# Help with argument - to sleep in our bed or not?



## juhealy

How many of you let your GSD sleep in your bed with you?

My wife and I are "debating" on whether or not to let Kaiser sleep in our bed with us. We have a large king size bed so even when he is full size it won't be a space issue.

Kaiser is 10 weeks right now and we have a second crate in our room with us that he does well with. On a couple of our middle of the night potty breaks that happen only a few hours before we have to get up, we have let him just sleep in our bed with us until the alarm goes off. He sleeps much better in our bed and loves to be up there.

Does anyone let there dog sleep with them and if so what sort of issues do you have (both good and bad). Wondering if I should stop this now or if it is ok to let this one go.

Thanks,


----------



## Elaine

No, no, and more no. Your puppy is WAY too young not to be crated when you are sleeping. You just might wake up to a new hole in your bed or discover he got off the bed and chewed on something that could make him sick or dead. When he's older and safe to have loose in the house, then you can take up the matter of having him in bed with you or not.


----------



## Mac's Mom

Elaine said:


> No, no, and more no. Your puppy is WAY too young not to be crated when you are sleeping. You just might wake up to a new hole in your bed or discover he got off the bed and chewed on something that could make him sick or dead. When he's older and safe to have loose in the house, then you can take up the matter of having him in bed with you or not.


Justin, I totally agree with Elaine. Puppy cannot be trusted if you doze off. I learned the hard way . 

We have a king size bed too and my husband said that Mac would never sleep with us...ever!!! Mac's 10 months now and sleeps in our bed every night LOL.


----------



## GSDElsa

NOOOOO spells NO! Haha. Way too young. He needs to learn to sleep in a crate and that whining and crying doesn't mean he gets to come cuddle with mom and dad. He could get hurt in bed. He could just off the bed and get himself into trouble. He could dedcid he's your "equal" and respect you less. All around it's not a good idea, as much fun as puppy cuddles are.

You need to wait until he doesn't need to be crated to make the choice, and I'd do it based on his personality. Some dogs get attitude them they get to share a bed with you. Some don't. My husband waited a year to let Elsa sleep in bed with us, and she was an adult when we got her. Only allowed on the bed at "bed time" and she respects it. And I tell you, first time she ignored a command or got saucy with me...there would be no bed time.


----------



## VChurch

I would say 'no'.

I let Sobacca sleep in my bed. But Minna is a big fat no on sleeping in the bed. She is 5 months old and I know if she slept in the bed she wouldn't sleep the entire night. At least in her crate she knows it is sleepy time and even when she wakes up off and on throughout the night she'll go right back to sleep and not wake anyone up wanting to play. It'll be a while before she's allowed to sleep a whole night in bed with us.


----------



## Mac's Mom

I agree with what the other posters are saying too about respect. Mac will sleep on the bedroom floor until he's invited up.


----------



## Navah

One of our dogs sleeps in bed with us but only after he turned one, and even then we had a baby gate up for another few months after that. He had to proove himself to us. 

Navah, is six months and she will be sleeping in her crate for awhile. I just dont trust her, she chews on everything and so quietly i dont think id wake up. Its just safer that way... plus she is a MAJOR bed hog! When my boyfriend wakes up for work he lets her out for our morning snuggles, but only if im awake.


----------



## Emoore

Our dogs started being allowed to sleep on the bed at about 1 year old. Mostly, though, they've always just come up for loving and then jumped down to sleep. I think they got crowded.


----------



## Miss Molly May

Wait until your pup is 5 or 6 mths old that what we did!!!!


----------



## BlackPuppy

I let one dog sleep in my bed - Balto. He usually doesn't stay up there all night, plus he will get down if I say, "get down, Balto". At about 6 am, I let my female join us, but I don't get any sleep after that. When I want a good night's sleep, the dogs sleep downstairs.


----------



## Whiteshepherds

Our first shepherd did but never again. We've never had a problem with fleas but we're in tick country. Dog and deer ticks. Advantix works but ticks still do find their way on to the dogs...I don't want them crawling off the dog and on me while I'm sleeping. euwwww


----------



## vat

I have to agree with a big NO. Not only the issues that he is to young but as he gets older it could become an issue with dominance. He should only be on the bed if invited, later!


