Page 3 | Is your dog allowed upstairs?

Mantlemoose · 21/08/2021 11:38

Yes but in all honesty I would have preferred we didn't start it. No other dogs have been allowed.

Lorrymum · 21/08/2021 11:47

We made big mistake with our schnauzer puppy.She quite happily settled into sleeping in her crate until 6ish in the morning when she would yelp to be let out for a wee and back to sleep.
One morning she scooted past me and ran upstairs to our bedroom. I lifted her up onto the bed to greet my husband and made the fatal decision to climb back into bed. She snuggled between us and fell asleep. We all woke an hour later having enjoyed an extra bit of much needed sleep. We did the same thing the following morning, slightly earlier.Third morning she woke at 3.30am, rushed to the back door, quick wee and poo and straight to the door to reclaim her spot on our bed. I suddenly realised that our bed was far more enticing than her crate. Happy to have a 6.30 cuddle but not up at 3.30! It took 2 weeks (of feeling very mean) to retrain her to sleep in her crate all night.

M0rT · 21/08/2021 11:52

Our first dog was an adult rescue who didn't try to go upstairs, I thought that was fine but my DH is needy so coaxed her up... although not on the bed.
Then we got a puppy and started with her in the bed as needed sleep and to give the adult dog peace as she preferred to sleep downstairs.
Plan was to transition them both into sleeping downstairs but reality has meant they both sleep in our room now 😁

Floralnomad · 21/08/2021 11:56

Our dog was allowed upstairs from being properly house trained , he has his own bedroom now with a double bed , he has to share when our adult son visits ,but he is fine with that . We had a baby gate when he wasn’t allowed upstairs as we don’t use cages . I have a friend with labs and goldies and hers just don’t go up the stairs and my sister has also trained her small dogs to not go upstairs

AdventuresDownRabbitholes · 21/08/2021 11:59

I live in a flat so it's a bit of a moot point, but it wouldn't occur to me not to let DDog upstairs. He sleeps on my bed anyway.

IHateWasps · 21/08/2021 12:00

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

I feel for your dog if allowing them a little extra space is considered treating them like royalty. It doesn't mean that you have to allow them free access to the bedrooms when you aren't there, though mine do have that, but I can't imagine not allowing them upstairs at all as though they're some inconvenience you have to suffer.

Mommabear20 · 21/08/2021 12:03

We allowed ours upstairs and on our bed until our 1st DC was born, now they sleep downstairs, as we felt it was easier and safer than having them in the room with baby while we slept, or while we were doing night feeds etc. We planned to let them back in our room once kids were in their own rooms, but the dogs seem to have taken too sleeping downstairs so well and will actually just go to their beds at bed time, that we've said they'll stay were they are and we can enjoy the extra room in our bed! 😂

SirenSays · 21/08/2021 12:10

None of my dogs or Foster pets were allowed upstairs. I managed to train them all without crates or baby gates to stay downstairs.
Then we got a new Foster, a crazy boy, whose owner said he would only settle and be happy in his gigantic crate. Night one, he cried so loudly at being left in his crate that my neighbours started banging on the door. The crate was so big and he hated it so he started sleeping on his blanket in my bedroom. Turns out, I sleep better with doggy cuddles and feel safer knowing he's near me and not locked in a crate in case of burglary, fire.. So when he went back to his owners the tradition stayed and my fosters and pets now come upstairs with me.

GarnetsandRubies · 21/08/2021 12:12

I feel for your dog if allowing them a little extra space is considered treating them like royalty. It doesn't mean that you have to allow them free access to the bedrooms when you aren't there, though mine do have that, but I can't imagine not allowing them upstairs at all as though they're some inconvenience you have to suffer

Eh? This is madness. What do you mean? How do you know how big my house, or anyone else's house who doesn't let their dog upstairs is? So by your logic it's not fair on the dog if you don't let them upstairs, no matter how much space they have downstairs and outside? Are you telling me my (large breed) dogs should be allowed to roam about freely upstairs whilst my four young DC are playing up there, or else I surely must think they are nothing but an inconvenience and I'm a terrible dog owner? Lol lol lol.

FictionalCharacter · 21/08/2021 12:18

No. Ours is an elderly rescue, and although he's lovely he's smelly and sheds a lot of hair. I need some space in the house free from dog smells and hair (which seems to get everywhere) and whatever he's got on his paws.
Fortunately he doesn't usually try to come upstairs.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/08/2021 12:28

Our dog was never going to be allowed upstairs or on the furniture. Currently curled up beside me on the sofa, and now spends most of the day during working hours asleep on the bed in the spare bedroom which also doubles up as DH's office since lockdown 1

KurtWilde · 21/08/2021 12:29

I feel for your dog if allowing them a little extra space is considered treating them like royalty. It doesn't mean that you have to allow them free access to the bedrooms when you aren't there, though mine do have that, but I can't imagine not allowing them upstairs at all as though they're some inconvenience you have to suffer.

