Do you sleep with your dog?

[RaisingRiver]

My dogs are not allowed onto any carpeted surface (DH's rules - he does NOT like dog hair), so that excludes them from the bedrooms, formal living room and upstairs bonus room. So River usually sleeps under the dining room table or on the dog rug outside my bedroom door. Diesel sleeps on the dog couch (fouton dedicated to just the dogs) and Jaida moves around from bathroom to laundry room to dog rug in family room.

 

When we stay in hotels, they DO get to sleep on the beds, even if DH is with me.

 

Sometimes I go to sleep on the fouton just to be with them and Diesel curls up at my feet and River spoons against my tummy. Jaida, being hairier is always way too hot to snuggle with anyone.

[lrayburn]

Ben and Pip used to sleep in the bed. Then I got a new bed and I kicked them out... For several days... Then they slept in the bed again! When we lived in the camper - EVERYONE slept on the bed. That meant I tried to sleep in a not-quite-full-size bed with all three dogs (even Nellie who hates to be touched!), two cats and - horrors - a half-grown kitten. I didn't actually get to sleep for three months straight. Now that I live in a fabulously huge house - no one sleeps with me. Ben sleeps on the couch, Pip in the armchair and Nellie in her favorite closet or under the bed. I don't miss the dirt and dog hair in the bed or someone (that would be Pip) snoring in my ear.

Lisa

[Dixie_Girl]

When I was around 12 I had a dog named Inky that I "rescued"(read-claimed it was my dog when found at my Jr. H.S., then claimed it followed me home!) and he was not allowed in the house at night. He was to stay in the garage. So, at night, I would find an excuse to go to the garage, open the side door to let him out, then go to my room, open the window, and had trained him to jump high enough, he was a cockapoo type dog, that I could grab him, and into my bed he went! In the morning, out the window he went. Not having a dog in bed is just not an option! Glad DH agrees. I'd hate to have to crate him!

[2 Devils]

My husband used to have the no dog on the furniture rule and no dogs on the bed. He gave up on the furniture rule when we adopted a dog named Sasha. She was not allowed in bed though. Unfortunately, she was quite sick and when she was 2 yrs was put down. A couple months later we got Foster our acd. Marty tried the no dog on furniture rule and that lasted about an hour after we got home with the puppy. She was crated at night until she was almost a year and was then allowed to sleep outside the crate in the bedroom. Well she was to stay on the floor - NOT. She would sneak up while we slept. Marty got fed up kicking her off the bed and let her stay and the rest is history. When we adopted Charlotte she was allowed on the furniture and slept in the crate until she was a year old. Oh forgot to mention that by now Marty had bought a couple dog blankets for on the bed since Foster seemed to get cold at night. Now there are 2 dogs on the bed. Then we got the toy poodle, Aspen. Same as with the others. He got bed privileges when he was a year old. Now 3 dogs in bed. Charlotte and Aspen had to snuggle as close to me as possible with Aspen under the covers. Since Charlotte died only Foster and Aspen get to sleep in bed. Riot (borderjack) and Tempe (bc) sleep in crates at night, downstairs. Tempe prefers to sleep in her crate. When we travel and stay in hotels or our RV Tempe will sleep in her crate on her own but will snuggle for a couple minutes before she goes to her crate. Riot sleeps in bed when we travel otherwise he won't sleep. He also has to be under the covers as close as fricken possible...

[sunshian]

When I was a kid my Old English sheepdog slept in my bed with me and my cat slept on my head. Now (a couple of pet generations later) I don't allow Cedar on my bed, he gets the floor beside my bed. I bought him one of those overly priced dog beds and he is quite happy there. My two cats sleep on me on the bed. They are the true rulers of the house. Sometimes they will be mean and sit on the edge of the bed and stare down at Cedar on the floor as if to say "loser". I deter them from it as it reminds me of the siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp.

