# Do you let your dog sleep on your bed?



## Lobo dog

I am really curious as to how many people allow their pooches to share their beds with them at night. I have been trying to convince my parents since before we even got Lobo, to let him sleep with me on my bed; however my parents are of the opinion that it will create behavioral issues in the dog that otherwise would never arise. Their theory is that being allowed to share the same sleeping quarters as me will make him think that he has risen up on the totem pole of pack order. 

So what do you guys think? I am looking for opinions, experiences and statistics on how many people share their bed with their dogs. Has anyone had a dog whose behavior took a turn for the worst after being allowed to sleep in the same space as its owner? Thank you all in advance, I am looking forward to your responses


----------



## AngelaA6

No behavioral issues here but when I go to bed I put Gunther in his crate and when my husband goes to work he lets him up on the bed with me. He started taking up too much room on our queen bed haha and the running in his sleep was waking us up.


----------



## Apoolutz

Gunner has his own bed on the floor right beside our bed.


----------



## llombardo

The dogs can sleep wherever they want. Most of the time I have 5 out of the 6 in bed with me. I bought a King size bed to accommodate all of us. No behavior issues at all.


----------



## Hineni7

My dogs have always slept with me... Behavioral issues will come up long before the bed, lol. I am the boss of my bed, if I tell them to get off, they get off. My pillow and spot are off limits (although occasionally they will speak near it until they see me then move over. I expect obedience in everything else (they are pups and learning but absolutely no dominance issues have occurred and I have a very dominant female). This is just my personal experience and opinion... But I love having my pups close to me. I have an easy clean sleeping bag covering my covers for cleanliness sake, lol. 

God bless (you and your new pup) 
Misty


----------



## Debanneball

The day Fritz can jump up and down on his own, he is more than welcome. For the time being, he is safe on the floor...


----------



## NancyJ

For me the question is that I don't think it is sanitary. I take a shower every single night before I get in bed and my dog does not. But to each his own.


----------



## SuperG

Your parents might have a valid point ....it all depends on the particular situation.

Of the 4 dogs I have had...all were allowed to sleep in the bed....my first dog did have a different attitude about the bed...I'm guessing he thought it was his bed and sharing it with us. First dog... I plead ignorance...probably made every mistake I possibly could have. 

Anyway, since then...all 3 of my other dogs have been welcome to share MY bed. 

So, the notion of who ( dog included ) is sleeping in that bed and where they are on the "totem pole"...does make some sense.

$5 says...if the dog owns the bed and you try to move it around against it's will...you'll know who owns the bed.

SuperG


----------



## Hineni7

My pups were taught to wait to be lifted up and down until they were 5mos old, and then were assisted down for weeks after until they had the hang of it. (basically until to heavy, lol).


----------



## SuperG

Choice 3 is confusing....sometimes my dog does snore...does that him "aloud" ??

SuperG


----------



## Hineni7

Lol! Thankfully I have no snorers this time, but definitely noisy dreamers... Wonder if I should recast my vote, lol "aloud should be allowed"


----------



## Lobo dog

SuperG said:


> Choice 3 is confusing....sometimes my dog does snore...does that him "aloud" ??
> 
> SuperG


Haha I totally didn't catch that lol yes it is supposed to read "allowed"  unfortunately I can't change it, I tried to go back and change #1 to "NEVER! are you crazy? I might get fleas!" But it wouldn't let me change it, so everyone gets to see my spelling error


----------



## Loneforce

Jonas can sleep where he wants. I started him off with him in bed with me from his first day home. Not a peep out of him at night, unless he had to go outside and he would let me know. Now he sleeps everywhere, for he has free run of the house. Most of the time he is sleeping on his favorite couch, on his back with his legs pointed up in the air. :laugh: He gets quite comfy when he sleeps. I really did not vote, because he does sleep on my bed at sometime in the night, but he sleeps on the floor and the couch and the chair too.


----------



## llombardo

Loneforce said:


> Jonas can sleep where he wants. I started him off with him in bed with me from his first day home. Not a peep out of him at night, unless he had to go outside and he would let me know. Now he sleeps everywhere, for he has free run of the house. Most of the time he is sleeping on his favorite couch, on his back with his legs pointed up in the air. :laugh: He gets quite comfy when he sleeps. I really did not vote, because he does sleep on my bed at sometime in the night, but he sleeps on the floor and the couch and the chair too.


Sounds like mine I did vote in my bed, but that is because it's allowed. I usually shut my door and the cats get the whole house. In my room I have two huge dog beds, a chair and a crate so they can sleep anywhere they choose.


----------



## Stosh

I'm with Nancy- I just don't want to lie down with a dog. Stosh isn't allowed on any furniture


----------



## Miss Molly May

Every night Right between my wife and I. I often end up on the edge of the bed with Molly's paws pushing against my back, her head taking up most of my pillow and her snoring in my ear.


----------



## Packen

My son does and both dogs compete to get the privelege.


----------



## Curtis

Empire is allowed the bed, but prefers the hallway. Sometimes he'll get on the bad and lay down for a little while, but then he hops off and lays on the floor.


----------



## DonnaKay

Sleeps with me every night. She starts out stretched out alongside my legs, sometimes on her back with legs all up in the air but during the night she'll curl up behind my rear. Yep, she's a butt snuggler. :rofl:


----------



## Saphire

Not a chance. I want my bed to be clean, fresh and ecoli free.


----------



## Shade

Jazzy sleeps on the bed every night, Delgado is allowed now that he's older and knows how to be quiet. I put a sheet over the duvet to keep hair to a minimum, keeps cleanup easy and both parties happy. Most nights he chooses to sleep on the bed, but he does choose to sleep on the floor, couch, and his own bed as well


----------



## BowWowMeow

My two cats sleep on the bed. Rafi has a futon in the bedroom and 4 dog beds downstairs. He doesn't get on any of my furniture. I have enough trouble cleaning up after myself!


----------



## sehrgutcsg

I have a funny story. A lamp that plugs in where the dog sleeps on the floor twice she knocked the lamp off the night stand since she's on her back, her rear legs pulls the lamp cord and off the table it goes. Now, it's up plugged. One night in the RV Bella was on the bed, she rolled over in the middle of the night, rolled right off the bed and was looking up from the floor on her back on top of the toolbox, bent the key and was in between the bicycle. Lucky for both of us nobody was hurt or injured. Yes, the wife has always' had dogs on the bed.


----------



## Hineni7

Lol! My dogs have rolled off the bed on a rare occasion, so I have thick dog beds lining the one side of the bed they could fall off of, lol..


----------



## MamaofLEO

I can't wait until we get to that point! For now, Leo sleeps in his crate with his blankie and big carrot pillow


----------



## Ace GSD

on the floor next to my side of the bed and he always put his head on the bed


----------



## Pax8

Ever since I could trust him outside his crate the whole night, he's slept mainly in bed with me. If it gets too warm, he'll go sprawl out on the linoleum until he's cooled off and then he'll hop back in bed with me. He only wants to sleep in it when I'm in it though. During the day, he has a regular dog bed that he sleeps in. I think it's because it's more central so he can keep a better eye on me while I do chores in the apartment.


----------



## Cheyanna

Fiona is on my bed until I turn off the lights, then she jumps down and sleeps in her own bed. In the morning she jumps back up and sleeps the last hour with me.


----------



## car2ner

the way my hubby and I sleep if we added the dog, none of us would get any sleep. That and we have to protect the cat from the dog. At night Patton sleeps in his crate and the cat gets the run of the house.


----------



## kburrow11

Vida sleeps with me. If I get up in the night, she'll move to where I was because it's warm, but as soon as she sees me she moves back to her spot. If I want her down, all I have to do is snap my fingers and point to the floor. I enjoy having her sleep with me though, with her here, no need for an electric blanket.


----------



## stmcfred

My mixed breed isn't able to jump on the bed, so he sleeps on the floor. 
My GSD will sleep on the bed with me until my husband comes in (I got to bed way before he does!) then hop off an lay on the floor.


----------



## Lilie

I have one dog sleep in my bed. My GSD doesn't want to sleep in our bed. He gets too hot. He'll come up and say hi, but will get back down. I normally put him in his kennel. He wakes me up at night staring at me. His nose inches from mine. Scares me every time.


----------



## Ace GSD

Lilie said:


> I have one dog sleep in my bed. My GSD doesn't want to sleep in our bed. He gets too hot. He'll come up and say hi, but will get back down. I normally put him in his kennel. He wakes me up at night staring at me. His nose inches from mine. Scares me every time.


LOL omg thats what ace do to me.... especially now its cold i hate how the cold nose touch me cheek in the middle of the night...


----------



## Lobo dog

jocoyn said:


> For me the question is that I don't think it is sanitary. I take a shower every single night before I get in bed and my dog does not. But to each his own.


yes that would be another issue that i would be more concerned about if we didn't already have 4 cats  3 of them are indoor/outdoor, and guess which of the cats prefer to crash in my room? you guessed it, the 3 indoor/outdoor :laugh: Also because we have 4 cats we have to have 2 litter boxes, one for the down stairs and 1 for upstairs. Out of the three kids's bedrooms mine is the largest, so my parents allowed me to have the big room on the condition that i would have the upstairs cat box in my room, so i agreed. we have one of those cat boxes that the dog cant stick his head in, it has a small hallway thing in it that the cats walk through before they get to the actual litter box. If my parents do let him sleep in my bed or on my floor, it wouldn't be until he is at least a year old.

I already do a deep clean of my room every 2 weeks (vacuum every week, wash my bed linens every 2 weeks, clean the cat box every night before bed, change the cat box out completely once a month ect), so i figure if i already have to scrub my room down so often I might as well let the dog in their to  Oh and while you take a shower every night, i take on every morning  i haven't missed taking a shower in the morning in almost a year, so hopefully that will eliminate the possibility of me loosing my friends do to me always reeking of dog  Thank you all for your reply's so far :hug:


----------



## Hineni7

Sounds like you are very responsible  Good for you! For me, having my kids close is part of the bonding and rewarding experience of having dogs... Yes, they can take up too much room sometimes (I can't believe one of the posters who has 4 on his bed! Yikes! 2 is a pretty full bed for me (although if I had 4 dogs in probably would be perpetually in the fetal position on the bed, ha ha), and keeping things clean takes a little more work (I advise an easy clean dog cover for your bed ) but it is worth the effort, imho...


----------



## dpc134

No dogs in the bed. I love my dogs, but they are animals and very dirty. They spend most of their time outside, playing in dirt, mud, swimming in ponds, rolling on dead animals. I want my dogs to be dogs, not sleeping in bed with me and watching TV on the couch.


