Do you have a new puppy or rehomed dog and are you asking yourself this question? … should my dog be sleeping on my bed? Yes or No?
How about we first chat about the issues that may put this question in the “no” basket.
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Do you suffer from allergies? For example, are you allergic to dog or cat hair, dust or even dirt? Maybe you do sneeze when in contact with either dog or cat hair. Some of us are fine with dog hair but have a reaction to cat hair, or vice versa, or even sneeze when in a dusty environment. This would be a consideration with either of these scenarios. I am adding the dirt and dust thought as sometimes when dogs have a roll around on the grass outside they may pick up dust or dirt on their coats and this loose dirt could irritate your nose. Just maybe!
Another thought is that it could be disturbing to you to have your pet moving about on your bed, or maybe you are a restless sleeper, so either way, this would not provide a sound sleep for either you or your buddy.
You may be a really heavy sleeper and could roll over onto your dog, who I am thinking would not be too happy about suddenly being rolled upon and could react quite quickly with some form of protection and snap at you, or even bite you.
Another thought could be that your dog could experience separation anxiety if he or she was then put in a position to sleep on its own.
If your dog sheds lots of hair during a coat change, lots of hair on your bed is not a good look, and this, in turn, creates lots of washing and constant vacuuming of pet hair, as I am sure you do not want all this hair in your washing machine.
Are you starting to feel after the above thoughts, is this a good idea after all, and should my dog be sleeping on my bed? Yes or No?
Let’s put our thinking caps on some more!
The other side of the coin, so to speak, is if none of the above applies is to have a trial run and see if this is an event that you can cope with night after night.
I am not against dogs sleeping on your bed, in my case, my dogs do sleep in my laundry with a baby gate to keep them within the laundry as I am not a fan of closing the door on them. Mind you, some dogs feel secure with the door closed as this is then their own night-time den, and can be a back up when you are going out for a time and are not keen on your pet being in the backyard for one reason or another… my goodness it could be boiling hot or freezing cold and outside is not the best place to be for your dog or dogs.
Another option is for your loyal friend to have a bed on the floor or even to crate them in your bedroom. I have done this successfully also.
As I have travelled with my dogs attending competitions, and when staying at the camping grounds and being in a tent situation my dog or dogs have slept on my camp bed with me, mind you we were cramped, but this was a special treat I am sure in my dog’s eyes. We were none the worse for wear and I managed to have enough sleep to compete with my dogs in competition the following day or days.
Some folk who have a dog that does not shed a lot of hair, have had no qualms allowing their dog to sleep on their bed. Some dogs would enjoy the warmth, and some dogs are not at all restless and this scenario can bring comfort to both yourself and your dog.
My thoughts are that if your choice is for your dog to sleep on your bed, your dog must respect you and if asked to sleep on a floor bed during the night for whatever reason, they must obey and comply.
This comes from building a relationship with your dog of trust, respect and by you providing a calm and disciplined home for your dog to live in.
By discipline, I am not talking about being aggressive to your dog, no, no, no. I am talking about being consistent and creating a pattern of life for your dog whereby your dog has boundaries that they understand are part of your household setup.
Believe me, your dog, will respect and love you for being calm and consistent.
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Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration
Robin Oliver
