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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:
lightinthebox · 19/04/2023 21:36

Ours has been sleeping on the end of the bed while we've had sex! I'm sure it would horrify most people.

LaylaLjungberg · 19/04/2023 21:37

My dog was happily put to bed on the sofa with a couple of midnight snacks until one night I called her up for a cuddle. That was seven years ago and now the beast takes up all the bed. All my fault.

LaylaLjungberg · 19/04/2023 21:38

lightinthebox · 19/04/2023 21:36

Ours has been sleeping on the end of the bed while we've had sex! I'm sure it would horrify most people.

Been there. Felt disgusted on her behalf ha.

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mondaytosunday · 19/04/2023 21:39

My dogs started out being kept downstairs but when I moved to a house where this was impractical they started coming up. Now they are on my bed every night as I leave my door open (my remaining at home child shuts hers). Cats are shut downstairs in my current house otherwise they demand breakfast at 5am!

Whattodo121 · 19/04/2023 21:40

We also have a border collie, and she slept in her crate good as gold from when she was first home and until she was about 18mo. Then we had loads of visitors and disruption over Xmas and she kept barking in the night. one week when DH was on nights I cracked and brought her upstairs. She now sleeps on our bed and it’s lovely 🥰 she’s currently resting her head on my feet whilst she snoozes. As soon as I turn the light off she burrows under the covers for a cuddle for 10 minutes and then clambers out with a big sigh and then settles for the night. At exactly 6.15 (5mins before my alarm) she wakes me up with a 😘

ZeroWorshipHere · 19/04/2023 21:40

Oh god no that’s disg…

who am I kidding my lovely dogs sleep on my bed, as soon as they were toilet trained they got full run of the house. One of them likes to sleep under the duvet

CMOTDibbler · 19/04/2023 21:44

Mine started in their crate downstairs and was there for a year very happily. Then one Christmas we had to move the crate upstairs and into ds's bedroom due to space/visitors. And ds pleaded for ddogs to stay there. And then in the fullness of time ddog1 would have got into bed for a cuddle with ds and ds would beg for him to stay... So ddog1 sleeps under the duvet with ds, and though ddog2 would really prefer to be shut in a crate so that the world is our problem to deal with, he has a bed in ds's room.

Twopoodlesarebetterthanone · 19/04/2023 21:54

Since day 1 with both of mine - when they were 8 weeks 😬

grosslyunfair · 19/04/2023 22:07

I slept downstairs with mine for a week then decided we'd both get more sleep upstairs. He came upstairs and settled on the bed and has never left!

He's 20kg and a huge snuggler- gets under the covers and lies against my back when it's cold or on top of the covers next to me when it's warmer. Despite occasional fidgeting I sleep much better with him there- and like pp when I had a hard time his cuddles were very comforting!

Original poster
TeenLifeMum · 19/04/2023 22:29

This thread is making me feel so much more normal! I just said to dh, we’ll just wash our bedding more often! I do find him such a comfort so hate kicking him off.

OP posts:
Zerrin13 · 19/04/2023 23:29

Mine is usually in her bed next to my bed. I love hearing her little snuffles and snores.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 19/04/2023 23:46

Ddog sleeps on the floor by my side of the bed. He's a hairy 44kg alaskan malamute & would take up far too much room on the bed.

echt · 19/04/2023 23:55

My 26k dog sleeps on my bed, which to be fair is big. He's shown no inclination to get under the duvet for which I'm glad, as where I live is more less pure sand, which falls out of his fur all day.

Serenity45 · 20/04/2023 00:02

Our lab is nearly 2 and while we were never bothered about crate training /happy to have her on sofa we did say that we'd keep the bedroom dog free.

Even in the early days of setting alarm to go down every couple of hours she was v hyper and had usually messed in the kitchen. We stayed at a dog friendly lodge when we'd had her about 2 weeks and as it was open plan she was naturally in her bed near us...what a revelation! She slept like a dream and no mess indoors.

