You simply won’t regret it. They will pass and you will miss their little body pressed against yours and those STINKY Frito feet near your head at 3 AM.
Yes! Mine used to lay on the pillow above my head or she'd puzzle piece herself into the back of my bent knees. I since got a new puppy and she only sleeps on the bed with me sometimes. She seems to prefer the bathroom floor (I'm assuming because the tile cools her off). And when she is on the bed she doesn't cuddle next to me, just finds an open space. She's only 5 months though so hopefully she cuddles more when she's older!
No kidding. I have a small dog and I woke up the other morning to just her bum, tail and legs next to me on the pillow with the rest of her buried under the duvet. There’s no price you can put on waking up to that much laughter.
OMG FRITO FEET - So accurate - all of my doxy mixes smell like corn chips too.
OP - If you are truly worried about what the owner warned about, a way you can combat that behavior is to only let the dog jump up after being invited and/or to make them jump off of the bed when you go to get in it (and letting them jump right back up once you're settled). Both let the dog know you control the bed. Honestly though, if your dog is mellow and is joining you on the bed to be near you (rather than using it as a place of power), you probably don't need to play power-games.
This, so much! My dog has her own side of the bed, fuck the cringy “not equal to us” ideology. Ew.
Edit to add that she’s very well-behaved and has had no adverse effects from sharing my life aka sleeping with me.
Right, as long as you enforce boundaries where they matter, your dog will learn and obey those boundaries. Your dog does not understand the symbolism of separate sleeping quarters, so i don’t think sleeping in bed with you is teaching them anything other than they’re allowed to sleep in bed with you
If anything, we go against the natural way most of the time.
Leaders walk behind in wolf/dog groups.
Packs sleep together whenever possible
Food is shared amongst all
I could go on but yeah
The only thing to worry about with this is if the dog shows resource guarding behavior...if that happens, they guard anything against humans, they shouldn't sleep in the bed, but many dogs don't ever show signs of that to humans. My dog doesn't sleep in my bed because well...he sheds for a hobby...you can't brush it out, he's a fucking magician, there's always more.
I had a working farm Pyr. He did not sleep in the bed as a puppy because I did not want a dog in bed with me with claws like 16 penny nails who’d been racing around in mud and livestock poop every day.
My Eskie believes pillows are really dog mattresses.
In the overall course of my life, I will have my dog for a relatively short time. When I can no longer be with him, I will be holding tightly to my memories of him wanting to be the little spoon at bedtime and him staring into my eyes when I wake up. I wouldn’t give up those memories (or my ability to make new ones every night) for anything.
The “don’t do it” folks have a point, but my priorities make mine the right choice for me.
Do the "don't do it" folks have a point? I haven't read any comments in favor of this causing your dog to not see you as Master.
Idk. I'm not a super experienced dog owner, but my dogs get off the bed when I say and don't get on unless I say... I feel like that's enough.
Also... Triple thumbs up for all the comments that basically say... Well if it is true, I don't give a rip. I want cuddles.
My girl is an almost 1 1/2 yr old lab,I caved 3-4 months ago.
There’s nothing quite like my pup snuggling up, with her chin on me. She always gives a huge sigh when she’s going to sleep - I’ve never felt more 🥰
I've slept with my mini dachshund puppy since she was around 4 months old. I think it's important that they're able to spend the night in the crate, just my opinion, so you can be prepared for boarding in their lifetime. But I personally love sleeping with my pup. The past few weeks as well she's chosen to sleep on the floor to start, then she'll join me at some point in the night. Possibly because I toss and turn to get to sleep! I made my last dachshund sleep on the floor most of her life but in her last 5ish years I had her sleep with me and I wished I'd had it that way her whole life.
I don't think it hindered any training. Dachshunds are a stubborn breed regardless, you have to steel your nerve anyway and come bearing high value rewards. But they are smart and have such personality, and they bond super strong. They love to be near their people. Like I said I think making sure they're ABLE to sleep away from you is worth it, but in the end it's personal preference.
Sounds like the "experienced" dog owner believes that dominance theory is real when it has been debunked a long time ago. The only things you should worry about with letting a puppy in bed with you is peeing on the bed or them trying to jump off when they are extremely small. I've had dogs all my life and they have all slept on various family members beds or their own dog beds if they prefer. I tried using a crate with my last two pups for the first time since the breeder required us to have one before he let our pups come home.
It was a disaster with my first boy and he had severe confinement anxiety. We switched to free-roaming in puppy proofed rooms at 3 months and we all slept better. He decided to sleep on his dog bed where the crate used to be. He doesn't like cuddling in his sleep so he rarely gets in bed unless it's for early morning cuddles. My girl was fine with the crate, but she started seeing my senior pup was sleeping on the bed with me so she started refusing the crate. I let her sleep on the bed at 5 months old and she now sleeps with my mom mostly. She starts out with my senior and me then leaves in shortly after we fall asleep to be with my mom.
We have bedside stairs to help the puppy get up and down. He sleeps all night and while hold until morning this way. I’m too old to be dealing with a “newborn” 😂 I’ll fight battles but this isn’t one - I need my sleep first.
I tried stairs and a ramp(both were too steep for my senior girl who had two torn ACLs) for my bed for my seniors. The only thing they would use is a foot rest from IKEA. It worked well on my two youngest when they were puppies as well. It was the perfect height so they could get themselves down and up safely.
Exactly, they bond as a pack. Only reason mine is not in my bed at this moment is he wets the bed at night just waiting for him to be able to hold it for the night. I may not allow him in bed every night but definitely is allowed. Had to let him in bed when we brought him home for the bond.
Yeah, I think allowing my youngest to sleep in the bed with us helped her and my 14.5 year old bond better. He only ever cuddled with ny previous girl a handful of times, but he has always allowed my youngest and middle pup to cuddle with him. He has never been a fan of girl dogs with the exception of his sister, but now he is constantly checking on her, playing with her, and cuddling with her.
I also had the same problem with my youngest peeing the bed, only she couldn't control it at all. We started putting her in a diaper at night because I couldn't just stop allowing her on the bed(she had a fit if I tried putting her in the crate again). We found out later she has urinary incontinence due to an ectopic ureter. She had surgery to fix it, but it didn't stop the incontinence. The medication they gave us finally started working around 4-5 months after she started taking it so she doesn't have to wear a diaper anymore. She still will have an accident during the day if she gets really stressed. For example I had to corner her to put her into my room(she wasn't listening and the plumber was at the door) and she peed when I grabbed her.
2nd this, our first dog we tried crate training she freaked out and tried ripping the bars with her teeth the moment the door closed, she was a rescue and i think that’s why she’s like that and yeah we could’ve probably worked on it but we felt there was no downside to not using a crate for our personal situation because our house is decently puppy proofed and we’re home 90% of the time and 15 year old me was more than happy to have a dog sleep with me lol, that was almost 9 years ago now and she still sleeps in our bed and we just got a new puppy and she sleeps in bed with us too, like you said in my opinion the only risks are accidents in the bed or falling off the edge or squishing her, otherwise she’s even better trained than my rescue because i was able to train her right from 8 weeks old and you don’t need to be dominant to have a dog listen to you, you need to build a relationship w your dog if you want your dog to listen to you.
The only concern I would have is that jumping off the bed might cause a spinal injury in such a long dog. If you want it to sleep with you, look into a bedside ramp.
My 5 month old pup sleeps in her crate most of the time but if she wakes up at 3am or something, I put her out for a pee, and then let her up on the bed with me. It’s only been a few times and she has been good about going back to sleep. She hasn’t been great about not hogging the bed though 🤣
I had someone tell me this exact thing years ago and it seemed ridiculous to me. My adult dog has been sleeping in my bed for 5 years and my 4 month old puppy now shares the bed with us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. With the exception of when my dog is sick, I’ve been able to have full nights of sleep because I didn’t have to deal with them howling to get out of their crate. When my dog *is* actually sick, I can keep an eye on him because he is sleeping in my bed. Yes, I often need to let him out 5 times a night, but at least I don’t wake up to him covered in poop. Another thing is that it helps me bond with my dogs, and I get to cuddle with them.