----------



## Zoeys mom

I guess I totally stink because Zoe though crated when we are gone for the day is allowed to sleep in our bed. As a pup she stayed there, but now that she is older sleeps on the floor at the foot of the bed. When she went through her first heat she was crated at night without issue, and never has destroyed anything at night at least,lol. A word of caution from me is that king size bed will NOT be enough room for you all to sleep comfortable when she is full grown- they sprawl out and take up half the bed


----------



## shilorio

shilo was a heavy sleeper,, she always slept with me, but my room is pretty much empty and i puppy proofed everything!! like barriers everywhere. but she slept by me alll night


----------



## Lilie

If you set your pup up now to learn to sleep in the crate (and enjoy it) you can do what ever makes you happy once it's older. Think about if you take your dog with you to a friends house and ya'll are going to spend the night. Having the dog in your friends bed is different then a dog in yours. Some folks don't care for having animals up on their furniture. I can crate my GSD anytime, anywhere and he is perfectly quiet. No worries about taking him with us, anyplace. 

My GSD wasn't allowed on the bed. He is now a year old, and hubby lets him jump up there for some one on one time. However, Hondo always jumps back down when he is ready to sleep.


----------



## Stosh

So how won the argument?? I have no desire to sleep with dogs, any dogs- a big noisy husband is more than enough beast to sleep with. My pups slept in a crate by the bed for the first couple of weeks, then crated in the kitchen. Once Stosh turned 5 mos I let him out to have free run of the uncarpeted areas of the house. And I haven't caught any furry little bottoms on the carpet yet!


----------



## Miikkas mom

Your pup is way too young to be sleeping w/ you right now. 

Miikka sleeps with us but she didn't start to do this until she was about 7 months old, or so. She is a very good sleeper! Once she is in bed she does not move until the morning (unless she has to go potty, then she'll wake either DH or I up). 

Miikka usually sleeps curled up down by my feet. Every once in a while she’ll work her way up and lay between DH and I, putting her head on the pillow and stretching out. I actually prefer she does that because then I can stretch out too!


----------



## PupperLove

I would say keep the puppy in the crate. They may be little and cute now, but they are going to grow to be BIG and cute, and trying to break a habit is going to be hard for the dog if that's what he learned from the get-go.

Plus letting him cry in the crate will also help to show him that it's OK to be out of your sight. He will get over it soon enough. We put a blanket partially covering Jackson's crate at night, and he never cried (his crate was next to our lab's, so that probably has something to do with the no-crying). He slept on the main level, we were up-stairs.

Then there's the hair, and ticks you will find on yourself in your bed. I went to bed and woke up with a tick on me just from having my clothes from the woods in the bedroom with me!

Just all around not a good idea IMO.


----------



## PupperLove

Lilie said:


> If you set your pup up now to learn to sleep in the crate (and enjoy it) you can do what ever makes you happy once it's older. Think about if you take your dog with you to a friends house and ya'll are going to spend the night. Having the dog in your friends bed is different then a dog in yours. Some folks don't care for having animals up on their furniture. *I can crate my GSD anytime, anywhere and he is perfectly quiet. No worries about taking him with us, anyplace.*
> 
> My GSD wasn't allowed on the bed. He is now a year old, and hubby lets him jump up there for some one on one time. However, Hondo always jumps back down when he is ready to sleep.


Great point Lilie. That's very true. We took the dogs camping this summer. They both had their crates along and slept fine away from home.


----------



## paulag1955

I don't even understand why people want to sleep with their dogs, but apparently I'm in the minority.


----------



## KZoppa

NO!!!!! for a puppy that young a crate is the safest thing for the pup and your sanity! Two of my dogs are old enough they can be trusted to actually sleep through the night no issues. BUT! they sleep on the floor. Shasta isnt old enough to be trusted and therefore sleep in the crate downstairs.


----------



## kiya

No. At night my pup is in a crate, the 2 big dogs have thier own beds and are free to roam the house. It would be cute having puppy sleep in bed...until a pee pee accident. My dogs are allowed on the bed, and usually sleep in my bed during the day, I can tell by looking at the bed. I think the panting would make me sea sick after a while. I also think it gets too warm for my big dogs, I often find them scattered laying in different parts of the house on the bare floor instead of thier beds.


