Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

If your dog sleeps on your bed at night…

83 replies

TeenLifeMum · 19/04/2023 17:33

Did you start out like that? (Purely curious)

we have the most beautiful working cocker spaniel who is approaching 3 years old. Initially we crate trained but by 2 years old he was very reliable/not chewing stuff so he moved to just a bed in the dining area/kitchen and at night we’d shut that side of the house off.

when we had the kitchen done, he moved to our bedroom but with strict rules that he slept on his bed (that was last summer). Since then we’ve allowed free rein of the house except the living room because the sofa is new. Generally he’d start the night on his dining room bed and part way through the night he moves to our room or the landing. That’s until March this year.

I’ve had a bad few weeks - very upset, struggling with some difficult situations etc which have meant my gp has prescribed sleeping tablets but trying to use sparingly to avoid long term issues. Our dog has become the loveliest cuddler and has begun sneaking up the side under the covers to snuggle… I allowed it and it really helped me emotionally. Now dh is keen to regain our bed so is sending the dog away when he jumps up. He seems to try roughly every hour in the hopes we’re asleep and inevitable we wake up in the morning and he’s there.

i think I’m caving… he’s so damn cute!

I’ve gone from “no dog upstairs” to having a dog on my bed! I’ve changed so much.

Did you cave or just start out with the pup on your bed? He’s a bit big really!

OP posts:
Nannyfannybanny · 19/04/2023 17:47

Got one border collie now, she has her own bed,in our room, quite happy for her to be on the bed. Usually head on my legs. Most of our dogs have ended up in the bedroom on the bed for different reasons

SecretVictoria · 19/04/2023 17:48

Our cavapoo was crate trained when we got him 4 years ago. He was always fine, only ever cried if he wanted a wee or a drink.

Last summer when we had the really hot days, he was almost hysterical at night. I was on the early shift and needed to sleep so he came upstairs with us…and has been there ever since. No idea why he changed all
of a sudden. He is either on the bed or the bedroom floor.

SmirnoffIceIsNice · 19/04/2023 17:49

Yes, got a dachshund and they love to co-sleep and burrow under the covers.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

2 year olds 3 year olds Dogs
LadyJ2023 · 19/04/2023 17:50

Awww bless, I love my dog next to me in bed so we came up with a compromise a bed on the floor for her when hubby comes up and she will only go if it's me telling her to since I started the bed thing. It's not nice if hubby isn't getting his sleep so soon as he up for work she comes back on bed

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 19/04/2023 17:55

Our dog slept in a crate til he was 1 and it was more me that wanted to get rid of it, he was quite happy with it. Then when he turned 2 recently he somehow ended up on our bed, I sleep much better with him there 🥰.

Original poster
TeenLifeMum · 19/04/2023 17:55

😆 they are so cute. To be fair, dh doesn’t really get woken as dog stays on my side. Dh is “the boss” (works from home) but dog loves to snuggle with me on the sofa all evening.

OP posts:
Simonjt · 19/04/2023 17:56

No, my husband banned him from our bedroom, when he went away with work I accidentally left the bedroom door open and dropped some biscuits on the bed.

wendywoopywoo222 · 19/04/2023 17:59

Mine sleeps snuggle either under the covers by my feet or
Wrapped round my head in the pillow.

I love it but she is a non moulter. When I had labs they weren't allowed in.

Wilkolampshade · 19/04/2023 18:04

Yes, and from about a week in I'm afraid. Sleeps behind mine or DH's knees.

Neuronamechange · 19/04/2023 18:09

Initially not allowed in our bedroom, then only in our room for a morning hello, then only on her bed in our room, then…
In the months before she died last year we were both moving up to give her more room on our bed, even if it meant we had no duvet ourselves!

lilyboleyn · 19/04/2023 18:12

Over time it’s developed that my cat sleeps with me at night now… she races upstairs at bedtime now.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 19/04/2023 18:14

One comes up on her terms. She’s cuddly but a pita, you can’t move much as she growls, so gets sent down. (And sulks) The other we had to rehome from a family member and follows me up then burrows. Which would be lovely but she’s a bony little whippet who thinks she’s a cuddly toy, but she’s a bag of bones.

SirChenjins · 19/04/2023 18:17

No - started off in a crate downstairs as a puppy. After many sleepless nights for both of us we moved the crate upstairs to beside our bed. Gradually moved him out to the landing. That was fine until he decided he hated the crate and got distressed going into it, so we let him sleep in our room on his own bed. He gradually moved himself onto our bed and now he sleeps there full time. I like it - we all sleep very well. He’s only 10kg, so not a big dog.

