Getting a dog is a tremendous responsibility. As a dog owner, you may be heavily tempted to let your dog share the bed. This is especially true if your dog is still a puppy!
When should you keep your dog out of bed?
During the initial stages, a dog should definitely not be allowed to sleep in your bed. This is at least, for sure until the dog is potty trained. If you allow a puppy that is not yet potty trained to sleep in your bed, it is quite a realistic possibility that it will wake up and go on the floor. You definitely do not want to wake up to that!
There are other scenarios when a dog should be prohibited from sleeping in your bed. If they are freezing, growling, snarling, visibly frustrated, digging, chewing bed linen or pillows, or else bite you when picking them off the bed, they should not be allowed to stay in it. They must only be allowed back on the bed once this behaviour stops through the appropriate training.
Health and hygiene
Although most dogs are cute, you need to consider health and hygiene before you allow them in bed. Dogs may have zoonotic diseases, which can spread from animals to humans. Snuggling in bed with your dog will expose you even further to such a disease.
Similarly, you as an owner can suffer from pet allergies. These are more likely to amplify, due to the closer proximity with your pet.
There may also be other causes for concern. If a dog happens to suffer from arthritis, back, neck or orthopaedic pain, having it going on and off the bed may do more harm than good.
When it is fine to allow a dog to sleep in your bed
A dog may be allowed to sleep in your bed to create a better bond. This helps to establish further trust between you and your pet. Together with this is the fact that you may also benefit as it can help to dilute anxiety, making you feel safer and contributing to a better sleep.
If your dog is healthy, trained, well-behaved and does not wake you up several times during the night, feel free to let it accompany you.
Do you own a dog? Do you allow it to share the bed? Let us know your views on this in the comments section below.