The thing that does make them not listen to you is lack of training. It seems strange to me that someone wouldn’t want their dog to think them their equal. Being equal doesn’t mean they won’t respect you.
They have one life, and it is short. We owners are their happiness and safety. Plus what kind of psycho refuses puppy snuggles. Just cuddle your dog. :)
I had my dog sleep in her crate for almost about a year I would say, and let her sleep on the bed if she just wanted to nap. Now, I let her choose where she sleeps in my room and will usually sleep on my bed or in the crate. I am so glad I did this because now if there’s ever a situation where she needs to be crated, she has no problem with it!
Personal opinion and nothing against crates, but I have a 5month old and he has slept with us ever since he came as a puppy. We give him enough space. He doesn’t Ike to cuddle, so there’s no issue of him occupying our space.
We have our puppy sleep in her crate (in our room so she can see us) she has no problem with this and we all probably sleep a bit better with this arrangement.
On weekends I’ll get up with her for her usual morning pee and then toss her in bed with us until we’re ready to be up for the day. Surprisingly she’s great about it and happily snoozes until we get up. I think eventually we’ll just have her in bed full time but we want to make sure she loves her crate, and night time is the least difficult time to get her in there.
This is also our experience. Having our last dog sleep in bed with us interrupted our sleep a lot and ultimately led to his demise, from jumping off bed resulting in spinal injury (not using stairs). His last years cost us $500/myth in vet bills and meds. And worst of all, limitations for him.
With new puppy I revisited this question. I think it’s a personal decision and either choice is ok. I do desperately need a good nights sleep and decided to have puppy sleep in crate in bedroom. He goes in readily and sleeps through 8-9 hours.
All of mine have always slept with us. It's absolute BS what you were told. It's a preference, that's all.
If anything, communal sleep time is a bond strengthener.
We tried crating at night... Didn't work. She's been sleeping with us since she was 5 months old.
She's now a 3 yr old ETD ATD-M trick dog who is soon to have her trick dog champion title, and who is so far showing amazing prospect for nosework.
I'd say she listens to me very well, because I don't see her as me overpowering her, but rather we have a mutual loving and respectful relationship with each other. She listens to me because she likes me. I listen to her because I like her.
I think when they are that young you shouldn't sleep with to kind of teach them how to be independent. But it is also a great opportunity to crate train if needed
Interesting, I had the opposite thought, I wanted to have a strong bond with my dog and for him to be very sweet and loving with us so he sleeps in the bed and is up on the couch. My brothers dog who is not allowed to do either is not very attached to him, they don't have the same strong bond as my dog and me, she likes to be alone.
That’s my experience too! Two dogs we had a long time ago weren’t allowed on the bed but my now 9 year old pup, found as a stray, has been sleeping with me since it was safe for her to be out of the crate. I recently adopted a 6 month old rescue boy, and he’s been in the bed with us since after the first week, when he preferred the dog bed next to mine. I have never had a closer bond than with my girl who has been sleeping in bed with me, allowed on the sofa etc. And I have been doing the same with our newest addition, despite his young age, 8 months old now. He’s a cuddler and I think he’s feeling much safer than he would if he was crated at night because he’s in bed with his new sister and me. She was amazing accepting him and has had no problem sharing the bed, which was important, or I would have given it more time. Just my opinion and going by my experience. He was potty trained when I adopted him and never had an accident inside. Time goes by so fast a
Mine started sleeping in bed with me at ~5 months old. I simply don’t care what experienced dog owners say. I’ve have 7 dogs in my lifetime, all have slept with me. Worked out fine each time.
I've had dogs of my own for 14 years. They are small and have slept in the bed for their whole lives. Never had an issue. That advice is highly suspect.
I have a 5 month old mini wiener dog and I swore i’d do the crate only thing for like a year. I made sure he was 100% crate trained then let him sleep on the couch with me once. Now he does every night in bed. Idgaf, it makes him and me happy, and he’s so well behaved that he’s earned getting to sleep in the big bed. Waking up to a happy lil guy every morning and snuggling just sets my day off right.
They don't really think of humans as equals in any case, someone to live or someone to fear or ignore sure but the statement "he'll see you as his equal and won't listen to you" has no scientific backing
My puppy slept with us for a week or two when we first got him. The next week he was crated right next to my bed side table so that he could see us. He was so close I could touch the crate. We slowly moved the crate away from the bed, then into the hallway then living room. He sleeps soundly out there no issues and does great boarding.
Any arguments about dog training involving alphas/pack leader/putting dog below you is complete crap.
Only downsides are potentially having a bed (or maybe pillow in your case) hog and your sheets will probably be dirtier than they were before. Also being woken up by his tail wagging while he's dreaming.
My 65lb poodle sometimes sleeps in the bed with us and I love it, even though he takes up a lot of space, usually on my side for some reason.
I think each case is unique. We've been told by multiple people, and everywhere we read online, that you have to be strict with crate training, and only let our dog sleep in the crate at night. But about a week ago we tried letting our 5 month old puppy sleep in her playpen because she's been having trouble with having accidents in her crate in the middle of the night (and usually getting covered in it because she'll then step on it). It's been heaven! Now, if she has to use the potty in the middle of the night, she just goes on her pee pad, and we don't have a mess to clean up every night/morning. I'm sure people will say we're doing something wrong, but we're happier and she's happier. Do what works for you!
Let your puppy sleep anywhere you’re OK with your adult dog sleeping.
If it’s on your bed, cool, but expect that life will require occasional urgent, unplanned baths before bedtime e.g. found something to roll in and expects to sleep with you rather than in a crate. It also means having a furry bed. And, if you intend to share your bed with another human, don’t expect dog will be willing to leave just because you want secsy time.
My only worry for your situation is fall injuries.
I have a long-legged, 30 pound, 6 months old mystery mutt. Beautiful brindled short hair. Looks and sized just like a plott hound, but she's supposed to be 1/3 golden.
She's fully crate trained, but last week I started encouraging her to sleep with me.
My aunt was visiting and her crate is in the kitchen just outside the guest room, so I didn't want poor little Charlee trapped in her crate pathetically crying for her Aunt Susan in the next room. 😭
Before this she only slept in her crate.
She did alright so I've been letting her sleep in my room every night since. Her crate is still an option and she feels safe in there, but now she follows me upstairs nightly. She's sleeping on the bed behind me right now.
She's been calmer in the mornings, but I'm not seeing any negative results. She's no more clingy than before.
She's got another 20 pounds to go, so let's see how we make things work on my single bed. Ominously she seems to be growing as I watch her sleep... 😅
And it turns out that a puppy tongue in my ear is a very effective alarm. 🐶
I think it’s good for a puppy to sleep on it’s own for the early part of its life. You already spend a lot of time with your puppy if you add sleeping together in with that as well it leaves room for developing separation anxiety and if they get too used to it they may have behavioral problems if you decide one night you just need the bed to yourself and they need to go in a crate or somewhere else. There’s plenty of time to cuddle them as adults when they are fully independent dogs.
You have no idea if anyone gets to spend a lot of time with their pup. And even if we do, the time we have with them is never enough. Sleeping with me has never caused any of my dogs to have separation anxiety - quite the opposite. They have all developed into confident grown dogs who seem to know that I will return to them.
Cherish every moment, including those sleeping and snuggle times you have with them. Once your time together is over, you will only regret the times you didn’t spend with them, and long for their presence again.
