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The doghouse

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Original poster

Is your dog allowed upstairs?

117 replies

StrongCoffeeAvalanche · 21/08/2021 09:30

Our puppy is crate trained so I can stick him in his crate is needs be. He's very happy in there. He sleeps in his crate and has never cried going in. We've been letting him come upstairs. But every dog owner I know doesn't let their dog upstairs. Just wondering if this is the norm? He's still little so I could start training him to stay downstairs (will need a gate to get us started).

Just wanted to know if this is the norm?

OP posts:
SquirryTheSquirrel · 21/08/2021 10:16

We kept ours downstairs when he was little for ease of house-training. Once he was 'grown up' he had the freedom of the house but he rarely ventured upstairs. I think he associated it with bath time and he wasn't one of those dogs who enjoyed a bath - he hated getting wet; wouldn't even go in the sea.

Orangemochafrappacino · 21/08/2021 10:19

We have a stair gate so he is allowed up when hes invited but he cant just wander.

We normally let him up for a cuddle if we are watching something on telly in bed of an evening and occasionally in the morning.

We also vowed we never would!

troppibambini6 · 21/08/2021 10:20

No. We had a stair gate don't think she ever went upstairs in 13 years...
About to get a new dog and it will be the same.

Oldandcobwebbed · 21/08/2021 10:20

I think it just depends on the layout if your house.

In my old house the dog didn't go upstairs as there was no reason for him to, he wasn't allowed in bedrooms and slept downstairs in the kitchen

In my current house the dog isn't allowed in the kitchen at all (as its not a thoroughfare, and the only reason to be in it is to scrounge food) but has a bed upstairs and downstairs.

For us the ability for the dog to escape upstairs is important as he sometimes wants quiet when downstairs is noisy, and it allows him a bit if a haven when overwhelmed

Hoppinggreen · 21/08/2021 10:21

No he’s not.
We started with a stair gate and took it away about 2 years ago and he’s still never gone upstairs, he could but he isn’t interested

IHateWasps · 21/08/2021 10:29

Some of you seem to regard your dog more like an inconvenience than a much loved pet.

VioletCharlotte · 21/08/2021 10:32

When I first got my dog I always said he wouldn't be allowed upstairs...he sleeps on my bed every night!

liveforsummer · 21/08/2021 10:35

Well I don't have an upstairs but my dog is currently asleep at my feet under the covers which I goes still answers the question

danadas · 21/08/2021 10:37

No definitely not and not on the furniture either but he has plenty of comfy dig beds dotted around the downstairs to choose from.

He's never actually tried to get upstairs from memory. I think stairs flummox him!

capercaillie · 21/08/2021 10:39

Not allowed upstairs. Love her dearly but my bedroom is for me!

Bebeschitt · 21/08/2021 10:42

We think she isn't, she thinks she is!
She sleeps at the bottom of the stairs, no stairgate. No way could I have a 35kg dog sneaking onto the bed!
When I'm pottering around during the day she might come up to find me but as long as she stays down overnight I think we're good!
The only time our old dog ever slept upstairs was post op. He had a few during the course of his life and we just wanted him close. Fingers crossed we don't have to do the same for new dog!

FlipFlops4Me · 21/08/2021 10:43

I have two dogs. One has a crate in the bedroom - left open - which he prefers to sleep in. The other prefers to sleep on my pillow - I prefer that she sleeps tucked in behind my knees but she waits until I'm asleep...

I'd miss them if they were downstairs. Who would reassure them if there were fireworks or other scary noises?

hellcatspangle · 21/08/2021 10:44

Each to their own. My dogs have always been allowed upstairs in the day but not on beds, and they've always slept in the kitchen at night. I've got friends who let their dogs in their beds every night (one of them finished up with a nugget of dog poo in her hair so that alone would be enough to put me off!)

GarnetsandRubies · 21/08/2021 10:46

@IHateWasps eh??? How??

Ohhh yes I forgot, according to some people on here if you don't treat your dog like pure royalty and let them have run of the house you must hate them isn't that right Hmm

FirstTimeMommy2021 · 21/08/2021 10:46

Our yorkie cross sleeps with us and although he is no more than a foot long he takes up more bed than myself and DH haha but we wouldn't be without him and his bedtime cuddles ❤️

KurtWilde · 21/08/2021 10:46

Nope not allowed upstairs. I have tall baby gates on the living room and kitchen doorways (very open plan house, no doors!). There's plenty of comfortable places downstairs without them needing to be on the beds too. It might also have something to do with the fact that they don't just moult they blow their entire coats off and if I could spin I'd be able to make ball upon ball of doggy wool. So no. Love em to bits, but no.

joystir59 · 21/08/2021 10:47

My dog is allowed everywhere. Not on sofas unless invited though.

joystir59 · 21/08/2021 10:48

Oh, dog doesn't go on the beds ever. But sleeps in his own bed in my room.

Twinstudy · 21/08/2021 10:50

Yes, although we keep the bedroom door shut during the day. He sleeps on his bed in our room at night but sneaks up on a morning for a cuddle (he's 32kg so it's a good thing we've got a big bed Grin) during the day he's either downstairs or on the sofa in the office. When we first got he wasn't going upstairs or on the furniture, lasted approximately 12 hours 😄

Oldandcobwebbed · 21/08/2021 10:51

My dog really prefers being able to escape upstairs if the living room areas are too noisy, if there are guests, kids too rowdy etc. I genuinely think as he's a more nervous type that it means he is able to regulate better and probably has saved some reactivity

However if you have kids I might prefer the dog not to be upstairs out of sight playing with the kids/ possibly over getting overwhelmed or over hugged by them

TeanupFlutter · 21/08/2021 10:56

No, not initially for ease of training and cleanup, upstairs is carpeted and downstairs is not. We've kept it that way as it works for us, the DCs don't have to worry about toys being left on the floor in their bedrooms etc. We have a stairgate.

icedcoffees · 21/08/2021 10:58

Yes - our dog (and cats) all have the run of the house, with the exception of the spare room as that also doubles as my office/workspace and I sell natural dog treats for a living Grin The dog is very put out that he's only allowed in there under VERY strict supervision, lol.

The dog sleeps in the bed and during the day the cats often sleep up there too - though the cats are banished downstairs overnight as I don't like being used as a racetrack at 3am!

CoachBeard · 21/08/2021 11:11

With our first dogs they were allowed upstairs when invited and would come onto the bed for a cuddle but slept downstairs in the Utility Room at night. The next lot started out sleeping downstairs but they all came into season at the same time and the two big ones started picking on the smaller one and so she came upstairs for her own protection. Initially she slept in her bed in the corner but gradually sneaked onto our bed and ended up sleeping between us. When the oldest dog died the dog that slept with her was absolutely distraught and would not stay in the Utility Room on her own, so we gave them both free reign of the house. We’ve ended up with her mostly in the dog bed in the bedroom and the one that used to share our bed is now in the dog bed in the hallway downstairs, with occasional visits to our bed if it’s cold.
During the day they are generally wherever we are, usually right under foot 🤣

user1493494961 · 21/08/2021 11:17

Our dog wouldn't come upstairs unless invited, nor on the sofas.

shinynewapple21 · 21/08/2021 11:34

Our dog comes upstairs now and sleeps on an old duvet at the end of our bed .

I would wait until your puppy is fully toilet trained and past the chewing stage . Also steps aren't good for some dogs when they are still growing .