Sleeping with the dog

allaman · 04-30-2007, 08:15 PM

I know quite a few owners who allow their dogs to sleep with them in the bed. As the owner of a Great Dane puppy, I couldn't imagine doing this based on

allaman + great dane > mattress area

There will be no mattresses for poor Boss, but I was wondering if anyone does allow their pooches to sleep with them? I have heard many arguments against it, and very few that are for it.

RonE · 04-30-2007, 08:24 PM

If I were single, I still wouldn't let my dog sleep in my bed.

To put it another way, if I let the dog sleep in my bed, I would be single in about two days (allowing for courtroom backlog.)

gizmobaby · 04-30-2007, 08:26 PM

I've let my puppy sleep with me once. But that was after I made sure it already peed and pooped. My dog is kind of a "mama's boy/needy" dog, so I don't think it's a good idea to sleep with him because it would expect that a lot. Maybe short naps is a good idea, because it could think of that as a treat.

I think that if you let a dog sleep with you occasionally or more than often, it will think that is where it can only sleep or if you are not around, it will whine and whatever. I really wouldn't recommend it though.

briteday · 04-30-2007, 08:31 PM

Our dogs have never slept with us. The idea of all that dirt and yuck in their fur from being out in the pasture is a gross thought. They have always slept in their crates.

Ginny01OT · 04-30-2007, 08:55 PM

Riley is our standard poodle and to be honest, he wouldn't want to sleep with us on the bed. There have been times that I have been laying in bed watching tv that he has layed at the foot of the bed (never under covers) but when the hubbie comes up and he is ready to go to sleep, he has a bed in the corner of our bedroom, goes right on it to sleep. He is such a good boy. That is his spot.

Captbob · 04-30-2007, 09:01 PM

I think letting your dog sleep in your bed is something to avoid. You can always get a dog bed, and put it in your bedroom ,and let the dog sleep there.

Curbside Prophet · 04-30-2007, 09:26 PM

My dog sleeps where I ask her to sleep, and sometimes that's on my bed. If you have a good understanding of NILIF, there are no reasons why you can't have your dog sleep on your bed. Of the things that concern me about my dog, whether she sleep on my bed or not doesn't concern me. Plus, in the winter she saves me on my electric bill...it's an even trade I think.

Wimble Woof · 04-30-2007, 09:27 PM

The dogs here are more than welcome on the bed, at anytime, regardless if me and my BF are there, however they come up for a little visit and then they head off to their "beds" through out the house.
I prolly would have a hard time if any of them decided to become full time bed dogs but so far so good.

suzukigirl · 04-30-2007, 10:34 PM

Well my pup sleeps in my bed when he has been good or if I left him alone today for a few hours. I lay a towel on the end of the bed and he sleeps right on it. I have a Cali king size bed and I am TINY! I am 5'1 125lbs, when my boyfriend comes over he loves sleeping with burger. He peed on the bed once but that was when I first got him and he wasnt sleeping neither were we.

Ever since then he always wakes me up when he needs to pee and also he is not as hyper when he sleeps in the bed. When he is in the crate and in the morning I let him out and he goes crazy, First he runs out to pee then he runs around the house playing with toys and trying to get my attention.

SFury · 04-30-2007, 11:35 PM

My dogs can sleep on the bed. Buck prefers to sleep at the foot of the bed, and Kiba sleeps right next to me on the floor.

During the day I know they sleep on the bed. Although they haven't been since it's gotten warmer. Now they sleep in the shade. I can tell where they sleep by finding the furry spots in the bedroom.

Betty · 05-01-2007, 02:05 PM

One of the first things Tanner did when she arrived at our house was to jump on our bed. Apparently her previous owners let her sleep on their bed.

I was against it at first, but my husband coaxed me into letting her just to see how it would be (he used to have a cat that liked to bite my toes every time I budged). So I did. I really don't even notice she's there, so she stayed. . She's a good alert dog, so I don't mind the extra alarm if somebody breaks in the house. Plus she's nice and warm, and in the morning she'll crawl onto my tummy and put her nose up to my chin.

