5 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)

Molly always lets me sleep in bed with her, but I know not all dog lovers allow this. Whatever you decide is up to you, but there are pros and cons to each situation. So, how do you decide if your dog will share a bed with you or not?

Pros

I can’t imagine not sharing a bed with Molly, and I’m sure many other dogs feel the same way. Luckily, there are plenty of benefits to sleeping with a dog by your side!

1 – It Can Create a Closer Bond

If your dog sleeps right next to you each night, this can help them to become more comfortable around you, especially if you recently adopted them. They will likely feel safer and more trusting of you overall. It can be a great way to get a nervous rescue pup to warm up to you quicker.

2 – They’ll Feel More Loved

Dogs that sleep in separate rooms might feel isolated or lonely at night. However, if your dog gets to sleep where you sleep each night, they will feel more loved and appreciated. It makes us much happier to cuddle with our humans at night than to sleep alone in the dark.

3 – They Can Protect You at Night

Most humans get angry if their dogs bark too much. However, if someone breaks into your house at night, your dog will be sure to let you know. Plus, the barking might scare off any potential burglars. While your dog will likely still bark to warn you if they are in a different room, it is much less likely that you will instantly wake up because of it.

4 – You’ll See Their Cute Face Right When You Wake Up

Who doesn’t want to see their dog first thing it the morning? If you sleep next to your dog, then you might even get woken up with some kisses and extra attention. If you wake up from a nightmare, you can easily calm down knowing that your dog is right there by your side.

Sleeping with humans isn’t only good for us, but clearly it makes our humans happier too!

Cons

Not everyone enjoys snuggling with their pup at night, and that’s okay. Sometimes, there can be downsides of being so close to your furry friend throughout the whole night.

1 – They Take Up Too Much Space

Even the smallest dogs enjoy spreading out across the bed as much as possible. Plus, if you have more than one dog, it might be difficult to find space for everyone at night. Therefore, unless you have a large bed, it can be hard to make room for your dogs at night, especially if they are large.

2 – They May Feel More Dominant

As much as you love your dog, you want to let them know that you are the boss. When I sleep in bed with Molly, I feel much more important that I would sleeping on the ground. Therefore, I suppose your dog sleeping in your bed can make them more stubborn and feel more dominant, especially for smaller dogs. So, you need to make sure you still set boundaries to avoid bad behavior.

3 – It Could Make You Restless

Some dogs love to get up and move around in the middle of the night. Some dogs might randomly bark at every sound they hear. Regardless of the reason, it is likely that your dog will occasionally wake you up in the middle of the night. Therefore, sleeping with your dog could cause you to not get as good of sleep as you would sleeping alone.

4 – You Will Need to Wash Your Sheets More

If your dog sheds, be prepared to have hair all over your bed! Also, it is possible for them to track dirt into your bed after a long walk. If you don’t wash your sheet frequently, they’ll get extra filthy and could cause you to sneeze more than usual.

How to Decide

If you are a newer dog parent, you might be unsure on where to allow your dog to sleep. What you decide should be what you feel is best for both you and your dog. There is no right or wrong answer.

Some dog parents can’t sleep unless they know their dog is safe right by their side. For some people, it is just more comforting to cuddle with a dog at night. Also, that way your dog is extra comfortable and you don’t need to worry about them being scared or lonely.

However, for other dog parents, even though they love their dogs, it can be annoying to sleep with them. Their dog might make them lose too much sleep or their allergies might act up. If that is the case, then it is perfectly fine to sleep without your furry friend. Just make sure you have a comfortable place for them to rest on their own though.

Ways to Compromise

Just because you don’t want your dog on your bed doesn’t mean that they need to sit alone in their crate as night. There are ways to find a happy medium for dog lovers that aren’t set on either of those options.

If you don’t want your dog on your bed, you could still keep them in your room with you if you want them close by. Provide them with a comfortable bed to sleep on, and teach them that the dog bed is where they sleep, not the human bed. That way, they can still be near you without disturbing your sleep quite as much.

Regardless of where your dog sleeps, it is important to make sure that they are comfortable. Make sure they have a soft spot where they can rest. It is important for you to get a good sleep at night, but you also should make sure that your dog sleeps well at night too.

So, do you let your dog sleep in your bed? Let us know in the comments below!

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