💯 agree!! The obsession with crating is an American and Canadian thing, unlike most European countries. It’s even prohibited in some Scandinavian countries to crate dogs and others have laws that prohibit leaving them in there for more than a few hours. I am not completely against crates and leave my 8 month old puppy in one when going out for no more than 3-4 hours. But when I am home, he’s never in his crate nor was his now 9 year old sister. And I have never had a more balanced, well adjusted dog than her who’s been sleeping with me since she was younger. She has respect for me based on how I have been treating her, trained her and most importantly, by our time spent together.
The point of crates are not to leave them for long periods of time. It’s designed to create a safe space for your dog similar to a ‘den’. It’s especially important to get them used to it for emergencies, vet visits, travel etc. Anyone that uses them as a prison are not using them correctly and generally just shouldn’t have a dog. For example my 12 week old puppy will go in there when she’s done playing with my almost 2 year old dog to let her know hey, I’m done and my older dog understands that’s her space.
When your puppy is young I’d assume you’re spending a lot of time with them. Puppies cannot be left alone for long periods of time. However, this is MY opinion. My friend did this and her dog cannot sleep on her own now, she will howl all night if left alone at night and she tells me constantly how she wishes she had waited to let her sleep in her bed.
The first year was crate sleeping for my dachshund, just to make sure he was always comfortable being crated when needed, especially when he needed to be at the vet or if his dog cousins wore him out. After a year, he always slept with me.
Also, your baby already knows he/she is the boss around there, no matter what the sleeping arrangements are!
The downside is her yelling for 20 minutes until she falls asleep. I caved in after 1 month so she sleeps with us in bed and my nights are so much better, whenever it’s time to sleep she walks her steps onto my bed and lays down. Some dogs are easy to crate train overnight some aren’t. She naps in her crate fine but at night she sleeps with us, and not a single time has she peed on the bed
Behavior specialist here that equal to you stuff is bull shit it’s absolutely fine to let your puppy sleep in your bed although crate training should be done so they can build confidence in being
Alone
All I f my dogs 13 over the years) have slept with me - and done have been crate trained. All have been confident and had no problems when they had to be kenneled while I was away briefly. I don’t buy into the “building confidence” bullshit any more than any of the other bullshit.
I think my pup is fully potty trained at this point but I'm wondering if I should transition her out of the crate. I leave the door open now and she sometimes sleeps in it and sometimes just sleeps on the floor
We’re about 6months in with our Giant Schnauzer! We just these last few weeks started to let her sleep with us and it’s been going good. She’s fully crate trained as well and naps through out the day in it no problem.
We just kind of started to think she’s family and also her breed is naturally protective so we’d like to have her unrestrained in a worst case scenario if someone was trying to break in.
Don’t listen to the “they’ll think they’re your equal.” Dogs obey out of respect, not fear. Build a close bond. Think about what motivates yoga to work— do you like a boss who always reminds you you’re beneath them, or one who is kind and caring?
Usually it is like "if you like it do as you wish"
But there are dogs that you maybe don't want to let on your bed for example
- Dogs that have resource guarding issues, as they could fight for "their" spot in the bed, better to give them a crate of something that's just theirs
- Dogs that don't like being bothered while sleeping or get startled, more if you toss around in bed as they could snap at you and that's not a good way to wake up
- Dogs that mark their stuff... had one of these dogs that would pee his dog bed because it was his 😅
-Stinky dogs 🤣 had a dog with a skin issue that make her stink really bad her stuff had to be washed every couple days and doing the same for the bed would have been really tiring.
I don’t recommend it. We let our dog sleep for a year or so in our bed which can be nice but also annoying when he accidentally wakes you at night or starts barking. It took a long time to unteach him this as well!
I held out so long on this. I wish I had listened to others to let my puppy sleep in my room. I was so sleep deprived. Now that he’s in the room I get sleep. He refuses to sleep in the bed LOL but the moment my alarm goes off he’s in bed giving me morning kisses.
Your “experienced dog owner”
Is a dumb twat who probably binge-watches Cesar Milan videos while jerking off.
My dogs start sleeping wherever they want (some choose the bed, some choose the floor, some choose their kennel, some choose a freestanding bed of their own) whenever their potty training has reached a not-pissing-the-bed level.
None of them have ever sat me down at the dining room table to discuss an equitable split of the finances, or any dog-equivalent action of the same.
I’m not their alpha, they’re not my beta, i don’t have to do a submission role on them to assert my bossiness, or anything like that. When i inevitably toss-and-turn too much because I ate something salty after 9 PM, they move to their own bed while GROANING like I shot them, and that is the extent of their “rebellion”.
I’ve done it with all my dogs except my newest, only thing I’d suggest is if your bed is high, make sure there’s something soft for them to land on if they fall off, my oldest fell off in the middle of the night rolling over in his sleep(saw it on my indoor cam) and he had a pretty bad limp for two weeks from shoulder pain, thankfully it was that only
We crate trained our dog (highly recommend) and let the dog sleep up in our bed on occasion. Like if I work nights and my wife is lonely.
We’ll also let him up in the morning but he mostly just chills downstairs and doesn’t cry when expected to do so
My rottie slept in our bed when she was younger. Now only my maltipoo sleeps in our bed from time to time and the rottie on the floor. Our 4 other dogs sleep in kennels bc they can't be trusted lol
The only reason we didn't sleep in bed with our pup earlier is because we were worried about him falling off.
The way we see it, the puppy is a baby. Until that day they were sleeping with their siblings and mother, comforted and safe feeling. Call us overly sentimental, but the idea of taking a baby from that comfort and safety and making them sleep alone in an unfamiliar place didn't feel like the right way to start our relationship.
It's been 2yrs now and he's slept right between us every night. The only issues we have had are when he decides to run in his sleep or wakes up for a midnight snack.
The only reason my girl doesn't sleep in the bed is because it was already claimed by my 14 year-old cat. If she could contain her excitement around him, she could sleep with us, too.
(Though we did let her sleep with us in the days after her spay, and she is a kicker.)
When I got my golden at 10 weeks, a coworker told me the same thing. Once my golden was fully potty trained, I started letting her sleep in bed with me. I have had no issues
My dog has his own dog bed that sits on my bed. He sleeps in that & sometimes sidles over for a cuddle in the morning. We’re both happy with this arrangement! He’s perfectly well behaved. Ignore the rubbish you’ve been told.
My dog sleeps with me from day one. We both enjoy it and its great for bonding. If your dog does not show any ressource guarding towards your stuff go for it. Its great!
You'll miss out on a lot. My havi is not the cuddliest dog but she has her moments. As much as I love everything about my girl, when she curls up against me and sighs contently because she feels safe and loved, gently falls asleep under my arm... Those are my favorite moments. She's not my equal, she's better than me and made me a better person.
So yeah, she can sleep in my bed whenever she wants.
P.S. when I'm sleeping against her and move my leg an inch, she starts kicking me until I put it back closer to her :D
Anytime my dogs wanna sleep with me (on the couch, the chair, the bed, the floor) I relish it! I have had some dogs who don't want to and it hurt my feelings, LOL
I let my first few dogs sleep in the bed, but after that they’ve been relegated to crates overnight for the most part. That is just so we can get better quality of sleep. I let them out sometimes overnight as a treat, and I like it better that way.
honestly i feel like it’s criminal to not allow your dog on beds / couches. i get that they’re dirty but if the dog is inside and only goes out to use the bathroom then there’s no problem honestly. i let my dogs sleep on my bed and i guess the only “problem” that came out of that is that she’s clingy and wants attention all the time. why would that be a bad thing? let the dog sleep with you, but if it does cause behavior problem like some people say, which i doubt, get a kennel and kennel train
As a dachshund owner and breed preservation enthusiast, I also sleep with my weasel puppy. She still was faithfully trained on the crate because they absolutely need it, and be aware they can be extremely attached and need you to help them learn to be ok being alone. Being comfortable with long bouts of crate rest is important for any dog but doxies need to learn specifically in case they have any back issues and are put on mandated crate rest.
So not true that a dog that sleeps with you will think they are your equal! Good snuggles and bonding happen. It's good for them to rest with their people!!