----------



## Traveler's Mom

Traveler gets the run of the house and can sleep where ever he chooses EXCEPT the bed or any other furniture for that matter. 99% of the time he sleeps in our shower stall. The other 1% of the time is in our closet.

He was never allowed in the bed but if my husband ever moved out, Traveler would be moving in

Lynn & Traveler


----------



## Katey

Lilie said:


> He wakes me up at night staring at me. His nose inches from mine. Scares me every time.


Oh, my girl does this in the morning! She's never barked to get us up or anything (got her as an adult), but she will do the nose-to-nose or the nudge, and I love it. 

She doesn't sleep in the bed with us. My fiance wanted dogs on all the furniture, and we compromised on the couch but not the bed, because I would prefer not to sleep in dog hair. Sometimes when I'm away, he'll try to call her up, but she's a steadfast rule follower and she doesn't want to be up there at all. She's getting a big new Orvis bed for our bedroom soon.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

Our dogs sleep in their crates in our bedroom. They'd be fine loose, and Halo would probably sleep on the bed at least part of the night, but everybody sleeps better this way. The kitty is free in the house and doesn't need to worry about being chased out of the room if she wants to come sleep with me, if my husband gets up before I do on the weekends or I'm getting up early for a flyball tournament and he's still sleeping, the crates keep the dogs calm and quiet until we're ready to let them out. 

Keefer likes to check to make sure I haven't disappeared during the night, so if he's loose he'll come poke his nose in my eye, lol. He's not much of a bed dog anyway, and only goes up there if we invite him or he's chasing Halo, but she likes to hang out on the bed. When I let them out in the morning the first thing she usually does is jump on the bed and roll around on her back before heading outside for potties. Both of them will use their crates for naps sometimes, going in on their own and hanging out with the door open.


----------



## Rangers_mom

My dogs used to sleep with me and I loved it (except for the dog hair) and it never caused any behavioral problems. When we started raising Ranger for the Seeing Eye one of the rules was that we were not allowed to let him on any furniture. It was so tempting because I love snuggling with my dog. However I now really appreciate that there several dog hair free zones in our house. So i have maintained the no-furniture rule and I am okay with it.


----------



## HOBY

Not allowed on furniture. We cat nap, I mean dog nap on the floor a lot.


----------



## Longfisher

*Heavens No, My Dog Doesn't Sleep With Me*

I'd be afraid he'd get fleas or something.

LF


----------



## wolfy dog

It is tempting but I don't want hair, sand and mud in my bed, nor having to move to the very side of the bed so the lady can stretch out as much as she wants.


----------



## lauren43

My little chi is not fully potty trained. I don't suspect he ever will be. In his crate he pees as well. Put him in a bed and he doesn't move until you move. He has never peed on the bed and he doesn't really shed. So while I hate dog hair and dirt and everything else that comes with dogs in bed my 6lb chi gets exception.

And my 16 week old GSD has never been crated while I sleep, I feel guilty enough crating him while I'm away. He very rarely has accidents. He sleeps in his dog bed next to my bed. Then comes into the bed about an hour or so before I get up (he'll re-settle so it allows me more sleep time)...as an adult he will not be allowed in the bed. I HATE dog hair in my bed.


----------



## jessjeric

I started off Keeping Veda in her crate at night probably until she was about 5 months old. At that point I could trust her not to chew anything she wasn't supposed to or have an accident. She usually starts off the night in my bed at my feet but after about an hour will go down and lay on the floor next to my bed. Around the time my alarm goes off in the AM she'll jump back up and I'll give her belly rubs and we spoon ? Once in a while she'll come back up some time throughout the night to stay but not often. 
No behavioral issues have come about due to her being allowed on the bed and couches are still off-limits to her.


----------



## Hineni7

Weird, I don't get hair in my bed... I fully cover my bed with a large easy clean sleeping bag which is what my dogs sleep on top of (and a dog blanket on top of the sleeping bag during really cold nights). They aren't allowed under the covers (which I used to do as a kid - now, never) and I really don't battle hair issues.. At least in the bed. I brush them most everyday and have them groomed every 6wks or so (have a groomer friend)...


----------



## Nigel

Our 4 are allowed but none do, Ollie likes his open crate, Ranger likes the wood floor, Zoey switches from wood floor to her dog bed then back again and Tuke will come up on the bed for a visit, but soon jumps down to her bed.


----------



## MilesNY

It's was interesting to read people's responses! Out of the four dogs. Two of mind sleep in my bed with me. Paul works nights and it's nice to have the Sheps as security. Khaleesi sleeps touching me no matter what. Dante only sleeps on the bed if Paul isn't home and it's cold enough, otherwise he has a bed next to our bed or just the floor. Miles sleeps loose downstairs in the living room; he isn't a bed sleeper anyway. Although he will occasional nap with me if I lay down during the day. Traveler sleeps in his crate at night cause he is a puppy, but sleeps in bed during the day with Paul and I come take him out to potty every few hours. 

I have no behavioral issues at all. And I do deploy "the dog sheet" to keep the fur down. Along with bathing them and force air drying their coats once a month, washing bedding and raw feeding... The fur isn't bad.


----------



## JoeyG

No bed and no furniture. Love my boy but he's still a dog and when its all said and done he sleeps downstairs so he can watch the house at night. Still expect him to do some of the work he was bred for. We do snuggle on the carpet while watching tv though lol!


----------



## mycobraracr

I have four dogs. Two are allowed on furniture and sleep in the bed every night. The two puppies, are not allowed on the furniture or the bed yet. Once they learn all their manners that will change. Although Kimber may get the occasional cuddle session on the couch. Don't tell my wife haha.


