Does your dog sleep in your bed?

Having a canine friend is awesome. From cute little puppies to fierce looking huskies, dogs can be a soothing, happy sight for a lot of people. Their sleeping arrangement however can be a little bit of an issue. Being an owner of a proud German shepherd, I know first and how doggie charms can make you throw a lot of common sense out of the window. During winters, I am almost afraid to let it sleep on ground since the floor is freezing, despite knowing that his built is made for cool environments. Moments like these I almost give in to urge of letting him sleep beside me.

Almost.

A lot of people let their dogs sleep in bed with them for the virtue of giving them a comfortable place to sleep in. Some also argue that a presence beside them while they sleep helps them relax and feel safe. However, it must be realized that letting dogs sleep in bed has some severe repercussions, a few of which are listed below.

• A lot of dogs, puppies and older ones in particular, find it hard to hold it in and end up urinating or excreting on the bed. Not precisely a favourable or hygienic option unless you like waking up with dog poo on your face or clothes drenched yellow.

• There is always a chance that your dog might treat your bed as his personal basin and end up vomiting on it. Dog vomit is especially smelly and viscous, so it might even seep in mattress. You can train your dog against urinating on bed, but no amount of training tells them not to leave their food. Either way, your mattress is forfeit.

• Due to their walks and general playing on ground, dogs bring a lot of dirt to the bed. The furry ones also shed a lot of hair, which is not good for respiration even if you are not allergic to fur. If you are allergic, then letting dog sleep with you is equivalent to inviting the asthma attack. Don’t do it.

• A large number of pet experts believe that letting dog sleep with you makes it believe that in you pack, it is the alpha. This would translate into the dog behaviour being uncooperative at best and hostile at worst; since he is the alpha, he will not listen to a word you say and misbehave.

• Dogs are prone to scratching and licking at night. That itself will not be bad except they might end up doing those to you. While waking up sticky and scratched over is no one’s idea of fun, these habits might also take a fatal turn since they transmit a lot of diseases to humans; meningitis and ringworm are common diseases spread by dogs into humans, and the fleas bring in a few diseases of their own if they come into contact with humans.

• Smaller puppies are at risk of injury if made to sleep with humans. They are restless and might injure themselves by falling down the bed, or the human might end up crushing it while turning in their sleep.

• A lot of dogs display aggressive-possessive behaviour towards other humans when it comes to the bed. Basically, unless the hierarchy of the human being alpha is beaten into them, any other person coming near bed will be regarded with hostility. They might also dig around and inadvertently tear the mattress while trying to settle.

While we all love our dogs, it needs to be understood that not letting him sleep on bed is not showing wariness towards them, but concern towards us. A large number of cases have reported that sleeping with canines is not precisely productive in any way, but causes a lot more harm. Unless a person is willing to deal with the risk of fatalities, they should try to ensure their dog knows that the bed is off limits at the very least and train them accordingly. It is, after all, a personal choice.

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