I've always been absolutely soppy and pathetic with dogs. Growing up, my dog was allowed everywhere in the house. He slept on my bed at night. He curled up on the sofa to watch TV with us. And I always sort of took for granted that this was how everyone treated their pet dog. My dog was like a king and treated the same as his human family!
DH has other ideas. He loves our dogs (we have two small dogs - think Jack Russell size) but is totally opposed to them being allowed in the bedroom or on the sofa. I've reluctantly agreed to this after realising that it is actually a bit disgusting when you think about it. We have small children and don't want to risk having dog hair on the sofa which they use and I co-sleep with baby so can't even consider having dogs on the bed for safety reasons.
We have a conservatory-type room (not really a conservatory but can't really think how else to describe it) and DH has put the dog food and bed in this room, so that they can play in here when we are out and sleep in here at bedtime while we are sleeping. ( This is because due to the layout of our house, if they're not in this room then they have access to the whole house and just sleep on the sofa while we are out/sneakily creep in the bed while we are in bed! Can't just close doors as it's a traditional type of house where we live (abroad) and doesn't have doors dividing off every room, although this conservatory-type room does have a door). They're very good dogs and well trained. They know they're not allowed on bed or sofa and don't even attempt it while we are conscious but if we aren't there/if we are asleep they definitely try their luck and creep up! I can't blame them, it is comfy!
This room is big enough for them to be able to happily play, they have toys, food and water in there at all times. We leave them alone in the house as little as possible (there is VERY rarely a time when one of us is not in the house due to the nature of our work - lots of work from home for one of us and lots of time off for the other), so they don't spend much time in there. They're the best of friends and love playing together, and because there's two of them, even if we do pop out for an hour they have each other!
Anyway, despite all this, there's still a part of me that feels bloody awful that they don't get to sleep on our bed or curl up on the sofa or have the run of the whole house 24/7! I know it's pathetic but I feel SO guilty when I have to put them in their room at bedtime that sometimes I can't even sleep.
Am I being ridiculous? I just want some reassurance that I am or to hear other people's opinions about it.
I love my dogs so much that I even (briefly) considered rehoming them so they could have owners who would let them be little kings like my other dog was - but dismissed the idea as 1) it would absolutely break my heart 2) DH said I'm being ridiculous because the dogs are happy, well-cared for and well-fed and dogs don't NEED to sleep on human beds/sit on human sofas/ have the run of the house 100% of the time to be happy and 3) we live abroad where dogs are not seen by everyone to be the beloved pets that they are in the UK, so rehoming them could be risky (local people often just set their dogs free when they have kids and stuff, rather than have to look after them as well as a baby, for example, so I'd never be able to stop worrying about what became of them!)
Please Mumsnet, give me your opinions! Am I indeed being totally irrational? Or am I right to be feeling anxious about it?