She's now gently snoring next to me and we love the heavy little thump as she settles down Grin

YungDumbThrills · 20/04/2023 00:21

I have two spaniels and they're both currently snuggled upto me under my duvet, plus I have the cat next to my head 😂 this is their home as much as it is mine, and they're part of the family so treated as such. Like you, my boys have been emotionally supportive and I enjoy having the love and snuggles from them 🥰

AnyaMarx · 20/04/2023 00:22

I have a snuggler little one and a massive one who just needs a cuddle for a short while if fireworks or anything are going off

I'm afraid since being single I've set a precedent 🙈

But now I find I sleep better with my little cuddly next to me - his little sighs and breathing actually sends me to sleep and if he does t get into bed when I go I wake up with him there somehow ! He's sort of become my comfort blanket and teddy bear .

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 20/04/2023 00:33

We lost our GSD over 2 years ago now but he ended up in my bed. When he was a pup he stayed downstairs with our Lab. Lab died unexpectedly and DH started working nights around the same time, so it was a comfort to doggo and me.

He used to sleep with his head on my legs, which stopped my restless legs at night. DH no longer does nights and now has to put up with me doing a river dance all night long.

CleaningOutMyCloset · 20/04/2023 07:30

Rescue dog used to howl when we went to bed, so we put her crate in the bedroom. That solved that issue but the crate is massive and takes up most of the floor space, after a year we removed the crate and she'd sleep on her bed on the floor. My dh works shifts and goes to work at midnight, so when he leaves the bed at 11pm she creeps up as soon as he shuts the door - I actually quite like it now.

Scalottia · 20/04/2023 07:33

BessieSurtees · 19/04/2023 21:28

Am I the only one who has never let our dog on the bed. Only had one dog at a time and although they could go upstairs they’ve never been allowed on the bed.

No, I don't either. Dogs on the bed is a bit gross for me, not sure why because I love dogs! Next to the bed, on their own bed is fine. To each their own, strangely I don't mind cats on the bed though.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 20/04/2023 07:34

Our beagle has been in the bed since the day we brought him home.

He never had any night-time accidents and sleeps for hours. No early starts in this house Grin

Nannyfannybanny · 20/04/2023 07:39

14kg isn't big, our border collie is 20kg thats not big. We had a toy up till recently,he was 4kg. They both slept in between us,him up the top by our shoulders,her by our legs longwise. He slept in the lounge,till our last collie died. It's an open plan bungalow,so they could have come in if they wanted. This one, crate trained, oddly enough, suddenly started barking in the night at age 1. Vet check,he said you either tough it out and warn the neighbours,or let her sleep in your room. Was working FT nights, needed some sleep on my nights off... went for the latter. They DID have beds in our room. She starts off in her bed,goes out for a wee(flap trained) back in and on the bed. I sleep on my stomach, when I met DH his dog,slept on my back,under the duvet!

tatteddear · 20/04/2023 08:23

One of ours sleeps in his basket by our bed or on the landing. The other (who is tiny) won't sleep anywhere but under the duvet by our feet. I actually don't love it-id sooner she slept in the basket with her brother but there is no way to stop her doing it without her crying all night and because she is no larger than a cat and doesn't really move all night it's too much bother to try and train her out of it.

ThrowAwayOne · 20/04/2023 09:58

Do none of these dogs stink? Our boy Lhasa would absolutely love to sleep upstairs with us but I can't stand the smell of him. He loves being outside so no matter how often he's bathed he stinks after coming in from the garden. DD has been begging us to let him sleep in her room but so far we've said no.

Nannyfannybanny · 20/04/2023 11:55

No none of my dogs stank. A couple had bad breath getting older,needed teeth cleaning. When they've been out in the garden,they smell of fresh air or log burners

Original poster
TeenLifeMum · 20/04/2023 12:46

Last night dog came up and dh said “no, to YOUR bed!” … ddog slunk round me and curled up into me the side away from dh 😆😆😆
I said I liked it and dh said “fine, your problem then” in a jokey way. By morning ddog was stretched across the bottom of the bed 😆

OP posts: