Opinion On Letting Your Dog Sleep In Bed With You

Kay Shaw

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I was wondering what other people’s opinions are on whether or not to let your dog sleep in the bed with you? I know a lot of people don’t allow it because they don’t want the dog to think he’s the pack leader and become dominant. I have had unaltered male dogs in the past who have slept in the bed with me. I never had any problems with dominance and I think it’s because I made sure assert my as leader in every other aspect.
 
I have always crated my dogs but for specific reasons. My last dog had epilepsy, so that was a safety concern for him and me if he was in my bed. Many of his attacks occurred at night.

My current boy is still under a year old and I am not sure if we will let him in the bed. I personally don’t believe that letting a dog sleep with you will affect dominance. Unless you had a dog that had behavioral issues to begin with of course. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t set some boundaries. Nestle up to me or put your head on me- fine. But no laying completely on me haha.

I don’t see an issue with it, but I have never done it. Kind of for my own comfort. They take up the whole bed! He gets a thick pad and blankets in his crate. He seems perfectly content.
 
I have always crated my dogs but for specific reasons. My last dog had epilepsy, so that was a safety concern for him and me if he was in my bed. Many of his attacks occurred at night.

My current boy is still under a year old and I am not sure if we will let him in the bed. I personally don’t believe that letting a dog sleep with you will affect dominance. Unless you had a dog that had behavioral issues to begin with of course. This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t set some boundaries. Nestle up to me or put your head on me- fine. But no laying completely on me haha.

I don’t see an issue with it, but I have never done it. Kind of for my own comfort. They take up the whole bed! He gets a thick pad and blankets in his crate. He seems perfectly content.

I agree with you. I never thought sharing a bed with your dog would create dominance and cause them to try and be pack leader unless they already didn’t see you as the alpha.
 
Ok I am going to catch some :poop: here but I got the pups house trained in under 2 weeks and yep they started sleeping with me. They have never once had an accident in the bed. They unconsciously become bed hogs but long legs make short work of that. A quick run under them with my legs and they immediately move. I do wake up with their heads on my shoulder and my thighs but a quick move command and they reposition to their side. My female cat would sleep on my head. Kept me warm in winter or when the AC gets too cold. I miss having her do that because I keep the AC at 72-74 to keep the twins from panting and moving all night. Their crates are in the bedroom and they will get in there too on occasion.
Yep, I am a sucker!!:purps:
 
For us as first time dog and Doberman owners, all furniture was/is off limits. While we have gained a lot of understanding about this breed, I still wouldn’t want him in the bed because we need a break from the Velcro insanity haha. Also, we find he doesn’t really go into a deep sleep unless he’s contained and even then they move around a lot. He’s 3 years old and intact. If you had no problems before, you would likely be fine to do it with your Doberman. It’s the perfect breed for that extra closeness!
 
All my dobies have access to the couches but I have kept them off the bed for 2 reasons; I don't like dog hair in bed AND they are bed hogs. LOL My elderly Yorkie sleeps with us, he doesn't shed and he is tiny (somehow though he always ends up in my way). When we got Bailey, our standard Poodle, I broke the big dog rule and tried to get her to sleep on the bed. She doesn't shed AND her baby hair is like cuddling a cloud. Ruby my dobie saw this as an open invitation and on more than one occasion is on the bed napping, while Bailey likes to sleep next to the bed on top of the air conditioner vent. :facepalm:
 
I think it depends on a persons situation. My female is a great sleeper in bed. I sometimes let her take naps in bed with me. If we are competing out of town and it is just me and a couple of dogs, Prada gets to sleep with me but Blaze always has to be crated. He never settles down unless you put him up, he will keep you up all night.
 
Jazz sleeps beside the bed and is free to come and go as needed to check things out about the place. This would make her far too disruptive on the bed with me........................ However, when I go camping she has her bed right beside me on my camp mattress wherever that is set up. Last camping trip was a whole month and when it was over we both missed that snuggle time! I seriously did consider allowing bed privileges but she is just too alert at night, which is her job. :)

I am a first timer with the Dobie pup, (Jazz is a mix but the Dobe comes through loud and clear!), and I did find that in the early days when I was establishing respect for my role as leader it did make a difference if I allowed my teenage girl to snuggle up on me in my recliner. She was willful and a pusher of boundaries. Now we have cuddle time fairly regularly during the evenings with no dramas at all. She asks so nicely to be allowed up! :love: Who trains who?
 
I don't like dog hair in bed AND they are bed hogs.
All my sheets, blankets and bedspreads are white or mint green. I put beach towels on top for the twins side but I wash all my bed linens every 3rd day so I only sleep on them for 2 nights. The twins are bathed every week, brushed, wiped off with a wet microfiber cloth and feet soaked and cleaned every night before bedtime. I like white because I can readily see if the linens are dirty before they are due to be washed. Of course I grew up with all white bed linens so I am sure it’s a carry over from that.
I like having them next to me at night. It’s comforting except when Bogie stares at me. For some reason that wakes me up. :woot2:
 
I like my bed space. I sleep on my stomach and I'm a sprawler and so are the dogs, lol! My husband is a hot sleeper. My girls while they do get baths, smell like dogs and both have double coats for extra shedding power. We've tried before long ago when it was just Java and that was short lived. I kept waking up to her with her feet pushed against the wall, her back pressed up against me and her trying to sandwich me into my husband. Remember the part that my husband is a hot sleeper? I only like sleeping next to an oven in the winter, lol.
 