----------



## gsdsar

Yup. They can go wherever. But they have to get off with a single word from me. For the most part, they start on the bed and end up on the floor. But that's their choice.


----------



## misslesleedavis1

They sleep in there crates.

I encourage bed cuddles and couch cuddling with them though but still 10 rolls around and they head to bed


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

This is Halo's morning bed ritual.


----------



## MyHans-someBoy

Cassidy's Mom said:


> This is Halo's morning bed ritual.
> 
> 
> 
> How I Startz Mah Dai By Halo - YouTube



That was TOO cute! I love the little looks she kept giving you out of the corner of her eye the entire time you videoed. 
Somebody enjoys showing off! 
And...for heaven's sake-feed that poor starved Keefer.


----------



## trcy

The two smaller dogs prefer to sleep on our bed. I would love the GSD to sleep on the bed, but he prefers his bed on the floor.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

MyHans-someBoy said:


> That was TOO cute! I love the little looks she kept giving you out of the corner of her eye the entire time you videoed.
> Somebody enjoys showing off!
> And...for heaven's sake-feed that poor starved Keefer.


And the tiny little just the tip of the tail wags! Halo has tons of personality and is VERY full of herself. :laugh:


----------



## Lobo dog

Cassidy's Mom said:


> This is Halo's morning bed ritual.


Oh wow! What gorgeous dogs  would they be considered plush coated? Hehe thats such a cute morning routine; her expressions are so goofy/cute!


----------



## Lobo dog

gsdsar said:


> Yup. They can go wherever. But they have to get off with a single word from me. For the most part, they start on the bed and end up on the floor. But that's their choice.


How do you enforce that? Do you tell the dog "OFF", then when it gets off make it sit, until he is invited back up again? How long should i make Lobo wait before I invite him back up on the bed?


----------



## gsdsar

I give them one command. "Off". If they don't comply, I take their collar and put them off the bed. No big deal. They can do whatever they like once they are off. If they jump back up and I don't want them on it yet, I tell them "off" again. Rinse repeat. If they are being really annoying, then I give them a command to do something else. They know the drill now. If I tell them off, they stay off for a while, or until I call them.


----------



## mycobraracr

Cassidy's Mom said:


> This is Halo's morning bed ritual.
> 
> How I Startz Mah Dai By Halo - YouTube



Haha too cute


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

Lobo dog said:


> Oh wow! What gorgeous dogs  would they be considered plush coated? Hehe thats such a cute morning routine; her expressions are so goofy/cute!


Both Halo and Keefer are long stock coats.  Plush isn't an actual coat type, it's more of a descriptive term. Keef's coat is longer than Halo's, but hers is thicker and softer.


----------



## llombardo

Lobo dog said:


> How do you enforce that? Do you tell the dog "OFF", then when it gets off make it sit, until he is invited back up again? How long should i make Lobo wait before I invite him back up on the bed?


After a while they just move when they see you coming or at least mine do. They know off, move, move over there( I point to where I want them to go) it I say nothing and point my finger. They learn pretty quick. I don't have to grab any of them by the collars to move, they are all pretty easy going. Usually I tell them ok once I'm settled. I live in Chicago and it gets pretty cold, but I don't really turn my heat on until like January. Before then I have it on as needed, but usually not when I sleep. Saves me some money I also don't have them on the sheerts, I have a comforter cover that I can just wipe down so fur is never a problem.


----------



## Myah's Mom

Yep, since I got her as a pup. :wub:

Probably not right for every dog, especially if they have dominance issues (food and sleeping quarters are very important pack issues). She does get off if asked, and we often went through a routine where she's asked "up!" and then "off" over and over (she thinks it's hilarious and gets lots of exercise doing it). That way she knows exactly what I'm asking her to do.

I have a top sheet over my bed blanket for her hair that gets shaken every day and then the floor vacuumed. I used to have a "show" bed with decorative pillows, etc. LOL! Not now. It's all covered in one big sheet for my girl to lay on. :wub:

Dog hair and blankets just don't go together.

And yes, I agree, the slick sleeping bag type material is the BEST! I just don't use it on my bed at home, but crates and camping, yes.


----------



## Lobo dog

Thank you everyone for posting and voting  i found lots of information and joy while reading your responces  i really thought that this would be an interesting topic, and i was not disapoted.


----------



## Augustine

Butters has some separation anxiety issues (which we are working on fixing) so she insists on being near us as much as possible, especially when she sleeps.

My Mom keeps her door closed so at night, I'm the only person she can really get close to. My mattress is on the floor so she tries to jump up on it quite often, but I don't let her up on the bed (she has crawled up a few times, but has never made any attempt to sleep next to me - she just lays by my feet). She knows she is allowed to sleep next to me on the floor, whether it's while I'm in bed, or sitting in a chair, etc. And she's learning that it's not okay to hop up on my furniture without my permission, especially while I am on it.


----------



## lauren43

Augustine said:


> Butters has some separation anxiety issues (which we are working on fixing) so she insists on being near us as much as possible, especially when she sleeps.
> 
> My Mom keeps her door closed so at night, I'm the only person she can really get close to. My mattress is on the floor so she tries to jump up on it quite often, but I don't let her up on the bed (she has crawled up a few times, but has never made any attempt to sleep next to me - she just lays by my feet). She knows she is allowed to sleep next to me on the floor, whether it's while I'm in bed, or sitting in a chair, etc. And she's learning that it's not okay to hop up on my furniture without my permission, especially while I am on it.



