Is it bad to let your dog sleep in bed with you?
We have two Great Danes, and a Saint Bernard. When we go to bed our dogs all climb into bed with us or our kids, and they kind of alternate who they sleep with of their own accord. Its never caused any problems with training or them feeling like their the boss. Plus it helps my daughter feel safe (shes 10 and has major issues with night terrors and walking nightmares) to have one of our big ole dogs sleep with her every night to cuddle with.
Eh, depends on who's bed it is and who the dog is. If you don't mind a tail in your face, or a paw to the back, that's fine for you to have a dog in your bed. If your dog is a well adjusted pup, with no big issues, its fine for him too. BUT Velcro dogs, dogs with separation anxiety, dogs that are bossy, nippy, or anything like that, should not be allowed in the bed. Velcro and dogs with anxiety need to learn to be apart from you a bit, if they are in your bed, you are reinforcing that they should always be with you. Bossy, Nippy, dominant dogs for some reason tend to be twice as bad in bed because they see it as their bed that you are in. I have allergies, so my dog isn't allowed to sleep in my bed (unless my husband is out of town, they he gets my husbands side!) but I do allow him up for a cuddle before bed. i have a dog blanket that I put over my sheets, so we can cuddle and I can still breathe at night. My last dog, however, was a sweetie unless he was on the bed. The only time he ever snapped at me was on my bed. He was never allowed up on my bed or the furniture again.
Yes. Dogs are social animals that live under a hierarchy system. Each pack has its own leader, which sleeps in the most comfortable position available. Allowing your dog to sleep with you may result in your dog thinking that he/she is leader, and hence he/she may act as aggressive and dominant as he/she want. Of course, this does not happen with every case but it's better to be on the safe side...
I love my dog sleeping with me; however, there are draw backs to this arrangement. He hogs the bed, licks the slobber off of my mouth, moves around all night, makes me hot sleeping up against me, stills my covers in the winter, won't allow my husband and I sleep next to one another, passes gas in my face and shares my pillow. If you can handle this sleeping style, go for it. Otherwise, buy a crate and put it next to your bed with a comfy bed inside, because once a dog starts sleeping with you it is impossible to break the habit. Sweet dreams.
I have two boxers and they BOTH sleep in my bed every night (snoring next to me as I type). There is absolutely nothing wrong with it BUT if you don't think its something you want for a life time, I wouldn't recommend it - hard to break the cycle :) both my dogs have dog beds but would never dream of sleeping a night on them. They prefer my bed (under the blankets too)
