Should I let My Dog Sleep On My Bed?
Letting your dog sleep on the bed is an age old dispute, and a topic that touches not only pet sleep but owner sleep as well! Dogs, just like us, are looking for places to sleep that are comfortable and secure, and with the run of the house that can often mean sleeping on mum and dad’s bed rather than their own dog bed!
So, should you let your dog sleep on your bed?
Just like most things, there are lots of factors to consider when thinking about if you should allow your dog to sleep on your bed. Of course, there is no right or wrong, only what suits everyone in the family best. Have a look at all the different things to consider below, to help you make the right decision for you and your family.
Your dog’s preference
Firstly, how much does your dog like to sleep on your bed? Just like us, dogs can be warm or cool sleepers. It’s not unusual to find dogs that prefer sleeping on cold kitchen tiles over being in any bed – theirs or yours! That can present challenges of its own, and we often recommend our more ‘clinical’ VetRest beds for cool sleepers as a halfway house for dogs that don’t like to snuggle on fleecy surfaces! If you do have a dog that likes to snuggle, you may find they choose the couch over the bed. Not everyone likes to sleep close together overnight and your dog may prefer the rest they get away from their humans. On the other hand you might have a real cuddle-monster at home, who loves nothing better than being with you all night long. In that case, it’s important to look at all the other factors to decide if you’re comfortable allowing them to do that, and if not, what sleeping arrangements you are going to provide instead.
Your own preference
If you like having your dog in your bed with you, and they want to be there, then that’s the start of a recipe for success… so long as anyone else who shares your sleeping space also agrees. In fact, it’s been reported that 74% of dog owners allow their dog in bed, so if you’re doing it, you’re not alone! It’s important that sleeping arrangements work for everyone in the room though, so if your partner is saying no, it’s likely time to start working on a new safe sleeping space for your dog. That being said, the emotional bond between owner and dog is deep, and if everyone in the room sleeps better being closer, and there are no health impacts on you or your pet, snuggling down together for the night can feel really special.
Your dog’s physical health
Sleeping on the bed has to feel comfortable, and for dogs with poorly joints softer isn’t always better. In fact, human mattresses are not designed to be walked on, so for dogs with poorly joints, doggy dementia, or muscle wastage, walking on such a soft surface can be very disconcerting. Softer human beds also may not provide the appropriate level of pressure relief – orthopaedic dog beds must have the right balance of stability and softness, to remove pressure from joints while still promoting a comfortable, stable sleep posture. Our OrthoLuxe range of dogs beds have been specifically designed to promote joint health and get this balance spot on!
Getting on and off the bed can also be difficult for dogs with joint issues. Ideally dogs would sleep at a ‘walk on walk off’ height, allowing them to rise more easily rather than floor level, without having to climb onto their bed. Jumping down from a bed is also a risk. The impact from the jump can put 4.5x their bodyweight through their elbows, which normally only take 60% of their total weight at any one time. For a 10kg dog, that’s 45 kilograms instead of the normal 6kg!
This puts immense strain on even healthy joints, but can cause severe damage especially in dogs with osteoarthritis or other joint diseases such as degenerative joint disease, dysplasia, or bone cancers. In general dogs are much safer sleeping on a mattress or bed on the floor, rather than at height.
Your dog’s mental health – Separation anxiety and sleeping in the bed
There has been some link between bed sharing and separation anxiety, especially in dogs that are also not left during the day. If you do have an anxious dog, working with them on safe separation can be an important part of building their emotional resilience. If you do have a dog with separation anxiety, we would speaking to a behaviourist about the best way to manage these symptoms at night.
Time of day
You may also find you are ok with your dog sleeping in the bed while you are out at work, but not overnight while you are also trying to sleep there. The key to any decision is to choose a routine and stick to it – consistency is the most important element as you train your dog and even older dogs can learn new ways of living together with patience and reward!
Your health
Sleeping arrangements have to allow everyone in the room to sleep, pets included. If your pet is waking you up every night, even if you want them there, definitely consider the impact on your own health and come up with a plan B. Sleep deprivation can cause real physical and mental drain, and isn’t to be trifled with. Dogs can also cause allergies, which are worsened with close contact to fur, so bed sharing between pets and owners who do suffer pet allergies isn’t recommended. General hygiene is also important. Unlike us, dogs don’t take off socks and shoes before bed, so the dirt and grime of the day is brought into the bed with them. If you do bedshare, conventional advice is to wash your bedsheets at least twice a week to make sure you’re keeping everyone clean and hygienic.
Summary
Pet bedsharing is a topic full of opinion, and at the end of the day it’s important to do what keeps everyone in their best emotional and physical health. That can be supporting the pet-owner bond with snuggles all night long, or respectful distance overnight with them in their bed and you in yours. Either way, it’s important that the surface your dog sleeps on meets their needs in terms of comfort, stability, size, depth and pressure relief.
Check out our range of OrthoLuxe orthopaedic beds and mattresses to see what would work for your dog.
