GENERAL SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

miriadna.com

♦ A Dog Should Sleep in the Bedroom with His “People.”

This is the general agreement among the dog experts, based on the current understanding of the canine/human bond. Dogs are “pack” animals: in the dog’s eyes you are now the leader (alpha) of that pack, so it follows that you should all share the same “den” at night.

 ♦ Sleeping in the Same Bedroom Promotes Closeness.

The dog’s bed should be near yours to encourage attachment to you. While the puppy is young and you are using the crate for training you can put the crate in your bedroom at night to enhance the bonding between the puppy and his new family. If space permits and it isn’t otherwise a burden on you, having two crates would mean you could keep one crate in the bedroom and one in the main “hanging out” space in the house. The latter should be positioned so that the puppy can see you in bed and doesn’t feel abandoned.

 ♦ Let the Dog Stay in the Bedroom for at Least the First Few Nights.

If you have doubts about your bedroom being the dog’s bedroom, keep an open mind. Depending on how it goes you may change your mind. Even if you decide later that you want the dog to sleep elsewhere, it is recommended that you give it a try for a little while, because it promotes closeness and a sense of security for the dog. Also realize that the more the pup feels bonded to you, the greater her desire will be to protect and defend you. Many people sleep more soundly knowing that their dog is the best alarm system they can get.

♦ Dogs Generally Don’t Care about Our Sex Lives.

Some people worry that if the dog is in the bedroom he will be bothered by or interfere with their lovemaking. In asking around, it seems as if dogs ignore people’s sexual encounters—even noisy ones!—no matter how exciting they seem to us. This is usually true whether you have a dog from puppyhood or adopt an adult from an unknown background.

The possible interference with your sexual activity is a different story if you’ve allowed the dog to sleep on the bed . . . since he’ll be right in the middle of it. (Perhaps this is a good reason  not to teach your dog to sleep with you?) People who are adamant about their dogs “needing” to sleep on the bed with them may live alone and not be sexually active, or they may be in a relationship but have an inactive sex life. Or perhaps they may not realize that the dog(s) sleeping on their bed could be a contributing factor to sex not taking place in either case. (Obviously these are people-to-people issues, not dog-to-people issues, and would need to be addressed in a different forum.)

 ♦ The Dog’s Bed Needs to Be Cozy and Comfortable.

In order for a dog to want to sleep on his bed, it needs to be inviting. The cover should be frequently washed and turned over for even wear. If the bed has loose fill rather than a solid piece of foam inside, many fussy dogs won’t lie down on it if you don’t shake the bed to even out the fill.

Copyright © Tracie Hotchner – Originally appeared in The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know by Tracie Hotchner