[viktoriastubb]

My dog Lincoln will be 7 weeks tomorrow and since I have had him I have let him sleep with me at night. He wakes up for a 3 & 5 am potty break but does really well getting back to sleep besides the occasional 5-10 mins of attempting play after his potty breaks. Other than that he sleeps like the baby he is all cuddled up next to me. My question is, can anybody think of how this could cause any problems in the future? I plan on him being able to lay with me for as long as he lives or pleases but I just want to be sure I'm not encouraging any kind of bad habits. TIA!

 

[[email protected]]

Depends on the dog......my dogs arent allowed on furniture period ( personal preference ) with one exception. My wife will sometimes let her black lab sleep on the guest bed with her. Lol she's a light sleeper and I'm a rough sleeper so yeah we sleep in separate beds sometimes. Its not a problem with her, that dog doesnt even attempt any other furniture or beds, and wont get on the guest bed without invitation, even when no one is home. Some dogs can want to take over a bed for themselves though, sort of consider it theirs, and that can cause issues, so really just depends. Just be aware that down the road if your dog gets big and you decide you dont like it in your bed anymore it might be a hard habit to break. For me personally, all the sand and such a big dog puts in a bed or on a couch drives me nuts, one of the reasons I dont allow dogs on furniture.

 

[hanksimon]

I don't see any general issues, but one specific problem may be in situations when you are not there. So, if you go on vacation in five years, or if Lincoln has to stay overnight at the Vet, or you don't feel well and want to be alone, and so on. In 3 to 6 mos, you might put Lincoln in his crate to sleep by himself, once or twice a week, just to get used to sleeping alone. Again, I don't see a problem, but you do want to make sure that the pup can sleep by himself, just in case.

 

[Sydneyrocky]

Agree, should be able to sleep in crate too. I only had one issue when mine was younger, her legs were laid on and she woke up with them asleep and couldn't walk for about 20mins but after that she hasn't had that happen again, stays in her own place on the bed.

 

[islanddog]

Sounds sweet. Your house your rules.
I'll second the suggestion to add in crate training--that will give your pup a retreat when necessary, and you'll have him trained in case of travel or emergencies. Lincoln will need to be cozy sleeping alone some of times so you can do small "alone sleeping" practice sessions.
By crate training I mean teaching him to go in & out and work your way up to brief lock ups & then naps. That's enough to be useful in emergencies or overnight at the vets, etc.
You might want to include teaching "off the bed" & "on the bed", or just enjoy puppy sleeping time. Sometimes we over-think things. Enjoy your puppy.

 

[Sands18]

What we did with our latest dog was put him in the crate but sleep beside us at the side of the bed. That way he was with us and wouldn’t cry as much, and we’d be able to hear him when he needed to go out. Our dogs slept in the crate until we knew they were potty trained, then we let them sleep on the couch. It was only a few months ago that I started letting the dogs sleep with me in bed, since it helped so much with my insomnia and anxiety. They know when they’re allowed and not allowed to go on the bed. As of right now they’re not allowed because of my tattoo healing, and although they sit at the bed for a bit, eventually they’ll go and sleep on the couch.

So I guess it depends on the dog. But like it’s been said already, I think it would be a good idea to crate train. A time may come where the dog may need to stay somewhere in a crate or is staying with someone else isn’t but they won’t let them up on the bed. So I would suggest get him used to being in a crate as well as being without.

 

[gingerkid]

Congratulations on your new addition.

I agree with crate training - it is just a good skill for dogs to have. If they are already used to be confined sometimes, it will help reduce stress of things like travel and overnight stays at the vet. You may not plan for your dog to experience either of those things, but that doesn't mean they won't happen and it's good to be prepared.

Our puppy sleeps in a crate on my night stand for most of the night. I am a very heavy sleeper (have slept through fire alarms), so I don't trust myself to wake up if she needs to go out. She gets to snuggle in bed with us for a couple of hours after her last potty break.

 

[viktoriastubb]

I don't see any general issues, but one specific problem may be in situations when you are not there. So, if you go on vacation in five years, or if Lincoln has to stay overnight at the Vet, or you don't feel well and want to be alone, and so on. In 3 to 6 mos, you might put Lincoln in his crate to sleep by himself, once or twice a week, just to get used to sleeping alone. Again, I don't see a problem, but you do want to make sure that the pup can sleep by himself, just in case.

Lol this is very true! I think he will be a big boy and the deep barking at night might not make the sitters too happy while im on this said vacation lol

Agree, should be able to sleep in crate too. I only had one issue when mine was younger, her legs were laid on and she woke up with them asleep and couldn't walk for about 20mins but after that she hasn't had that happen again, stays in her own place on the bed.

Aww man ive never given that any thought. Although, he loves to climb up right on my neck and fall asleep there lol

 

[viktoriastubb]

Agreed! lol thank you for the input

 

[viktoriastubb]

Congratulations on your new addition.

I agree with crate training - it is just a good skill for dogs to have. If they are already used to be confined sometimes, it will help reduce stress of things like travel and overnight stays at the vet. You may not plan for your dog to experience either of those things, but that doesn't mean they won't happen and it's good to be prepared.

Our puppy sleeps in a crate on my night stand for most of the night. I am a very heavy sleeper (have slept through fire alarms), so I don't trust myself to wake up if she needs to go out. She gets to snuggle in bed with us for a couple of hours after her last potty break.

Thank you! and I agree especially now that he is crate trained at night! lol! He is now sleeping in the crate at night and wakes me at 5 am for a poop break. but the whole snuggling after the last potty break is kind of what we do too. I think he looks at it like our goodnight ritual before he goes to bed lol.

 

[Effisia]

Any sort of problem "could" arise in future, and if you subscribe to Murphy's Law, then at least one problem "will" arise at some point. Personally, I will not allow a dog in my bed if for no other reason than the fact this I deem it unhygienic. My dogs have always slept on a white rug/blanket of some sort on the floor. I replace the rug/blanket with a fresh one every 2-3 days. If you try this, you will notice how absolutely filthy the rug/blanket will become after about 48 hours. Personally, I do not want the dirt, grime, and hair on my bed.

If I went by stuff like this, my HUSBAND wouldn't be allowed in the bed with me, lol.

As for dogs sleeping with you, growing up our poodle slept at the foot of my mother's bed. Nearly every night for about 17 years. Good dog, no problems. It CAN lead to resource guarding of a location in some dogs. They see the bed as a resource. Teach a good "off" cue and even an "on" cue so he knows he's allowed up when you say and has to get off when you say, too. And I also advise crate training. Annabel, our Newfie, actually prefers her crate to the bed because the bottom of her crate is nice and cool - she overheats on the bed.