She's only 20 pounds, so she doesn't take up much space. A Great Dane, on the other hand...

She does have her own bed, but I keep it in the home office so she can reset in it when I'm working.

Tamara · 05-01-2007, 02:22 PM

Both our dogs sleep on the bed . Whenever one of us says "time for bed?" they race in for pole position which is head on the pillow in the middle of the bed and the other has to go behind. They sleep in a strip between us. They are big but luckily have short legs. Lke Curb said great in the winter but now it is getting warmer they might have to be kicked out.

iwantmypup · 05-01-2007, 02:25 PM

I would love for my pup Pepper to sleep on my bed...and its big..but everytime she goes into my bed room she jumps on it and chews my stuffed animals! So ..yeah... But i really want her to be more mellow when she goes into my bedroom then I want her to just plop down and sleep!

I think that she might only if she is really tired... and doesn't chew my hair off.

As for two big dogs.. I dunno...you will neeed a big bed for that!

Tamara · 05-01-2007, 02:35 PM

We do have an extra big bed - for us and the dogs. Yes we are soft sados

I am sure your pup will think sleeping in your bed is better than chewing on your stuffed toys when he is older

Aberdeen · 05-01-2007, 03:23 PM

Our dog usually starts off on the floor (her choice) and then when I wake in the middle of the night I usually find her at the end of the bed with her leg stretched in every direction. At 69 pounds and almost 5'6" end to end she takes up a lot of room. She is all muscle too. So if she doesn't have enough room she usually figures out a way to push her way into a better position leaving me balled up in the corner and my husband none the wiser as he snores away.
She does have a beautiful dog bed but she has barely touched it since day one.
I sometimes regret ever letting her join us in bed because she is such a large baby...but her "daddy" treats her like a princess and I am sure he would buy her a throne if he felt that she wanted that!

Shalva · 05-01-2007, 03:34 PM

I do allow one of my dogs Cuinn to sleep on the bed but generally he wants to get down after a few hours. He is not a healthy boy and I don't think we will have him a long time so my attitude is pretty much that Cuinn can do what he wants..... and if that means spoiling him a bit and letting him on the bed ... its ok ....
otherwise dogs are on the floor.... with five soon to be seven dogs there isn't enough bed space.
s

BoxMeIn21 · 05-01-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzukigirl

when my boyfriend comes over he loves sleeping with burger. He peed on the bed once but that was when I first got him

Your boyfriend or Burger??

kiddin'

Both mine sleep on the bed, if I want them to move - they do. If you have a strong role as the leader in your home then there isn't an issue. Beside true pack leaders share and that means sleeping areas as well.

workingdog · 05-01-2007, 05:50 PM

At bedtime our dogs will jump up on the bed and kind of just relax with us for a while but when we are ready to go to sleep my husband kicks everyone off.( no not me)

Renoman · 05-01-2007, 06:05 PM

I have always let my dogs sleep on the bed. It starts the first nite I have them home. I figure, if they wake up and need to go out I'll hear them cuz they're right there (ok so it's not the best rationale in the world but it's all I could come up with) and I have never had a dog have an accident in bed nor have I ever had a bad 'first nite'.

When I had 3 shepherds, I had one that liked to lay across the bottom of the bed, one laid lengthwise beside me and one laid wherever there was room. Some nites I ended up 'going to couch' and the 3 of them had the bed.

I have 2 GSDs now and to be honest, since I live alone I feel very secure with them close by. They are free to come and go as they please. Sometimes they choose to sleep in their other 'favorite' spots, but when they do, I feel very much left alone. I am comforted by their closeness and best of all they don't snore ..... not too loud anyway

opokki · 05-01-2007, 06:48 PM

Once Natalie was completely housetrained and could be trusted not to get up and get into things during the night, I allowed her to sleep in my bed.

She doesn't have free access to my bedroom and allowing her to sleep with me has never caused any problems.