----------



## Island Dog

Don't do it! My wife layed down the law on this issue many years ago, and she was right. Although very comforting at times for both human and canine, research at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center has shown having an animal in the bed disrupts human sleep patterns in a dramatic way. In addition, you need to consider any allergens, which can plague owners. Not just pet allergies, but molds, spores, pollens, dust and pollutants, which are trapped in your dog's coat. Invite them up for special occaissions, and then for a few minutes as a treat. Then change your bedding.


----------



## doggiedad

when my dog was a pup he slept in his crate.
his crate was in the livingroom. my dog is
3 yrs. old now and he sleeps in our bed.
when it's time to go to bed one of us will say 
"it's time to go to bed" and our dog will
walk down the hallway and either lay down
beside the bed or sit beside the bed untill we settle in the bed.
once we're in the bed he'll jump on the bed and lay down
at the foot of the bed. he'll lay there for a while and then
lay down on the floor.

decide what you want. do you want your dog in
bed with you or not???


----------



## Lilie

You also have to consider the impact jumping on and off the bed will have on your puppy's joints. Even with the best intentions, your pup can attempt to jump off your bed while ya'll are sleeping. His joints aren't fully developed and could cause serious injury. 

I crate Hondo in the back of the truck when we travel. I still only allow him to put his front feet up on the the tail gate, and I hoist his rear up. When we unload he'll wait till I get him in a bear hug and gently come down. I suppose it'll be a while before I feel ok about letting him jump in and out.


----------



## juhealy

This is why I love this board. So many things I didn't even think about. Sounds like Kaiser will stay in his crate and we will address it when he is bigger.

Thanks again everyone.


----------



## Iletthedogout

paulag1955 said:


> I don't even understand why people want to sleep with their dogs, but apparently I'm in the minority.


You may be in the minority, but you are not alone. No dogs on the bed, on the couch...

Pack leaders on the bed... others on the floor or in the crate.


----------



## JakodaCD OA

well I guess I'm the only one that flunked night time crate training 101 )

All of my dogs when puppies, ended up in bed with me when they were very very young, I never had a problem with them, jumping off the bed, pottying on the bed or being a pain in the neck 

Gave me a good nights sleep, and they always seem to be much more comfortable and QUIET in bed with me. 

Of course I have a king size bed, the hubby has his own room (he snores like a bull elephant!) and I don't mind having the two girlz plus however many cats share the bed. Yes, Masi tends to be a bed hog, and usually ends up sleeping across my legs or some other weird position, but sorry I don't mind it


----------



## Randall

No.... He was in his crate as a puppy. Whne he got older he would jump on the bed and test us but we would win. Now an older boy he does get on the bed when we are not home and sometimes in the evening.... But he knows his place when we go to bed he goes to his............


----------



## Rosa

No I don't have mine up on the bed, they aren't allowed in the bedrooms, only the sitting room, hall and kitchen. They aren't allow up on the sofas either, always on their own beds or cushions on the floor.


----------



## Agaribay805

Our 6 month old sleeps in our bed and I regret it. She was crate trained and I begged my husband to let her sleep on the bed with us. He wasn't happy about it but said ok anyways. It's just a big pain in the butt. It does disturb my sleep several times a night. We have a king size bed too but it's not like she stays in one little corner area. She will try to lay all over our legs and spreads out like crazy. One of these days I'm going to attempted to reverse this horrible habit I started. She began sleeping with us at 4 months. Before then she would cuddle but she would go to her crate when we turned the lights out. I miss those days.


----------



## Stonevintage

I didn't let mine until she was a year old. As far as space goes.... you may think you have plenty but you will probably find yourselves teaching the "scoot over" command fairly soon. 

I have noticed that mine tends to sleep with her head closest to the nearest window. Not sure but I think this is a guarding position. However, although this position works best for her, it results in her sleeping cross ways from me. I wouldn't mind and there is still room, but as you can visualize - this results in my first view upon opening my eyes in the morning - her rear end. While I don't like to complain and I appreciate her efforts....some mornings it gives me a rather crappie outlook and start to my day!


----------