I started letting my boy sleep in bed with us around 9 months. Has had zero accidents and has caught 2 people in our front yard (bedroom window overlooks the front. And our house we live in is about 75 feet in from the street). He also helps me sleep better as I have some sleeping problems. I see no issues with it as long as boundaries are set and he knows it’s time to get off when you tell him/her to.
 
Our guy sleeps in the bed as well. We waited until 7 months when he proved that he could lay right down, go to sleep, and not get up and down. He knows to "wait" and doesn't get up into the bed until I'm settled in and tell him okay. I got a cheap quilt to go over the top so that its easier to wash the hair. He's crated during the day while we work so I couldn't bring myself to crate him at night too. Plus I feel safer myself with him at my side.
 
:thumbsdown:Don't know if this will help or not, we have a stubborn, willful boy. He sleeps in his cage where he can see us, but have to limit his bedtime space to ours and his. To me, it has to do with personality. We had others who slept with, others in beds. Just depends on who they are and how much of a bed hog they will be.
 
I agree that you may have to find out your individual dog's temperament first. It sounds like you will train them well, so you will have that covered.

My first Doberman I let sleep in bed with me. I forget at what age I started letting him. He was a very trainable, biddable Dobe like most are. I was super duper into training him, and I mean way beyond basics. So there were no issues with letting him co-sleep. Thing is, he would start out the night (or day, as I worked overnights some of his life) in bed and he always chose to be down by my lower legs; but approximately an hour or so after I fell asleep he would always exit the bed and sleep on the floor in the room. I think he got too hot or just preferred it that way. In the cold months in Minnesota, I did enjoy having him help me start out the sleep by warming my foot end of the bed. BTW, he was not allowed on furniture besides that.

My next two, I have not allowed in bed. This has been in no small part due to my being in a relationship. Heck, my now wife actually kicked her beloved Husky out of the bed a while after us living together!

But it has also been that I just have not wanted to mess with the dominance and training implications of it. These last two Dobe have been handfuls!

I am always reminded of good friend years ago who had a German Shepherd. The dog shard his bed and I tell ya', I used to sometimes see some dirt, sand and/or little rocks in the bed. That was love!
 
I am always reminded of good friend years ago who had a German Shepherd. The dog shard his bed and I tell ya', I used to sometimes see some dirt, sand and/or little rocks in the bed. That was love!
I don’t think I could handle the dirt, sand and rocks. If I lay down and even remotely smell or feel dirt I can’t sleep. I will get up and change the bed linens. I go to the extra work and time of cleaning my twins before bedtime so I can fall asleep. I have to always bathe before going to bed otherwise I can’t feel comfortable enough to sleep but then again I am usually working outside all day and come home really sweaty and dirty so a bath is mandatory.
 
My boy sleeps in bed with me, we don’t have any issues. My female sleeps in her crate cuz I don’t trust her not to do something dumb at night. My gsd sleeps in her bed in the hallway of the kitchen. And my little dog sleeps in his crate. Lol Ares even sleeps with his head on the pill and enjoys being the little spoon till he gets to warm lol
 
I like my bed space. I sleep on my stomach and I'm a sprawler and so are the dogs, lol! My husband is a hot sleeper. My girls while they do get baths, smell like dogs and both have double coats for extra shedding power. We've tried before long ago when it was just Java and that was short lived. I kept waking up to her with her feet pushed against the wall, her back pressed up against me and her trying to sandwich me into my husband. Remember the part that my husband is a hot sleeper? I only like sleeping next to an oven in the winter, lol.
I could have wrote that myself! LOL I feel the same way. I am a sprawler and a little claustrophobic. And, OMG, my husband is a heater!:wtf3: Our first Doberman was on our bed, mostly my husband's idea, and most of the time I was being pushed off!:tap: I said no way is that going to happen next time. Buddy came from the breeder at 7 months old and had some really nice training. One of them seemed to be to stay off the furniture!:yatta::yatta: He won't jump on my bed even if I invite him. Yes, one day I tried.:whistle: He also never counter surfed. He was well taught to keep four feet on the ground. I love it. He's got a huge comfy bed right on the floor next to our bed. Next to me. And several throughout the house. I really don't need a big dog on my bed or couch. Feels like having a horse in the house. LOL. He loves his beds.

Kali is crated at night right in our bedroom, right next to Buddy and I. She likes her bed and will go in there at night while I am watching TV in bed. She is allowed on my bed, but not as an overnight guest. :nono: Again, I want to move. And I hate when I can't.:complain: Now. On the few nights that hubby was out of town, I allowed her in bed with me. Because there was more room. :purps:

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I think them sleeping in bed pretty normal and my dog knows the drill around bed that’s for sure. The only thing I will say is there needs to be a few commands associated with laying on the bed and if you allow them to start sleeping with it’s not gonna be easy to change your mind later. My dog probably wouldn’t function correctly without sleeping with my wife and I. A few weeks ago my wife and I stripped our bed down and she asked me why is my indention bigger than yours I told her well you have a 95lbs baby that sleeps right next to you every night haha.
 

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