[aussiered]

My dogs are outdoor dogs (parents rules not mine). I don't really mind but when I move (should be sometime this year) Bonnie will be allowed indoors but not on the bed or furniture. That's entirely a personal thing, not saying anything about what anyone else's dogs should or should not be allowed to do.

 

My cat doesn't even sleep with me. She retires herself to the laundry when she's ready to go to bed and I shut the door. I like knowing that my animals are safe and can't find their way into trouble during the night.

[Tranquilis]

Well, when I had dogs, yes, they slept with me. Never had any of the problems that various trainers suggest that this practice could create, either. Then again, I have a pretty dominant bearing, and expect good behavior from my dogs. That expectation was pretty much always met, too, so I don't much worry about that kind of thing.

[iluvlucy]

WELL,I had to start sleeping with mine out of self defense as they woould find something to get into and tear up ater we went to bed. Now they are always in bed with us all night.

 

Lucy cuddles up next to me and Lady normally goes to the foot of the bed.

 

I'm glad to see that other folks don't find it strange or deplorable that you sleep with the dogs.

[urge to herd]

Sam and Shoshone have nvever wanted to sleep on the bed, they prefer their own bedding and space. Buzz sleeps next to me, but I've trained him to move over or jump down with a very mild "Buzz, move," or "Buzz, off". I can whisper it in the middle of the night and he complies. If it's day time, and we're napping, and his cats are there with us, he doesn't move quite so eagerly, but he does move.

 

Ruth n the BC3

[vickim]

I let Whisper sleep with me. Most nights DH falls asleep on the couch (honest, I don't make him sleep out there!) and Whisper hops on the bed. I've not noticed any behavior issues--she still listens to me, still looks to me for instructions if she is unsure of herself in a situation, or pointedly tries to ignore me if she is trying to get away with something she knows she is not supposed to do (I.e., no dumpster diving, no chasing the cat, which she doesn't normally do anyway, but once in awhile she gets a wild hair). I do make her wiat for an invitation. This only works if I'm there, though. Who knows what she does if I am not there.

 

The only time here has ever been a problem was between the dog and the cat. The cat thinks that it is HER bed, and if the dog gets up there while she is there, she fwaps Whisper on the nose repeatedly in rapid succession. Whisper doesn't like this much and will growl and snap the air away from the cat, at which point I shove the cat off the bed. Of course, the opposite has also been true--the dog is on the bed and the cat hops up, at which point Whisper gives a low growl. At that point, I make Whisper get off the bed. It's the only time they really have issues with each other.

 

I tell people that pet hair is a condiment.

[Janet808]

I have heard mixed opinions from people on this subject. Who all allows your dog to sleep in bed with you?

Gosh no! I would need a bigger bed, especially if I want to continue sleeping w/ my husband (which I do!) Also, lately I've read on another forum how many times someone elses dogs have peed on their beds. If Misty did that, I don't know, she may lose her happy home! I FINALLY got a new mattress (a sleep number bed) and if she ruined it for me, I'd be really upset. She's only a little over 7mos. old, too. I want her to get used to her crate. She is already, but eventually I think she'd be happier when the day comes when she doesn't have to be crated at night and can sleep downstairs w/ our other dog Tabitha (Maltese) and Tigger (the cat). She'd be in her glory to be able to pester him all night long! LOL

[borderbob]

NO WAY!!!!!!!!

[clara]

Mine only get to sleep on the bed with me when Trevor is NOT in the bed. So they've come to anticipate those wonderful moments when I AM in bed and he's not... like when he gets up in the morning before me and when I go to bed before him at night or when he's out of town. They just take his spot when he's not in it. Ling is the best cuddler in the whole world, she loves to snuggle and curl up with her head on my shoulder, which makes it very hard to get out of bed and out for a walk or into the gym! Bingo is a better "foot of the bed" dog. He gets impatient with my mauling him and eventually just leaves if he feels like I'm crowding his space. With Ling, there is no such things as crowding and she pitches a little hissy fit if she doesn't get the spot by my head so we can snuggle. Poor Trevor... he always has two dogs at the door just waiting and hoping he'll leave!