I thought you had a baby puppy? Puppies don't have separation anxiety (generally) they just left their litter and don't understand what it is to be alone.


----------



## osito23

Out of 4 dogs, 1 sleeps in bed with us every night, and it's the 7lb chihuahua/dachshund mix. I love having all the dogs sleep in bed with us, but it's very crowded and my husband can't get a good night's sleep. The other 3 dogs can sleep wherever they want and often choose their dog beds or the couch.


----------



## LaRen616

No dogs on the bed, but Draven slept in my bed with me from 11 weeks to 6 months old. Once he turned 6 months old he started sleeping on the floor with Sinister. He's been there ever since and has not once tried to get back on the bed. 

The only reason why he slept in my bed was because he refused to sleep in a crate at night and having him in the bed with me meant I could keep an eye on him and know if he were up to no good. He was GREAT though, never got off the bed and never pottied on the bed.


----------



## onyx'girl

Only one of my dogs is on the bed footwarming. Though he comes and goes. Kacie can't jump up that high anymore  and Onyx doesn't want to be crowded. 
Onyx is on the bed now and then during the day.


----------



## Augustine

lauren43 said:


> I thought you had a baby puppy? Puppies don't have separation anxiety (generally) they just left their litter and don't understand what it is to be alone.


Really? I read up a lot on separation anxiety (especially in light of recent events) but I never heard anything about puppies mentioned. That's what I get for not researching even further before making assumptions. :/


----------



## Baillif

Giving the dog the bed is one step away from being dominated by the dog hardcore. In fact the only reason humans enjoy mastery of the planet is keeping the dogs out of the bed.


----------



## scarfish

no it's not. nothing wrong with sleeping with your dog.


----------



## misslesleedavis1

Baillif said:


> Giving the dog the bed is one step away from being dominated by the dog hardcore. In fact the only reason humans enjoy mastery of the planet is keeping the dogs out of the bed.


Yeah bc once they are in there they expect things and next thing you know the dogs got your visa and is at the spa..


----------



## MyHans-someBoy

Baillif said:


> Giving the dog the bed is one step away from being dominated by the dog hardcore. In fact the only reason humans enjoy mastery of the planet is keeping the dogs out of the bed.



Hmmm. I think I remember seeing lil Crank, when Baillif first got him, lounging on the bed.
OMG! I bet it's actually Crank who is now posting! 
Bet Baillif's tied up underneath the bed during the takeover.


----------



## Lilie

Baillif said:


> Giving the dog the bed is one step away from being dominated by the dog hardcore. In fact the only reason humans enjoy mastery of the planet is keeping the dogs out of the bed.


My dogs make my bed.


----------



## scarfish

ballif, you really won't tke a nap with a dog on the bed or are you trolling?


----------



## misslesleedavis1

I can't figure out how to keep my warm fuzzies on the bed


----------



## Baillif

MyHans-someBoy said:


> Hmmm. I think I remember seeing lil Crank, when Baillif first got him, lounging on the bed.
> OMG! I bet it's actually Crank who is now posting!
> Bet Baillif's tied up underneath the bed during the takeover.


We keep the old masters in the crates now. Soon none will be safe from the terror of the malinois


----------



## Xafie

Our little dog sleeps on the bed until she get annoyed at us humans hogging the space, she grunts and hops off. The cat on the other hand sleeps on the floor with our Shepherd pup.. They are best friends


----------



## jafo220

Cruz is allowed on the bed as long as he settles and his paws are decent. We have a routine of watching TV for a couple hours on the bed before actual bed time. He looks forward to it. He likes the bed. We also lounge in bed in the morning too. He gets chippie if he doesn't get his bed time.


----------



## shepherdmom

My dogs sleep on their beds on the floor of my bedroom. They are not allowed in my bed. I also have various crates scattered around case anyone wants to sleep in them, but they haven't for a while now.


----------



## Arc

Mums small dog sleeps with me if I go to bed before her but abandoned me for her bed (alpha I guess). That and when she gets up before me, I find myself a new guest that noses straight under the covers. No I don't mind the dirt, hair, filth or anything else, its part of having a dog. Life is too short to care about some dirt and its just a piece of furniture.

I'm hoping to adopt a shepherd mix in the next few days, depends if hes house broken or not as that is the terms of my agreement. He will get his own bed but hes welcome to jump in my bed if he wants on day one, its never been an issue with any dog.


----------



## JockSTAR

Didn't let him sleep on the bed but let HIM decide that he was going to sleep on the floor BESIDE the bed. Just plopped himself down one night and looked up with those eyes. BIGGEST mistake. His already dodgy behaviour took a severe turn for the worst and he became the really pushy little guy of the household climbing his way up the ladder. In a way it was a blessing as we got a trainer in who sorted us out immediately and learned some great lessons - if only I could have had those first few months over again...  He went back to the crate for a while and now sleeps in the laundry (we have very mild weather here in our part of Oz and it is security screened so mozzie and intruders cannot get in). He even takes himself back into the crate and the laundry during the day if the mood takes him. He spends his days outside and his pushiness has all but gone. Still a way to go but can see light at the end of the tunnel. So for me, it would be a no to that bed sharing thing.


----------



## Fate_GSD

Neither of our pets are allowed to be on any furniture, including the bed. 
Fate is 4 months old and sleeps in her crate next to our bed.
Rocco is 10 years old (Lab/Chow) and has a dog bed next to ours and splits time sleeping between that and varies spots in the bedroom and halllway.