FfeminyddCymraeg · 19/04/2023 18:32

Both were on the bed from Day 1. I had every intention of crating our first but she cried so much that I caved.

Didn’t even try on the second 😄

They are non-moulting and 12kg each so take up a fair bit of space but we wouldn’t have it any other way. They sleep brilliantly and sleep in at the weekends ❤️

devildeepbluesea · 19/04/2023 18:34

Mine was a rescue and it was a few weeks before he worked his way in. I love sleeping next to him though. He has his side and I have mine 🤣

Original poster
TeenLifeMum · 19/04/2023 18:36

He really doesn’t moult much at all (I was told cockers moult a lot but nothing compared to my old cats). He is 14kg though do not small.

OP posts:
LER83 · 19/04/2023 18:37

I've got a working cocker too! He will be 2 this weekend! We got him when he was 10 months old. In his previous home he wasn't allowed upstairs or on any furniture downstairs, and slept in his crate overnight. We followed this initially, especially as we have 2 cats and wanted them to have a safe space upstairs. Once they were all settled we started leaving the crate door open so he could sleep on the sofa, then after a couple more weeks we just let him come upstairs! He sleeps at the bottom of the bed and sleeps through until we get up! Hated the thought of him downstairs alone whilst everyone else (and cats!) Were upstairs! He doesn't bother us at all in the night, unlike a certain cat...

Lamelie · 19/04/2023 18:39

Simonjt · 19/04/2023 17:56

No, my husband banned him from our bedroom, when he went away with work I accidentally left the bedroom door open and dropped some biscuits on the bed.

😂

Original poster
TeenLifeMum · 19/04/2023 18:41

@LER83 our cats both died the summer we got the dog (both very old) and woke us far more than the dog. He does try to curl up on my lap like a cat often.

OP posts:
SpringOn · 19/04/2023 18:42

Ours sleeps beautifully downstairs. But I love going to sleep with her next to me. When DH comes up to bed he is supposed to send her downstairs, but mostly he is too soft and ends up perched on the edge of the bed with DDog sprawling in the middle 😂😂

SpringMermaid987 · 19/04/2023 18:43

I’m laughing at the biscuits on the bed comment. Our compromise is if we are away she always ends up sleeping on the bed but none us sleep well as she wiggles and try’s to sleep on top of DH and gets up at 5am. At home sleeps downstairs on sofa. 20kg LabX so hair everywhere too! DH has ended up not in the bed more than once when away and she’s just slept with me 😂and he was on the sofa because he’s a complete softie when it comes to DDog!

Tumbleweed101 · 19/04/2023 18:46

I've got two dogs- the old one sleeps in her bed in the kitchen but I was strict with her as had young children when she was a puppy.

Our second dog (4yo) started off in his crate but when he was about 2yo and more trustable he had a crate free bed. Then he started going upstairs in the evenings with my daughters (young adults) and he ends up staying there all night. They generally want him with them so one or other has him with them. Personally I can't sleep with a dog on my bed but it is possible I may have to in future when they move out!

ComeOnThenFanny · 19/04/2023 18:48

I slept on the sofa with my two for the first night, then accidentally on the second night, they fell over in my bed. And they haven't left 😁
DH wasn't keen to begin with, but now he loves it! They're sti only 21 weeks, and they're not going to be big dogs. It's heaven sleeping with pups imo ❤️

CarolinaInTheMorning · 19/04/2023 18:54

Ours is a rescue and she was sleeping in bed with her foster, so we weren't going to change that. But all of our dogs have ended up in bed with us eventually, even if we started them off sleeping in their crate or on a bed of their own.

Hellohah · 19/04/2023 18:55

We got our dog unexpectedly, so we had nothing his first night and he slept with me. It was quite comforting so I've just continued with it.
He spends a night a week downstairs in his crate with no problems, and sometimes he'll fall asleep on the sofa and when I go up, he doesn't move so I leave him there. But I don't sleep too well without him in bed (especially through the winter when he provides much needed warmth). On the hottest summer days he tends to sleep on the floor next to my bed.
I only have him in the crate in case he ever needs overnight vet care. In my head I think he needs to know how to sleep alone. In reality, he's not arsed either way.

Swipe left for the next trending thread