will get off the bed with the command “off”. After reading this article I’m wondering if I’m letting these two guys over step their boundaries as I do let them up on the bed without my direct permission…maybe it’s time to not allow them on the bed until I say so. Thanks for the article.
[...] Should You Let Your Dog Sleep In Bed With You? – We let Stetson and Linus sleep in bed with us. All of our Guide Dog Puppies In Training have to sleep in their crates. However, are we allowing our dogs to many liberties by letting them sleep in our bed? This article may answer that question for you. [...]