----------



## GSDhistorian

My dog sleeps right next to me on the bed every night. Now, if someone else prefers their dog not sleep on the bed with them, thats their choice... i just hate when the people who don't allow their pets to sleep on the bed act all self righteous and criticize those of us who do talking about dog hair, and who's the alpha, bla bla bla.. I worked with and studied dogs my entire life... letting a dog sleep on the bed does NOT make them feel they are above you.. that's all garbage from Ceasar wannabee's.. Point is, you decide where your dog sleeps, i decide where mine sleeps, and mind your own business if you don't agree with me letting mine sleep on the bed, it's that simple.


----------



## Beverly

*Hubbie and I disagree...*

Dutch sleeps on the floor right next to my side of the bed. But, hubbie often invites Dutch up - all it takes is a sneaky little "come hither" with his finger, and Dutch is there. That is, until Mommy comes to bed - and he immediately jumps off. I'm sure the approach/avoidance signals we give him would make any other dog crazy, but Dutch knows us that we're the crazy ones!


----------



## tausha

*Teach them to ask*

Always shared my bed with my dog, but taught them each to ask to come up. Same with furniture. I understand those that think it dirty but for me, life is too short. If the dog is dirty then they are given a sign for 'no' and they seem happy to settle on heir bed. Never any behavior issues. Just a ton more laundry, lol.


----------



## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics

My girls sleep on our bed. They are not allowed on the couches, but bed is ok. I don't mind it, they are good bed warmers lol.


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR

*Sailor*

When Sailor was alive he had a memory foam pillow top dog bed on the floor by our bed. He was never allowed to sleep on the human bed however. As much as I wished he could, I would love nothing more than to have memories of snuggling with him on my bed but alas, he just shed too much. If he slept with me my bed would have been really dirty and I would have woken up probably sick from breathing in the hair and probably woken up with clumps of hair in my mouth or eyes or wherever. He shed fur like nothing I have ever seen before. I know gsd's shed a lot but this was crazy. Then after a while he passed away and I wonder if the excessive shedding was due to his health issues. In the future though, I will still not let my dogs sleep on my bed as much as I wish they could. Just doesn't seem sanitary...


----------



## Beverly

After reading about Sailor, I had to go to your album and see him. He was a beautiful boy. I am so sorry for your loss. He looks so affectionate, with those loving eyes locked on you. But, I do understand "German Shedders!" I try to brush Dutch every day just to stay ahead of it. Still, it's GSD's forever for us. Just not on the bed - or the sofa - or my seat in the car! If hubby had to do the laundry and cleaning, he wouldn't be so eager to invite him to bed, either!


----------



## BARBIElovesSAILOR

Thank you Beverly. I feel the same way too. No matter how much they shed, Sailor got me hooked on the loyalty of GSD's, and I don't expect to have another dog breed. One day when I am ready to move on and get another dog, it will be a GSD, maybe even a black one like my Sailor. I will still most likely not let them in my bed though haha.


----------



## Chicagocanine

My Golden Retriever slept on the bed next to me every night for 10 years. She was very good and also cleaner than some dogs. I had a twin bed so that was the only way she would fit. If I told her "Ginger, bedtime!" she would go stand next to my bed and wait for me to get in and invite her up. Then she would jump up next to me with her feet facing the edge of the bed, and I would put my arm under her head to sleep. That way we could both fit on the bed and if I moved around too much in my sleep and accidentally pushed her off (yes, happened sometimes) she would land on her feet!  When she was older and her spondylosis got worse I would lift her up onto the bed.

I would sometimes invite Bianca my GSD on the bed when I was napping but she was a little bigger than Ginger and also didn't understand how to fit herself without either hitting me with her paws or taking up too much room. So at night she slept on a dog bed in my bedroom. She refused to get up before me, so even if I slept really late and a family member came and asked her if she wanted to go outside she would not leave my bedroom until I got up!

My new dog is still a puppy and sleeps in his crate at night.


----------



## Ace GSD

Only when the wife at work.... well only once but i plan to do it again hihi


----------



## CountryGirl01

My pup occasionally sleeps on the bed but for the most part sleeps on the floor in the bedroom.


----------



## wick

Ace GSD said:


> Only when the wife at work.... well only once but i plan to do it again hihi


Ace that's hilarious me too! ( although my boyfriend) he went out of town for work and I quickly decided I shouldn't have to sleep alone, I Also let him nap with me or watch tb.but that's it.


----------



## Darthvader

JoeyG said:


> No bed and no furniture. Love my boy but he's still a dog and when its all said and done he sleeps downstairs so he can watch the house at night. Still expect him to do some of the work he was bred for. We do snuggle on the carpet while watching tv though lol!


j

I agree 100%:gsdhead::gsdhead:


----------



## Dev_DeCoste

My pup Kovu usually sleeps on the couch but comes in and sleeps on my bed in the middle of the night. he doesn't have his own bed yet but even once he does I have no issues with it and don't think he does either.


----------



## WolfsOwner

GSDhistorian said:


> My dog sleeps right next to me on the bed every night. Now, if someone else prefers their dog not sleep on the bed with them, thats their choice... i just hate when the people who don't allow their pets to sleep on the bed act all self righteous and criticize those of us who do talking about dog hair, and who's the alpha, bla bla bla.. I worked with and studied dogs my entire life... letting a dog sleep on the bed does NOT make them feel they are above you.. that's all garbage from Ceasar wannabee's.. Point is, you decide where your dog sleeps, i decide where mine sleeps, and mind your own business if you don't agree with me letting mine sleep on the bed, it's that simple.


