Why Your Dog Should Not Sleep on Your Bed
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It many be quite tempting for dog owners to want to invite their canine companion on their bed. With dogs being perceived more as part of the family than pets, boundaries of the past have been removed, and now canines are often spoiled, being allowed to snooze on beds and eat at the table. As much as it feels cozy to have your dog sleep with you, there are several reasons why this should be discouraged.
Why You Should not Invite Your Dog on the Bed
Dogs and humans have lived together and worked together for centuries, it therefore may seem to make sense to even sleep together. Whether your dog sleeps with you in the night, or he is allowed to sleep on your bed when you are away, there are a few considerations you may want to keep in mind, and some are not correlated with hygiene issues.
• Hygiene
Dogs, are not the cleanliest of animals, even though we would hope they were. If you allow your dog to go potty in your yard, there are chances he may eventually step on his stools and carry traces of it on his paws. This will cause feces particles to be carried on your bed: not something nice to think about! Another problem is if your dog is infested with tapeworms: tapeworms tend to release segments from your dog's rectum that resemble grains of rice, and these will certainly end up on your bed and sheets.
• Fleas and Ticks
If you are not using effective products to keep pesky parasites away, chances are they will make their way in your home and also on your bed. A tick may fall off after having a blood meal on your dog and decide to travel its way through your sheets. Fleas tend to hop around and will find a bed to be a perfect place to release eggs. Even if you do use products against fleas on your dog, they may still lounge in your home if you do not use products to eradicate them from the home as well.
• Bad Habits
If you dog is allowed once on your bed, he will think he will be allowed all the time. You may invite him one day in your bed because he looks not to be feeling well or may seem cold, but your dog will not likely understand the concept of ''only today'' and therefore will be persistent to keep his right over the bed. He may also not climb up when you tell him not to but sneak his way to the bed when you are not around.
• Privilege
Most dogs see sleeping on the bed as a big privilege. Your dog may therefore start thinking he owns the whole bed. You may expect a growl when you command him to get off the bed or if you move too much around in the night. Some dogs also may act aggressively when startled in the middle of sleeping.
Of course, this is not the case with all dogs, only some may resort to such behaviors. You should be able to order your dog on and off the bed with no problems. Remember that sleeping on the bed is a privilege and as a privilege it can be lost if your dog starts acting bossy.
Teach your dog to sleep on his own bed and be happy!!
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I have a small dog who is bathed constantly. She does sleet in my bed and I probably won't change that. I did find your hub quite interesting. Thanks.
I see all your arguments but my little doggers are still going to sleep with me! And you're right, they believe themselves superior to me in every way!!! Har. Har. Thanks for the nice hub!
I agree with you. I would never let a dog or cat sleep on my bed or furniture.
I agree. I let my last dog have access to the bed and he eventually took over. It was a nightly fight for space. After that, I banned him from the bed. He didn't like it but he had a nice dog bed at the foot of mine so he got over it.
I address the hygiene issues you listed in this manner: I take my dog outdoors on leash and use baby wipes on her after she potties, including washing each of her feet. (Of course, I scoop the poop and properly dispose of it so it's not on the ground for either my dog or I--or anyone else who walks into my back yard--to step in it.)She's been accustomed to this all her life and is now 6 years old. When I bring her back indoors, she stands and patiently lifts one foot at a time to have it washed with a baby wipe. She expects to have her butt washed too (and it is). She has regular baths, is treated with Advantix to keep off fleas and ticks and is no more likely to have them than I. I even brush her teeth regularly so her breath smells clean. It helps that she's a breed (miniature Schnauzer) that doesn't shed, so that's a plus in her favor. She has regular checkups with her vet and is kept in good health (no parasites).
I can understand why some people don't want a pet in their bed or on their furniture, especially if the hygiene issues aren't throughly addressed, the pet sheds hair or is demanding. However, these things are not a factor in my dog's situation. Since I live alone, suffer from insomnia and read a lot at night, it comforts me to have my little dog lying with her head on her pillow on the other side of the bed. She doesn't try to hog the space or the cover (she's a small dog), and she even likes to sleep late when I do. Once in a while she snores lightly for a few minutes, but that just makes me smile. When I tell her to get off the bed or the sofa, she does with no problem.
I think it's possible that dogs, like people, may adapt to situations as individuals. I never had a pet in my life until I was 61 years old, and I'm making up for lost time, enjoying her company every day.
JAYE
And it is for people like you that treat their dogs well, give them lots of care and establish themselves well as leaders that I wrote at the end of the article:''Of course, this is not the case with all dogs, only some may resort to such behaviors.''
I agree with you because it deosnt make sense dogs and human beings which are considerd to be higher animals to be sharing the same bed.
Hi again, Alexadry...I didn't mean to come across in my comments as argumentative, because I do recognize the validity of the points you made in your article. Just want to assure you that wasn't my intent.You wrote a very good article and I'm sure it will be helpful for many readers.
Also, another thing I realized AFTER I'd already submitted my comment was, "Gee whiz, Jaye, now everyone who reads this is going to know you wipe your dog's butt with baby wipes!" Just call me an over-protective pup parent. My little fur-baby has brought so much joy to my life. I only wish I'd learned the happiness of pets before I did. JAYE
Our dogs sleep on the bed, no issues.
Jaye, no need to apologize... I am well aware that there are great dog owners out there that have no problems with having their dog on the bed.
Bty, I know others who also wipe their dog's butt and paws, lol!
I love dogs, but I agree about keeping them out of the bed. Everyone has their own opinion on that. I doubt there is ever any significant, life-changing problems that occur from dogs sleeping in the bed. It boils down to personal preference. Personally, the bed is reserved for my wife and myself.
Very interesting, especially the first part about hygiene. We have a dog in a small condo and he usually has his own place to sleep, but now I will certainly keep him off our bed.
Great advice! We got our 5 pounds of terror Chew Chew my Chihuahua from my sister in law who loves animals. He and his furry mates had run of the house and bedroom. When we got him at first he slept with us until I woke up and stepped in something. We bought the correct size crate for him and after a while that became his alone time area. He knows when we say "shower" or time to go night night, it's time to his kennel.
I have dogs and cats in the house and they do spend time on the furniture and the bed, however they have specific furniture they do not go on and they are never allowed on the guest bed. I understand your arguments and they do make sense. I like your last comment and that certainly sums it up. However you do have to ensure that your dog knows that you are the boss and the bed is yours!!!
As a dog trainer I have dealt with countless owners of dogs growling when asked off the bed or owners being bitten when sharing a bed with their pooch. It is in my nature therefore to be cautious in preventing dogs from sleeping on the bed. Of course, yes, this does not apply to all dogs and some owners have had their dogs on beds with no issues.
dahoglund Level 7 Commenter 15 months ago
I agree