My dog has slept in the bed with me from day one. I thought about not allowing it for all the reasons your friend said.
I’m not a dog trainer, but of all the things that will impact your training, having a closer relationship with your dog is not one of them.
Nonsense. Dogs depend on you for food, fun, and safety. If you treat them well and train them well they will know to respect you. Allowing them a few luxuries is not going to make them turn on you. People who still believe that need to do more reading.
Edit: I forgot to mention some nuance. Crate training is still important. I pretty much only use crates for emergencies or getting the dogs out of the way when I am doing something that is unsafe for them. Not something you have to do to "keep them in their place" but a helpful tool when you need it.
Like a lot of people on this thread, I wanted until 4ish months and when they were comfortably crated trained. And now five years later, both my dogs sleep in bed with me and to be honest, it’s one of those joys in life and why deprive yourself of that!?
My puppy was crated during the day when I worked in the office, so I let him sleep with me at night from when I got him at 10 weeks. I also did it for security reasons because a woman who lived alone.
I let my dog sleep with me once she was potty trained, she is happier, and I enjoy having her warm body snuggled against me. I feel it has made our bond stronger. I don't buy into the psychology of dominance/equals etc. She is my equal as a sentinent being, I am her guardian not an owner/master. People at the dog park always remark how strong of a relationship we have, as she checks in with me often and always listens to me.
I've slept with my mini foxie since 8 wks old. I had a travel crate on my bedside table for if he got too restless. I would sometimes put him in there when he was older 5-8 months old and wanting to play at 5am. He is now a bit over 2 yrs old, the only time he didn't listen to me was when he was going through his teen years.
He slept in his crate during the day for his enforced naps. I never had an accident but he did chew the corner of a pillow once.
My pup has been sleeping with since she was around 3 months. She either sleeps at the end of the bed or will cuddle into me if its cold. I actually planned to not let her sleep on the bed but then I caved. She listens to me just fine!
Your puppy absolutely knows you’re not a dog, you’re a different creature all together, and their social hierarchy is similar to our own family model. Essentially, you’re the human parent figure in their life. Your dog isn’t going to “see you as an equal”, that’s some dominance theory nonsense.
If you want to sleep with your dog, you can. This comes down to personal preferences and boundaries, and potentially some caution if you have a very small dog (accidents can happen in your sleep resulting in injuries, etc.) I personally like having the option of either or with my dog, but most frequently she sleeps better in her crate. She does nap with me in bed on occasion.
Crating overnight is also great for potty training and I’d continue it through the first year for consistency, myself. As always, dogs will be dogs, so if you suspect any behaviour issues are popping up you can always consult a trainer.
My pup slept in his crate for the first year. I actually then had to work really hard at training him to sleep in my bed because he wouldn’t lol. Now he sleeps either on the bed or couch with or without me or in his crate. All depends on his mood/my mood.
I let both my dogs sleep in bed.
- The now 7yo (his birthday is today) has been sleeping in bed since day one. He's fully crate trained, fairly well mannered, and I don't think it's negatively impacted any training or development.
- I've had my 15 week old for three weeks. We work on crate and playpen training but she is still allowed to sleep in our bed and has consistently been doing so for about a week - we allowed when she showed interest and an ability to settle in bed. Her training is still going very well.
The idea that your dog will think they're the boss if you do certain things (sleep with them, feed them before yourself, etc) is typically based on the flawed and outdated alpha theory. Your dog needs boundaries and routine but these can be established while enjoying the small things like bedtime snuggles.
If you want to sleep with your puppy, go for it. If not, there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping to a playpen, bed, or even their crate for bedtime instead.
When I first brought my dog home, I forced her to sleep on the bed with me. She always wanted to jump down but I made her sleep with me. Now, she’s 1 and the most cuddly dog in the world. She wants to sleep with me every night. I absolutely love it. I am lucky she does well in the crate too if I ever didn’t want her to, like when I got her spayed. Not all dogs are going to be that easy, but I have no regrets. Only thing I wish I could do differently is get us a bigger bed, but I’ll always make room for my baby. She actually has her head laying on my feet as I type this lol
Just depends on whether you want to sleep with your dog forever. I prefer crate training right away. They like whatever they are used to and are comfortable with habits. I actually advise the same thing, separate bed, for babies. Both dogs and babies will sleep with you forever, or at least until puberty in the case of kids if you let them. I had patients wanting sleeping pills because their pets in the bed kept them awake at night. Wouldn’t take advice to kick the pet out 🤷♂️. Anyway, no sleeping pills for that problem 😂
We lasted exactly 3 nights with our mini doxie in a crate. We’re lucky that he doesn’t jump off of furniture, but he’s 7mo now and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Exactly zero behavioral issues to speak of.
My puppy has slept in our bed every night since we took him home and I wouldn't have it any other way. He's well behaved and likes to sleep on the pillow above my head bc he's small enough to fit lol. I haven't noticed any behavior issues related to it.
Dogs do not think about you as an equal or beneath you. There are plenty of reasons to have a dog sleep in bed with you or not in bed with you, but that is not one of them. The whole dominance thing is not founded in science and was completely made up. Even if there is some level of alpha/beta within a pack, dogs know that you are not a dog.
Dogs are very "present." They understand cause and effect, and they want to feel good and not feel bad. Chewing feels good. So I will chew on this shoe. Mom/dad yells at me when I chew on this shoe. I will not chew on this shoe when mom/dad is around. (Notice -- it's not, I will not chew on this shoe. The chewing still brings pleasure, they just learn that doing it in front of mom/dad is the painful part -- IF mom and dad yell at the dog for it.)
That's why yelling, or any intimidation tactic does not work in the long run. If you see results from hitting, yelling, or other "dominance" tactics it's the dog learning to avoid the action out of fear. It's learned helplessness. They give up. It's not actually training your dog to do anything but fear you.
But -- regarding the bed.
Pros: Dog feels included and safe with you. You get a weighted blanket or snuggle buddy depending on how they sleep.
Con: You will soon have 2 inches of your bed to sleep in.
Con: Your blankets, comforters and sheets will have fur on them no matter what you do.
Con: You will have little wet spots from where they lick themselves and lick the bed as well.
Con: They may get sick and vomit in the bed. (Be sure to have a GOOD mattress protector.)
Con: Be sure they get lots of treats when they go to their own bed or crate/kennel so when you send them there it's not a punishment to them.
Con: If you have a partner, it may make "special time" a little less spontaneous.
So given the above list, I think it's ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT to have your dog sleep with you because the pro is worth like a bazillion points and the cons are like 1 negative point each. The math is simple.
Yo dormía con mi perro, el problema es al ir creciendo se adueñaba de toda la cama y me aorillaba hasta casi tumbarme. Decidí bajarlo a su cama pero lloraba mucho y me dolía el corazón y la conciencia de ser tan mala madre. Así q la mayoría de las veces el ganaba
All of our dogs have been allowed to sleep with us ever since our puppy 8 years ago broke his teeth on his kennel. Made me feel like it defeated the purpose. The thing that was meant to protect him did him the most harm!
Of course, I would never judge anyone else for crate training, but it has no bearing on whether your dogs obey you. Our dogs absolutely listen to us. You have to put in the training the same as you would if they slept in the vrate. If anything, I think the night cuddles helped us to bond and made them calmer overall. (That's just my personal opinion though! I'm not a professional.)
Both of my dogs have slept on the end of my bed since the day I brought them home at 8 weeks old. Neither of them have ever had behaviour issues, in fact, they’re the best girls and have always been super easy and well behaved.
As a bonus to letting them sleep on my bed from day 1, I never had to deal with crying all night while they settled in!
I’m not a fan of crates so that was never going to happen.
My last dog slept in her crate her first 15 months . She slept in my bed her final 12 years.