I agree! I let Wolf sleep with me and nap with me whenever she likes. We have a very strong bond and I love her being next to me. My fiancé doesn't mind either. I use an old sheet to lay on top of our comforter, plus I wash the sheets twice a week. I read somewhere that this is also a pack behavior - sleeping in groups - who knows though, that could be a false claim. Either way, Wolf can snuggle whenever she likes.


----------



## wick

Haha I need to change my vote! We now let Wick sleep with us every night  he does get off when we ask though, but if he didn't we would start crating him at night again.


----------



## sebrench

Hubby doesn't like the dog in bed, which I respect. When my husband travels, however, I let the pup sleep in the bed with me if he wants to. Most of the time, though, he prefers sleeping beside me on the floor. He will hop on the bed in the morning when it's time for breakfast and wake me up.


----------



## MamaofLEO

We are thinking of getting this bedding for the bedroom--->


----------



## Debanneball

Debanneball said:


> The day Fritz can jump up and down on his own, he is more than welcome. For the time being, he is safe on the floor...


Fritz now jumps up and down on his own quite safely..so he is welcome to sleep with us. He starts out on the bed, but when I get up in the morning, he is on his bed..wonder why


----------



## ThorsonVonThorson

My fiance wakes up about an hour before me every morning. As soon as she leaves the bedroom Thor jumps up into bed and sleeps with me until I get up. Through the night both dogs sleep right beside us on dense memory foam dog mattesses.


----------



## dogdad

Bed isn't big enough for all of us. Besides, I think they understand the hierarchy better if some things are kept separate.


----------



## car2ner

this summer our bedroom has been hot so our dog has been going from his crate, which us under the AC vent, to his Chillspot bed on the other side of the room. If he does hop up onto the bed, his panting shakes the whole bed.


----------



## frillint1

My boy is allowed where ever he wants. I usually end up calling him up on the bed and he gets on for a bit then gets off and lays right next to my side of the bed.


----------



## charger

I used to. now he pooh's in his sleep. so not anymore


----------



## Jenny720

Max sleeps in our room on his dog bed or rug and sleeps on that. He will jump on our bed every morning around 4:00 a.m. give us some kisses and sleeps in bed for 15 minutes and then gets down and goes in his own bed. It seems to his ritual.


----------



## Bridget

Looks like most folks are either ALWAYS or NEVER. I said sometimes. As I have aged, I can't sleep with a large dog in my bed, and my legs curled up. I feel bad about this, as I love the concept of sleeping with them. But I have to get some sleep. So they sleep in their beds on the floor. Except when there is a storm, Corina sneaks up on our bed and on those nights I let her.


----------



## 115pounds

LOL, I have always let my dogs sleep on the bed. But none of my 9 GSD's have ever stayed very long, because they get hot and move to a cooler location. I don't think any of my dogs have stayed on the bed for more than 16 minutes, but they can sure get the bed dirty in that little bit of time.


----------



## Antonia

Viper has his own house in the yard (isolated and all, with fine mattress not just some wooden thing ) and I thing he likes it very much. But if you put some clothes on the floor ( say, the picnic blanket when we are fishing ) he jumps right on top of it wet, muddy, sandy or whatever and starts to roll over it  Funny, cuddling boy he is 
I don't thing that a dog should sleep in our bed, after all he gets muddy, dirty and all and can't exactly take a shower and jump in the bed like human would do. We don't allow the cat in our bed either, btw, don't know how you manage keep your dogs clean enough to sleep in your beds. Share some tips if you'd like to


----------



## Dewayne

Mine sleep on the bed with me part of the night . As soon as I get in bed Chevi gets in to cuddle but after about 10-20 min he gets too hot and gets in the floor beside the bed . Eboni gos to bed in the living room but when I wake up she is curled up against my legs . I go to bed with one but wake up with the other .


----------



## Stonevintage

I just started allowing her on the bed. I have a "special cover" I put down at the end of the bed and that's where she stays - yea, right...... this taken 10 minutes ago.......


----------



## trcy

I chose sleeps on the bed every night, but he sleeps where he wants. There are two dog beds on the floor. He spends time in each one. If he's hot he goes in the bathroom, but he always is on the bed in the morning.


----------



## Stonevintage

Ha! My dog's bed is a Sealy Posture Pedic crib matress - one year old and my queen mattress is the same brand but 20 years old. She has totally vanished my Ralph Lauren down pillow which is under her shoulders. I think I might ball up and spend the night on hers - but then she'd want to share it with me......


----------



## NightingaleGSD

Please share tips of what you all do as far as maintaining cleanliness in your bed? My girl seems to shed a lot, loves to lay in the dirt if I don't let her inside fast enough after doing her business.


----------



## wyoung2153

I picked allowed in the room when I sleep but sleeps on the floor in his bed.. which is mostly true, but also that he is allowed on the bed at times, just not when it's bedtime. It's too small to have him and my husband AND me to sleep comfortably. Not to mention Titan removes himself anyways because he doesn't like sleeping up there when we are up there. 



NightingaleGSD said:


> Please share tips of what you all do as far as maintaining cleanliness in your bed? My girl seems to shed a lot, loves to lay in the dirt if I don't let her inside fast enough after doing her business.