[Janet808]

NO WAY!!!!!!!!

This is too funny! LOL

[Bo Peep]

borberbob must be single.

[BC Softy]

Dogs on the bed?!?! NEVER

 

 

They usually wont stay there though as they get too hot. So they jump down and sleep on their snoozy comforters

[borderbob]

that is actually bobs wife napping on the couch.if there was room the other two would be up there too!they now have an old bed(queen) to themselves but wont use it as there are no humans in it!!!!!

[Bo Peep]

When I adopted Bailey, apparently she came with an "ON BED" contract. I am trying to dissolve this contract by putting her in her crate at night, she goes in pretty nice & happy- but ........IF......I try and catch a nap, guess who is on my bed? When I go to check on my mom in the morning -Usher is in the bay window, and Bailey is on the bed- til.........they hear the fence shut- then it's "huh" I was just sittin' here by the back door- no bed....THEY think they have me fooled. I know I'm a sucker. STILL- no bed unless I'm very sad and need cuddling.

[Meg's mum]

I can't imagine having Meg sleep elsewhere. Sometimes she gets tired of waiting for us and gets there before us, but other nights when she goes to sleep in her crate on in the living room on her chair or floor blanket we wake her up when we go down to bed with a call 'Ni-Ni Meg'. I know it sounds ridiculous, but she was a little puppy once. Meg bolts up and races my hubby downstairs to flop down on his side of the bed. He gets in a pushes her over with great difficulty till the both of them are blissfully nestled and warm. Sox comes in for little stints through the night to burrow under my covers and curl up with me after clawing her way down my body.

 

Yes this cuts in to our intimacy. Meg doesn't like to be left out of anything. And when coyotes and racoons and cougers are in the bedroom yard Meg wakes us with a long loud ba-roo-roo-roo!! gasp ba-roo-roo-roo!! But we are a pack. I can't imagine waking up and her not being there.

[aBC4me]

We just in the last 2 months started letting Blaze on the bed. We used to crate him at night and slowly transitioned him to not locking the crate and letting him sleep in a bed that we bought for him that stayed at the foot of our bed. Well that only lasted for a couple of weeks and now we let him up whenever he wants, he is a really light sleeper though so the slightest movement from us and he is down and sleeping on his own bed, and there are times when we get up in the morning to find him sleeping in his crate still which of course we just think is great. It's funny because for the first time ever 2 mornings ago it presented it's first problem, when I get sick or have worn myself out I have a habit of dreaming out loud and I guess I scared Blaze because at 4 in the morning I found him literally on top of me whining with his chin on my chest. It was so sweet.

[Kenbo]

Not every night. Just depends how early I have to get up. I take turns each night with a differant dog. They snuggle up real good.

 

Ken

 

www.shucksbordercollies.com

[Lizmo]

She'll usually sleep on my bed for a few hours then either get in her crate in my room or go downstairs to her bed (it's also cooler downstrairs in the familyroom). I have nothing against having a dog sleep in my bed and actually like it because I FREEZE at night.

[Lewie'sMom]

I don't sleep in Lewie's bed and he doesn't sleep in mine. I'm probably selfish but my bed is, well, mine! When he was such a cute little baby I was tempted to bring him up with me just to cuddle but I know how hard bad habits can be to break. I used to let the dogs sleep on the bed. I owned a lab mix, may he RIP, who owas a submissive pee-er. He jumped up on the bed once when I didn't want him there. I must have startled him when I reacted and he, yep, peed on my bed. Soooo, that kind of changed my mind about dogs on the bed.

 

Heck, I don't even let the cat on anything except the dining chairs. He absolutely ruined the back of my mother's couch just by kneading. If other folks feel differently I'd never judge but for me it's easier not to start.

[borderwestausitin]

My wife and I have a much larger bed because of our border collie