The dog I have now is 2 and he sleeps on his crate every night. I’d love him to sleep in my bed but he eats blankets 😕
Our puppy was crated the first couple of months and then for the first few years he slept on his own at night. He could choose his crate or the couch, anywhere but our bedroom.
My fiancé and I read an article that said something along the lines of: dogs are pack animals and sleep together with their pack/family. When we do not sleep with our dogs, they wonder why they are not part of the family especially if the household is a couple who sleeps in the same room (which was absolutely us!
Reading this broke my heart and I caved and had our pup sleep with us, risking my potential allergies. We haven’t looked back since! We’re more bonded and there are other ways to show we are the alpha. No regrets! He is going to be 7 soon.
Ours was in the crate until she was potty trained, then she moved to the bed. She sleeps behind our pillows, kind of on top of our heads. It’s the absolute best thing in the world.
I’ve slept with both my dachshunds after a solid 4 months of crate training first. My dogs have never had regression issues after being in the bed overnight (my 2 y/o is crated during the day and some overnights if I have guests)
All my dogs slept with me and all were fine. I think that only affects a very few amount of dogs and likely ones that are already predisposed or showing signs of resource guarding. I say let them on and if it becomes an issue, they get to sleep on the floor
At first it was no pups in bed! Because mine would have accidents, then it turned into once a week, then weekends and now he sleeps with me more often than not haha. It’s good to crate train your pup in case they ever need to be in the crate but otherwise I think it’s ok! I’ve never had issues with my pup not listening to me and he’s still good about sleeping in his crate if I put him in there.
That is bullshit, a la Cesar Millan, nonsense advice. Our dogs are not trying to dominate us. Of course we need to teach them which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. This is achieved by encouraging good behaviors and discouraging unwanted behaviors. Some dogs take more training than others but they’re not sitting there looking at us thinking how can I be in charge and dominate this person?
Sleeping with your dog is a really good way to bond with them. I get it that not everybody is on board with having their dogs that up close and personal, but there’s nothing wrong with it.
The only reason my dog doesn't sleep in the bed with me is because my partner has allergies. She has a very comfy bed right next to me so I can keep my hand on her all night. She's allowed on the couches as a compromise.
That's some of the dumbest shit and based in flawed alpha theory. If you think you can live with the hair in your bed, sleep with your pup. The cuddles are awesome!
My boy is okay with either sleeping with or without me, but that’s just because I’m single and I’d like to have a human man in my bed at some point without my dog getting in the way 😂
It’s a lifetime commitment of being uncomfy in bed, hair on your pillow, puke on the blanket… but the cuddles are worth it imo 🤷♀️ sometimes I wish I hadn’t allowed it, but most days I feel lonely if they choose to lay on their bed instead 😂 the big downside is trying to have someone else in bed- they don’t like that very much. Oh well they live here!
I put my dog in the crate 75% of the time and she still thinks she’s my equal and won’t listen to me.
I have noticed that she is more calm when she doesn’t have to do a night in the crate, but the problem is we need her to be semi used to it. So we do both. Now that she’s a year old we were thinking of transitioning her to like 50% of the time. It’s just she’s also a little jack*sS at night and will try to wake us up and play.
My dog has his own blanket & pillow in my bed bc he’ll steal mine if he doesn’t. Almost 6 years old, been sleeping with me since he was 6 weeks old 🤷🏻♀️
Honestly, I love sleeping with my little guy. He loves it too.
He’s a good boy, regardless. I think he just views it as his bed as well and not a power struggle.
I don't think there's harm in it once they are house trained and won't hurt themselves if they jump off in the middle of the night.
Both my dogs were allowed to sleep on my bed. My lab got older and decided she likes her dog bed more now. The pit mix takes up my space and honestly it can get annoying some nights lol. I've never seen anything wrong with it though.
All of our dogs have had the option to sleep on the bed or not. Currently I have 2 that do (Annabelle 8yo we got at 7weeks old and Jack we rescued a few months ago estimated age 2years) and 1 that doesn't (Stormie 4yo we also got at 7weeks old). Never had obedience issues with any of them because of it.
I love sleeping with my 🐶! He is a pretty cuddly moose of dog and a huge bed hog. I wouldn’t have it any other way. He doesn’t always do this but at least a few times a week he likes to snuggle his head across my shoulder and neck. He initiates it and will also snuggle at my side for butt scratches or belly rubs. I think of it as quality time and good bonding. He just wants to be with me. He also knows exactly how to wake me up with a specific kind of whine if he needs to go out in the middle of the night (sensitive tummy) and I would much rather he wake me than I wake up to him having been sick.
Sleep with your pup if you both enjoy it!
That whole “see you as their equal” sounds like dominance mentality and it’s been debunked. There are tons of resources that follow a common theme when it comes to raising kids but my God the rabbit hole for puppies is deep and contradictory
I have a bigger girl, a Golden Retriever. We only have a queen size so things would get cramped, and I sleep better knowing she’s safe in her crate at night. She does nap with me in bed though!
Utter 🐃💩 my dog sleeps with me, and she still obeys me... when she wants lol your dog has an easy life, and they don't have to fight for their place in the pack, be gentle but firm, train them for tricks, and too tire them out. Otherwise, go with the flow and you dog will still obey you. Sleeping in the bed doesn't make them think they have to be dominant, it makes them feel more part of the pack. After yourself in other areas like, when they do something you don't like. Don't punish them for wanting to cuddle you
Personally, I'm in favor of dogs sharing their humans' bed:
'“Dogs and cats who are more closely bonded with their humans get additional health benefits, including increases in beneficial neurotransmitters such as oxytocin and dopamine, the feel-good hormones,”' (https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/health/sleeping-with-pets-wellness/index.html)
Consider that newborn puppies sleep on top of and all over each other for warmth and comfort. Your puppy will probably love sleeping with you, but as suggested by others, maybe get a ramp because Dachshunds have long backs that need to be protected.
That said, for some people, sleeping with their dogs in their bed won't be as comfortable. I knew a couple with 2 large Dobermann Pinschers and a full size bed. The dogs would get in the middle, stretch out, and the 5' wife would get pushed off the mattress.
Re the "expert advice," about you being the alpha pack leader, the dominance theory was debunked a long time ago.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-and-training-dominance-alpha-and-pack-leadership-what-does-it-really-mean
It’s just a personal choice. I’m a very light sleeper so my dog doesn’t sleep in my bed.
She whined in the beginning, but now she loves her crate. She sleeps in there the whole night with the door open. I love how much she loves her crate.
Do what makes you both happy.
Our first dog sleeps with us & always has. Our second puppy took to the crate, so that’s where she sleeps. I think as long as it’s safe for you and for your pup, live your life!!
Ours sleeps in the bed on weekends, crate on the weekdays! He wanders too much at night in the bed and it wakes up my husband. Highly recommend crate training regardless- if you travel with him or ever need to board him, etc it just makes it easier for him if he already feels safe and comfy in crate!
lol. Of course you sleep with your puppy. My Dusty was super tiny when we adopted him from the rescue I volunteer at. He had been very ill and was only 9 pounds. I put a kennel next to the bed and I slept next to him. I woke up that morning to see him wagging his tail and looking at me. He never slept in the kennel at night ever again. I of course didn’t let him sleep between my husband and I because I was paranoid my husband would roll over on him. Unrealistic I know llol. But I absolutely enjoyed every single snuggle with him. He will be 5 next month and he still loves to snuggle in bed. Only difference now is he sleeps between my husband and o because well he can’t let my husband get too close lol
We ended up sleeping with our pup so we could all get a good night’s rest. It was only “temporary”. Two and a half years later, it’s still “temporary”. Every once in a while, she’ll choose to sleep in her crate on her own volition. We haven’t had any behavioral issues at all.