Don't be so ridiculous. I have 4 very large very fluffy dogs and 2 fosters, there has to be some space in my home that's just for the humans, and in our house that's our bedrooms. Doesn't mean we don't love them, just means they already have 3/4 of the house and I think it's fine for us to have 1/4 that's just ours.

Yahtze · 21/08/2021 12:41

Our dog stays downstairs. We live rurally and he's covered in mud etc. They can bring ticks in and I don't want those crawling all over our beds! He is allowed on the sofa in the TV room but not on the ones in the living room.

HalzTangz · 21/08/2021 12:56

@StrongCoffeeAvalanche

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?

We have two dogs now (did have three but she died two years ago from a Blood disorder at age 4). We have always allowed them in every room of the house. Our two year old collie chooses to sleep upstairs at the top of the stairs. Our 13 year old male prefers to sleep in the kitchen. Our girl who died preferred to sleep in the lounge. All came upstairs especially if we were upstairs, but come time to sleep they all retreat to their preferred area

Ughmaybenot · 21/08/2021 13:02

Growing up, our dogs were never allowed upstairs. We had a mixed pack of Jack Russells and springer spaniels and they used to line up and wait at the bottom step, close but never quite touching the actual staircase.
I wasn’t quite as strict as an adult. My boy goes wherever he fancies in the house and sleeps on our bed. I do only have the one dog tho, who doesn’t moult, and he’s a calm sort of fellow.
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong. Do whatever suits best.

mafsfan · 21/08/2021 13:11

@IHateWasps

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

I feel for your dog if allowing them a little extra space is considered treating them like royalty. It doesn't mean that you have to allow them free access to the bedrooms when you aren't there, though mine do have that, but I can't imagine not allowing them upstairs at all as though they're some inconvenience you have to suffer.

That is one of the most absurd things I've read on MN.

It's perfectly fine to not want your dogs wherever you decide you don't want them!!! It doesn't mean they're any less loved! Our dog isn't allowed on any furniture and definitely isn't allowed upstairs. That is perfectly reasonable and doesn't mean he doesn't have the best life. There is absolutely no way I'd have his hairs all over our furniture and bedding - this doesn't equate to him being an inconvenience FFS!

ArcherDog · 21/08/2021 13:22

Absolutely no dogs upstairs, and definitely not on the bed

Returnoftheowl · 21/08/2021 13:47

My puppy is downstairs only.
We've puppy proofed downstairs, but have no plans to do upstairs. We have tile & wooden floors downstairs but carpet upstairs, so much easier to keep clean.
Also when puppy is fully grown we're expecting him to top out around 50kg... If he decides he wants to sleep in our bed there isn't going to be room for us in it.

manhattenrain · 21/08/2021 13:53

My dogs sleep on a dog bed in our room or sometimes on the end of the kids beds.

123fushia · 21/08/2021 13:57

Yes. He has the run of the house and sleeps on my bed. Not slobbery or moulting so it’s fine. Whenever we have visitors he slopes off for a quiet nap there too.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 21/08/2021 13:59

No. The dog is perfectly well aware of this but passively-aggressively wanders upstairs if she feels her supper is late 😀

liveforsummer · 21/08/2021 14:00

@Returnoftheowl

My puppy is downstairs only. We've puppy proofed downstairs, but have no plans to do upstairs. We have tile & wooden floors downstairs but carpet upstairs, so much easier to keep clean. Also when puppy is fully grown we're expecting him to top out around 50kg... If he decides he wants to sleep in our bed there isn't going to be room for us in it.

Mine is 6 kilos fully grown. I guess that makes quite the difference 😅

Mrsdoubtfireswig · 21/08/2021 14:00

Mine are and have a bed in my room (and sometimes go up to bed before me)

One wasn’t allowed upstairs by her previous owners, so when I first got her she’d sit and wait at the bottom of the stairs for me wagging her tail until I called her up

GrouchyKiwi · 21/08/2021 14:05

No. Firstly because she's a Giant breed so when she was a puppy we had to protect her growing joints.

Secondly because upstairs is our cats' safe haven from her. I think they've had bad experiences with dogs who live near us so even though she's gentle and would never hurt them they're still scared of her 3 years after we got her. They need their space.

And thirdly because I don't fancy Newfie hair and drool in our sleeping spaces.

She sleeps very happily downstairs on her own, and has us at home with her all day so she's just fine. Not an inconvenience, or any other nonsense suggested by some PPs.

QueenofLouisiana · 21/08/2021 14:06

Our last dog slept on the floor beside my side of the bed. The hot water pipes run under there so it’s very cosy.
We expected the new dog to do the same, but he’s a retired greyhound and hasn’t mastered stairs. He’s happy snoozing downstairs, so we haven’t encouraged him up.