My parents kept an old blanket on their bed during the day and took it off at night. They would get up there as the pleased and only be able to mess up that one blanket. If they stayed on there through the night, the extra blanket did as well.


----------



## Kong

Yeah that's the problem you run into when you let them sleep in the bed. What i do is put an old sheet on the other side of the bed where my dog sleeps and he usually stays on that side of the bed all night. It typically keeps the hair and dirt off my bed spread.


----------



## Stonevintage

It's mud season! Found a solution. Just a plain posterboard. When it's on the bed, she's not allowed on it. If it's not on the bed, it's ok. 

I started this training a couple of weeks ago with 3 pieces of poster board. She didn't want on the bed because they were not comfy to lay on. One board works now -


----------



## mjackson0902

My husband is a deputy for our sheriffs department and works night shift so I let LJ up on the bed when he is at work. My husband HATES this with a passion so I try to cover it up but the hair always give us away lol  He is just such a good pillow!!


----------



## ConcreteCowgirl

I use the dog-sheet method as well. It's a win-win, I get the dog and bed stay clean of hair (until he shakes). I love the morning snuggles - makes me laugh every morning - who can resist that?


----------



## Antonia

So .. you know "the winter is coming" and we had a twist in mind about the sleeping problem.
As mentioned earlier, Viper has his own dog-house and bed and all in the yard, but since he is a spoiled little thing (OK - not so little but yet super spoiled), we decided that it's too cold for him to sleep outside alone. Now he is outside in his house while we are at work. When we get home he goes inside with us. Sleeps in the bedroom with us, but he owns yet another bed for indoor use.
And a bit of OFF-TOPIC:
About the cleaning... his paws gets wiped with wet towel every time he goes inside, he is regularly brushed (every other day) and 2 or 3 times a week we wipe the whole of him with the wet towel ( sometimes with some tea tree oil on that towel along with the water  ) .. and probably very, very bad thing that we do is that we bathe him too often - like every month or month and a half (with very diluted shampoo for cats and dogs with sensitive skin). Well, you can't say our house is absolutely dog-fur-and-odor-free, but we are all together and happy ;-)
Good luck and all the best wishes!:hug::wub:


----------



## Tulip

My 8 year old Yorkie nearly always sleeps in bed with me unless I forget to bring her up here and she doesn't scratch the door to remind me lol. My 3 yr Shepherd sleeps inhis crate. I don't trust him in my bedroom yet lol!


----------



## Birbeck

Never. Ever. Big boundary.
She's too large for that, and it encourages them to jump on things they aren't meant to and that can cause them a bit of stress when they do get scolded for it, being consistent has always helped and she's never tried to get onto the bed. Never had an issue.
Love my dog, but that's going too far. She has her own high quality, clean bed to sleep on. She'll whine if she can't follow, so she'll usually sleep in my room. Maybe if she was a toy chihuahua.


----------



## Ajax & Harper

Our dogs both sleep on the bed with us every night, occasionally they will get off and sleep on the dog beds or on the floor. It's up to them where they want to crash every night.


----------



## maxtmill

I have mixed feelings about this. I would like to have dogs in the bed, but it has caused issues with disrupting our sleep at night. At one point, we had five little dogs in our bed, and I ended up sleeping on the couch! Then I said, WAIT! The dogs still sleep in our bedroom, but in their crates. I love feeling their presence with me while I sleep. With a large powerful breed such as a GSD, I have read that allowing them to sleep on your bed can cause "territorial" issues. But-I wonder if it would be okay if you made the dog wait to be told to get up on the bed, and if you made it clear that he had to get off whenever told. ????? Haha- I had a tiny Italian Greyhound that bit me anytime I moved in the bed, so he had to stay OFF!


----------



## maxtmill

Tulip said:


> My 8 year old Yorkie nearly always sleeps in bed with me unless I forget to bring her up here and she doesn't scratch the door to remind me lol. My 3 yr Shepherd sleeps inhis crate. I don't trust him in my bedroom yet lol!


To Tulip-a bit off topic, but...did you or do you have issues with bringing a GSD pup into your home with a small dog?


----------



## maxtmill

Stonevintage said:


> Ha! My dog's bed is a Sealy Posture Pedic crib matress - one year old and my queen mattress is the same brand but 20 years old. She has totally vanished my Ralph Lauren down pillow which is under her shoulders. I think I might ball up and spend the night on hers - but then she'd want to share it with me......


Love this, Stonevintage! I like the idea also to give the dog a special cover, since I use a down alternative çoverlet!


----------



## MagicHorse

We have a rule that the dogs only get on furniture when invited, including the bed & once they get out of bed, they don't get back up into bed for the rest of the night. 
When my husband 1st got his dog, she'd jump down & he'd invite her back up (he's a light sleeper so she'd wake him up every time). I'm a heavy sleeper so didn't even know. One night he mentioned not getting much sleep because she kept getting out of bed so I said don't let her back on the bed. He did that & she spent about a month sleeping on the floor then decided she wants to be in bed with the rest of us & stays on the bed all night now.


----------



## ruger123

Husband doesn't like dogs in bed, so Ruger joins me in the morning when the husband goes to work. I think it's our favorite time of day! It's the only time he's snuggly!


----------



## Ivanlotter

Mila sleeps on the bed at the moment. Found it to be easier to wake up if she wants to go in the middle of the night. I am busy building a dog crate in a table which will become her bed.


----------