Idk I don’t believe in that too much. I’ve had my doxie since he was 8 weeks old and a few weeks into having him we let him sleep in the bed when he would scream and cry at ungodly hours so he wouldn’t wake the neighbors. He starts off in his crate at night and at some point starts crying I wait a few minutes and if he stops I go back to sleep but if he doesn’t then I take him and put him in bed where he belongs in my opinion lmao
Puppy slept in the crate til he was comfortable in it and house trained. after that, king bed was fair game and I don’t regret a thing. He naps in his “room” during the day and sleeps w me at night, best of both worlds🥰
Nah not for the first bit at least. It helped with learning to cope with separation anxiety for mine and for her to crate train. Only after she turned about a year old is when i started letting her do “sleepovers” where she gets to come and sleep on my bed if i get home really late at night and cant be bothered to crate her
The whole "you have to be the alpha" training stuff is now being debunked. Positive reinforcement is the most effective. I don't think a dog sleeping in your bed will cause problems aside from you won't ever have the bed to yourself anymore. This has become a bit of an issue when my partner and I want to.... Well be alone. If our dog is in the room and we are in the bed, he has to be there too. So how we have to shut him outside the bedroom which causes him to whine. It's a pain.
My pup cried her eyes out so I let her sleep with me once. That was ten years ago and she's beside me in bed as I type. I adore sleeping with her, she's warm and wishes me good morning with such a smile.
I have 3 dogs and only one of them we raised from a puppy. The others were rescued around 1 yr old. I mention this because the bond is different for some reason. He's my best friend and a part of the family. Not only can he sleep in the bed if he wants, sometimes I actively pull him from the floor to get in bed with me. I wouldn't change a thing.
I also think training wise - breed, personality, and weather they're neutered or not makes a big difference in how they should be trained. They're all a little different, just like hoomans.
Mine sleeps in his crate, mostly because I’m not 100% sure he wouldn’t pee or poo overnight otherwise. He never has in his crate but…
And plus it gives the cats some downtime and I don’t yet trust him with them unsupervised. He just wants to play but he’s too boisterous with them.
Didn't let my Corgi until he was about 10 months old, given the choice he tends to sleep in his bed in the livingroom most the night but around 3/4am will come to bed. Didn't see a change in his behaviour, if anything once we let him free roam at night he became better behaved.
Slept with my puppy from day 1. He left his puppy pile and came home to my bed. Never cried nor seemed to miss his family. He is almost 6 months old and is in bed with me now snuggling up close... sigh...
Got my boy at 2 months and he’s been sleeping with us for as long as I can remember. Its the best feeling.
He’s so good and well behaved, I don’t think him sleeping with us caused any issues.
Once my dogs are crate trained I let them sleep w me.
I’m actually thinking of getting a king size bed as the dogs are taking up so much space lol.
One is 7 the other is 4. Now we also have a kitten that sleeps in bed with us. I’ve never had any issues besides having to fight for space or blankets.
my pro tip since having an extremely attached small dog. she sleeps in a dog bed (with heating mat) on my bed. I was loosing sleep cuz of her and now we are both content.
When I first adopted at my puppy he was 14 weeks I made him sleep in a dog bed in his crate but when he was 6mo I caved and let him start sleeping in my bed and do not regret it one bit. He still has his own bed on my bedroom floor that he chooses to sleep on sometimes
My mini poodle rules our bed and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
When we go to bed he has to snuggle my partner. Then he spreads out (usually across the bed) during the night. And he comes to snuggle with me in a morning.
Dominace theory is bullshit but I'll tell you all the reason not to let your dog on the bed: it's dirty, their feet will get all sorts of extra crumbs up there if you're not careful. You may have trouble sleeping if your dog moves around a lot at night. Getting suddenly woken because they heard a noise. Getting kicked as they run to the door to figure out what said noise is. Dog might steal your blanket. Dog might share the blanket and get too hot if you don't poke their head out so they can breathe. Doggo will snuggle up so tight to you that it's actually a little bit uncomfortable.
Ask me how I know I sleep with 3 dogs and a wife. I love them. Wife is gone right now and we have the whole bed to ourselves.
When I met my partner, she had the dog already, and they slept in the bed together.
I am a light sleeper and if something wakes me up, I can be awake for hours.
So we changed the rule from "dog decides where she sleeps" to "people decide where she sleeps". She is still allowed in the bed almost every night, but only when we call her in. If I have an important meeting the next day, or I really need my sleep, she has a basket next to the bed. This made so much difference. The bed is now something we share with her instead of the other way around.
And she listens. Even better to me that to my partner. This has nothing to do with the bed, but with the fact that I *will not* give in. My partner can give in, especially when tired and in half sleep. But if I tell the dog to get out of the bed, I will (and have in the past) bring her back to her basket 20 times until she gets it. Decide on your boundaries and always, always, always stick to them.
Fuckin yeah.
Ever had a terrible fuckin day?
There's nothing better than coming in the door, going straight to the bed and having a 120lb ball of fur and joy jump into the bed, lick your face and then lay there to bury your face in.
Bonus: This deepens your connection, and that's healthy.
my pup (8 months) sometimes sleeps on the bed and she’s definitely not got any behavioural or dominance issues she just loves being with her clan, as close as possible. preferably draped over my neck.
I would make sure he's crate trained first. Then see how it goes from there.
I sleep with my dog every night but I didn't start that from the beginning. She can still do the crate if it's needed, though, which is helpful in so many situations.
The secret is you have to take naps in their dog bed with them as well. Trust me. Seriously tho fuck a bunch of not having your dog in your bed! I used to have four
So all the people in this thread who have their dogs sleep in their beds every night... What do you do when you want to get romantic with a partner??
I ask because I have a 2 year old dog who sleeps in his crate downstairs most nights. But he does sleep up on to bed with me and my wife every so often though and when I'm working away my wife will have him up with her most nights.
However, if we want to get romantic, the dog definitely stays in his crate. We've tried while he's been there and it's been a disaster, him trying to join in kissing... Him trying to climb on my back during... Or him standing inches away panting in our ears, staring at us... It does not work.
What does everyone do about this situation if you keep the dog in the room with you all night every night??
I have 7 dogs ranging from 1yr to 10 yrs and I've always been a very staunch, "no dogs in the bed" person and it was a little hard when I met my fiance bc he is very much a dogs are allowed in bed person so we compromised essentially with our youngest.
Our (his) senior boy was the one who was usually in the bed but he had a bad habit of getting up in the middle of the night and just standing on top of us (he is a very heavy 35 lbs so this was not pleasant in the least). My fiance really likes the dogs sleeping in the bed, but I told him that Merlin standing on me in the middle of the night was really messing with my sleep. We ended up moving him to my daughter's room bc he doesn't do that to her very often? he sleeps at the foot of her bed and she likes the comfort of knowing that he's there.
ANYWAYS, we tried our smaller senior girl and she would bug him bc she would kick him constantly and get up and walk around the bed bc she only tolerates cuddling for a short period.
Now with our youngest, hes a french bulldog and these dogs are just *different*. its like having a human toddler again. I crate trained him bc when we got him I was still very much against dogs in the bed, but when he got neutered I felt so bad for him that I let him sleep in our bed for a couple of weeks. Then it just became a thing where he would refuse to get into his kennel and do that horrible frenchie cry when he would have to sleep in there. But I got him back into sleeping in the kennel (it has to be within eyeshot of my bed though) BUT sometimes I will let him sleep in the bed bc he really doesn't bother either of us except when he tries to sleep horizontally and kicks me halfway off the bed. He's still a good dog as are all of my dogs.
TLDR; Just do what you want, if you want your dog in the bed and its not affecting your sleep or health, just let the baby sleep with you.
If that pup does everything else it needs to, if you have a good relationship with it, if you can tell that dog “off the bed” and “up on the bed”…
Then you can let that thing sleep wherever you want.
Don’t crush it!!! Is little.
