I know we love to cuddle with our favorite fur-babies, but when it comes to bedtime, there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed. For many of the same reasons why we shouldn’t allow children to sleep in our beds, there are reasons why we shouldn’t let our dogs sleep in our bed with us. Be warned! Those initial cuddly moments will just fester into longer-term problems. Let me start by saying that if you haven’t started to allow your dog to sleep with you, Don’t Start! As soon as you give in and let Fido share the sheets with you, it can become a hard habit to break. That being said, it isn’t an impossible habit to break. So, before sharing some effective ways you can train your dog to stay out of your bed, let me highlight some of the negative effects that can happen if you continue to allow your dog to sleep with you.
The Household Impact
Experts say that allowing your dog to share a bed with you can have a negative impact on you as the alpha in the house. Allowing your dog to share a space with you in your bed brings them to your level on the playing field. Meaning, this is just the beginning of your dog challenging your authority!
Also, you may be unknowingly creating an issue of separation anxiety and stress. This may lead to excessive marking, chewing on your things, and excessive barking.
Impacts on You
In addition to creating mixed signals between you and your dog on who is the “owner” and who is the “pet”, there are other impacts to you. You may not want to believe it, but your dog is DIRTY!! They will bring in the dirt, bacteria and other icky things right into bed with you! When you really think about what your dog rolls in all day, I think you would agree that having your dog join you in bed is very unhygienic.
Not only is your dirty dog exposing you to bacteria and other unknown things, but they may be having an impact on your sleep. Dog snoring, stealing covers, smell (you know what I am talking about), and movement in bed can prevent you from getting a deep sleep that you need to function.
What Does This Mean? Don’t Let Your Dog Sleep With You
So, if you want to re-establish yourself as the alpha in the household, keep a clean sleep space, and ensure you get a restful night of sleep, here are a few ways to keep your dog from sleeping with you:
First things first. Make sure your dog has a comfortable bed of their own! You have your bed, why shouldn’t your dog have a comfortable place to sleep too? Of course, you can have their bed next to yours to start a transition for them to stay off your bed. As a matter of fact, putting their bed anywhere else may be a bit of a shock to them, so start off small and keep their bed in your room.
The hard part. You need to be firm with your dog. You can use a leash if necessary and use the word “off” when they jump on the bed. Through repetition, your dog will eventually learn to stay off your bed. Be consistent and remember to praise your dog after they jump down from your bed.
Once you have praised your dog for jumping off your bed, be sure to lead them to their bed and have them lay down. Again… Be sure to praise them. On occasion, you can even use a treat as long as you don’t make it a habit of it and create a different problem.
Most of the time, your dog will be sleeping in their own bed within a few weeks. And before you know it, you will be able to move their bed to a different room without issues.
I know it can be difficult to resist the temptation of having your pet sleep with you. However, just remember that you may be doing more harm than good by having them in bed. Good Luck!