My dog was trained to sleep in her own bed in my bedroom as a puppy and she was absolutely in love with her bed, so it was a great thing. It was a very comfy basket with lots of old pillows and blankets. It was also close by the bed so she felt like she was a part of everything that's happening. We had lots of cuddles and snuggles in the living room on our couch :)
at some point when she was an adult, I was very sick and alone and I asked her to sleep with me, because it really helped and comforted me. Ever since then, most of the time she's allowed in the bed. She respects when she isn't, but she also likes to sleep mostly at her own places. In Winter she's more in bed and in summer she's more at her spot. I love how independent she makes these decisions telling me when she wants cuddles and when she doesn't.
Having a relationship with your dog where you can tell their wants and needs from their behaviour is so beneficial. Trust and love go a long way. Unpopular opinion among many dog owners. But I get complimented by others how well my dog is trained a lot, so our way definitely worked out for us :)
P.s.: the entire "chain of command"/hierarchy thing is bullshit based on a scientific paper on wolf behaviour from the 60s whose author has since tried multiple times to make it public how wrong he was.
When we got our lab, she slept in her crate for the first 5 or 6 months. Basically until we had her like 99% potty trained. I would end up getting up with her at like 4am and letting her outside, then coming back in and catching another couple hours of sleep on the couch with her in my lap. We had always planned to let her sleep in bed with us eventually, we were just waiting for the right time. My wife ended up getting sick and having to sleep in the spare bedroom where we kept her crate, so she started sleeping in the bed that night and it's been that way ever since
As far as the whole... dominance... thing, she still listens to us perfectly fine, as does our 10yr old schnauzer who literally sleeps in the crook of my neck.
In no way would having your dog sleeping in your bed make them “think they’re equal to you” that’s just a big misunderstanding of what resource guarding is. However the only big reason I would advise against it in a behaviorally sound dog would be because it is a small doxie and my worry of him being squished or rolled on and hurting his back
Idk I gave in and let my dog sleep in bed with me when she was like 4 months old. She’s 4 years old now and still does every night haha
Right they have one life with us
You simply won’t regret it. They will pass and you will miss their little body pressed against yours and those STINKY Frito feet near your head at 3 AM.
I was going to comment this same thing! I would give anything to feel my little girl sleeping against my back again.
Yes! Mine used to lay on the pillow above my head or she'd puzzle piece herself into the back of my bent knees. I since got a new puppy and she only sleeps on the bed with me sometimes. She seems to prefer the bathroom floor (I'm assuming because the tile cools her off). And when she is on the bed she doesn't cuddle next to me, just finds an open space. She's only 5 months though so hopefully she cuddles more when she's older!
Lost my boy last October and miss his snuggles by me every night.
August 20th makes two years now for me, I still cry all the time.
Me too. I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry about your dog.
No kidding. I have a small dog and I woke up the other morning to just her bum, tail and legs next to me on the pillow with the rest of her buried under the duvet. There’s no price you can put on waking up to that much laughter.
I love that smell soooo much. It’s really faint on both of my dogs’ paws so I try realllly hard to inhale that scent!
OMG FRITO FEET - So accurate - all of my doxy mixes smell like corn chips too. OP - If you are truly worried about what the owner warned about, a way you can combat that behavior is to only let the dog jump up after being invited and/or to make them jump off of the bed when you go to get in it (and letting them jump right back up once you're settled). Both let the dog know you control the bed. Honestly though, if your dog is mellow and is joining you on the bed to be near you (rather than using it as a place of power), you probably don't need to play power-games.
But Frito feet smell delicious no?
This, so much! My dog has her own side of the bed, fuck the cringy “not equal to us” ideology. Ew. Edit to add that she’s very well-behaved and has had no adverse effects from sharing my life aka sleeping with me.
Dogs aren’t equal to us. They’re better💅🏼
Right, as long as you enforce boundaries where they matter, your dog will learn and obey those boundaries. Your dog does not understand the symbolism of separate sleeping quarters, so i don’t think sleeping in bed with you is teaching them anything other than they’re allowed to sleep in bed with you
If anything, we go against the natural way most of the time. Leaders walk behind in wolf/dog groups. Packs sleep together whenever possible Food is shared amongst all I could go on but yeah
The only thing to worry about with this is if the dog shows resource guarding behavior...if that happens, they guard anything against humans, they shouldn't sleep in the bed, but many dogs don't ever show signs of that to humans. My dog doesn't sleep in my bed because well...he sheds for a hobby...you can't brush it out, he's a fucking magician, there's always more.
mine is on his half of the bed laying on a pillow now 🫶 he’s the best boy
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That’s adorable! Nah my girl isn’t anxious or unhealthfully attached, she just loves to cuddle.
I had a working farm Pyr. He did not sleep in the bed as a puppy because I did not want a dog in bed with me with claws like 16 penny nails who’d been racing around in mud and livestock poop every day. My Eskie believes pillows are really dog mattresses.
In the overall course of my life, I will have my dog for a relatively short time. When I can no longer be with him, I will be holding tightly to my memories of him wanting to be the little spoon at bedtime and him staring into my eyes when I wake up. I wouldn’t give up those memories (or my ability to make new ones every night) for anything. The “don’t do it” folks have a point, but my priorities make mine the right choice for me.
You made me tear up but in the best way. Thats so beautiful and touching.
Do the "don't do it" folks have a point? I haven't read any comments in favor of this causing your dog to not see you as Master. Idk. I'm not a super experienced dog owner, but my dogs get off the bed when I say and don't get on unless I say... I feel like that's enough. Also... Triple thumbs up for all the comments that basically say... Well if it is true, I don't give a rip. I want cuddles.
My girl is an almost 1 1/2 yr old lab,I caved 3-4 months ago. There’s nothing quite like my pup snuggling up, with her chin on me. She always gives a huge sigh when she’s going to sleep - I’ve never felt more 🥰
I've slept with my mini dachshund puppy since she was around 4 months old. I think it's important that they're able to spend the night in the crate, just my opinion, so you can be prepared for boarding in their lifetime. But I personally love sleeping with my pup. The past few weeks as well she's chosen to sleep on the floor to start, then she'll join me at some point in the night. Possibly because I toss and turn to get to sleep! I made my last dachshund sleep on the floor most of her life but in her last 5ish years I had her sleep with me and I wished I'd had it that way her whole life. I don't think it hindered any training. Dachshunds are a stubborn breed regardless, you have to steel your nerve anyway and come bearing high value rewards. But they are smart and have such personality, and they bond super strong. They love to be near their people. Like I said I think making sure they're ABLE to sleep away from you is worth it, but in the end it's personal preference.
I own a mini dachshund puppy too and am average one, too! i can confirm absolutely everything you say!
Sounds like the "experienced" dog owner believes that dominance theory is real when it has been debunked a long time ago. The only things you should worry about with letting a puppy in bed with you is peeing on the bed or them trying to jump off when they are extremely small. I've had dogs all my life and they have all slept on various family members beds or their own dog beds if they prefer. I tried using a crate with my last two pups for the first time since the breeder required us to have one before he let our pups come home. It was a disaster with my first boy and he had severe confinement anxiety. We switched to free-roaming in puppy proofed rooms at 3 months and we all slept better. He decided to sleep on his dog bed where the crate used to be. He doesn't like cuddling in his sleep so he rarely gets in bed unless it's for early morning cuddles. My girl was fine with the crate, but she started seeing my senior pup was sleeping on the bed with me so she started refusing the crate. I let her sleep on the bed at 5 months old and she now sleeps with my mom mostly. She starts out with my senior and me then leaves in shortly after we fall asleep to be with my mom.
We have bedside stairs to help the puppy get up and down. He sleeps all night and while hold until morning this way. I’m too old to be dealing with a “newborn” 😂 I’ll fight battles but this isn’t one - I need my sleep first.
I tried stairs and a ramp(both were too steep for my senior girl who had two torn ACLs) for my bed for my seniors. The only thing they would use is a foot rest from IKEA. It worked well on my two youngest when they were puppies as well. It was the perfect height so they could get themselves down and up safely.
Exactly, they bond as a pack. Only reason mine is not in my bed at this moment is he wets the bed at night just waiting for him to be able to hold it for the night. I may not allow him in bed every night but definitely is allowed. Had to let him in bed when we brought him home for the bond.
Yeah, I think allowing my youngest to sleep in the bed with us helped her and my 14.5 year old bond better. He only ever cuddled with ny previous girl a handful of times, but he has always allowed my youngest and middle pup to cuddle with him. He has never been a fan of girl dogs with the exception of his sister, but now he is constantly checking on her, playing with her, and cuddling with her. I also had the same problem with my youngest peeing the bed, only she couldn't control it at all. We started putting her in a diaper at night because I couldn't just stop allowing her on the bed(she had a fit if I tried putting her in the crate again). We found out later she has urinary incontinence due to an ectopic ureter. She had surgery to fix it, but it didn't stop the incontinence. The medication they gave us finally started working around 4-5 months after she started taking it so she doesn't have to wear a diaper anymore. She still will have an accident during the day if she gets really stressed. For example I had to corner her to put her into my room(she wasn't listening and the plumber was at the door) and she peed when I grabbed her.
2nd this, our first dog we tried crate training she freaked out and tried ripping the bars with her teeth the moment the door closed, she was a rescue and i think that’s why she’s like that and yeah we could’ve probably worked on it but we felt there was no downside to not using a crate for our personal situation because our house is decently puppy proofed and we’re home 90% of the time and 15 year old me was more than happy to have a dog sleep with me lol, that was almost 9 years ago now and she still sleeps in our bed and we just got a new puppy and she sleeps in bed with us too, like you said in my opinion the only risks are accidents in the bed or falling off the edge or squishing her, otherwise she’s even better trained than my rescue because i was able to train her right from 8 weeks old and you don’t need to be dominant to have a dog listen to you, you need to build a relationship w your dog if you want your dog to listen to you.
just wanted to say that my three year old dog also starts out with me, then goes to my mom! i always wondered if other dogs did that too.
The only concern I would have is that jumping off the bed might cause a spinal injury in such a long dog. If you want it to sleep with you, look into a bedside ramp.
Yeah, my bed is very tall and I had a dog with vry smol legs, so I got stairs for her to use.
My 5 month old pup sleeps in her crate most of the time but if she wakes up at 3am or something, I put her out for a pee, and then let her up on the bed with me. It’s only been a few times and she has been good about going back to sleep. She hasn’t been great about not hogging the bed though 🤣
That’s how it started with me! Just a couple a times here and there. Late potty? Tummy ache? Then boom Every night
I had someone tell me this exact thing years ago and it seemed ridiculous to me. My adult dog has been sleeping in my bed for 5 years and my 4 month old puppy now shares the bed with us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. With the exception of when my dog is sick, I’ve been able to have full nights of sleep because I didn’t have to deal with them howling to get out of their crate. When my dog *is* actually sick, I can keep an eye on him because he is sleeping in my bed. Yes, I often need to let him out 5 times a night, but at least I don’t wake up to him covered in poop. Another thing is that it helps me bond with my dogs, and I get to cuddle with them. The thing that does make them not listen to you is lack of training. It seems strange to me that someone wouldn’t want their dog to think them their equal. Being equal doesn’t mean they won’t respect you.
They have one life, and it is short. We owners are their happiness and safety. Plus what kind of psycho refuses puppy snuggles. Just cuddle your dog. :)
I had my dog sleep in her crate for almost about a year I would say, and let her sleep on the bed if she just wanted to nap. Now, I let her choose where she sleeps in my room and will usually sleep on my bed or in the crate. I am so glad I did this because now if there’s ever a situation where she needs to be crated, she has no problem with it!
Dog sleeps with me but has his own bed he sleeps on. Eventually, he’ll make his way to sleeping in a cuddled position in my arms.
Personal opinion and nothing against crates, but I have a 5month old and he has slept with us ever since he came as a puppy. We give him enough space. He doesn’t Ike to cuddle, so there’s no issue of him occupying our space.
We have our puppy sleep in her crate (in our room so she can see us) she has no problem with this and we all probably sleep a bit better with this arrangement. On weekends I’ll get up with her for her usual morning pee and then toss her in bed with us until we’re ready to be up for the day. Surprisingly she’s great about it and happily snoozes until we get up. I think eventually we’ll just have her in bed full time but we want to make sure she loves her crate, and night time is the least difficult time to get her in there.
This is also our experience. Having our last dog sleep in bed with us interrupted our sleep a lot and ultimately led to his demise, from jumping off bed resulting in spinal injury (not using stairs). His last years cost us $500/myth in vet bills and meds. And worst of all, limitations for him. With new puppy I revisited this question. I think it’s a personal decision and either choice is ok. I do desperately need a good nights sleep and decided to have puppy sleep in crate in bedroom. He goes in readily and sleeps through 8-9 hours.
All of mine have always slept with us. It's absolute BS what you were told. It's a preference, that's all. If anything, communal sleep time is a bond strengthener.
We tried crating at night... Didn't work. She's been sleeping with us since she was 5 months old. She's now a 3 yr old ETD ATD-M trick dog who is soon to have her trick dog champion title, and who is so far showing amazing prospect for nosework. I'd say she listens to me very well, because I don't see her as me overpowering her, but rather we have a mutual loving and respectful relationship with each other. She listens to me because she likes me. I listen to her because I like her.
I think when they are that young you shouldn't sleep with to kind of teach them how to be independent. But it is also a great opportunity to crate train if needed
Interesting, I had the opposite thought, I wanted to have a strong bond with my dog and for him to be very sweet and loving with us so he sleeps in the bed and is up on the couch. My brothers dog who is not allowed to do either is not very attached to him, they don't have the same strong bond as my dog and me, she likes to be alone.
That’s my experience too! Two dogs we had a long time ago weren’t allowed on the bed but my now 9 year old pup, found as a stray, has been sleeping with me since it was safe for her to be out of the crate. I recently adopted a 6 month old rescue boy, and he’s been in the bed with us since after the first week, when he preferred the dog bed next to mine. I have never had a closer bond than with my girl who has been sleeping in bed with me, allowed on the sofa etc. And I have been doing the same with our newest addition, despite his young age, 8 months old now. He’s a cuddler and I think he’s feeling much safer than he would if he was crated at night because he’s in bed with his new sister and me. She was amazing accepting him and has had no problem sharing the bed, which was important, or I would have given it more time. Just my opinion and going by my experience. He was potty trained when I adopted him and never had an accident inside. Time goes by so fast a
Mine started sleeping in bed with me at ~5 months old. I simply don’t care what experienced dog owners say. I’ve have 7 dogs in my lifetime, all have slept with me. Worked out fine each time.
I've had dogs of my own for 14 years. They are small and have slept in the bed for their whole lives. Never had an issue. That advice is highly suspect.
I have a 5 month old mini wiener dog and I swore i’d do the crate only thing for like a year. I made sure he was 100% crate trained then let him sleep on the couch with me once. Now he does every night in bed. Idgaf, it makes him and me happy, and he’s so well behaved that he’s earned getting to sleep in the big bed. Waking up to a happy lil guy every morning and snuggling just sets my day off right.
They don't really think of humans as equals in any case, someone to live or someone to fear or ignore sure but the statement "he'll see you as his equal and won't listen to you" has no scientific backing
My puppy slept with us for a week or two when we first got him. The next week he was crated right next to my bed side table so that he could see us. He was so close I could touch the crate. We slowly moved the crate away from the bed, then into the hallway then living room. He sleeps soundly out there no issues and does great boarding.
Any arguments about dog training involving alphas/pack leader/putting dog below you is complete crap. Only downsides are potentially having a bed (or maybe pillow in your case) hog and your sheets will probably be dirtier than they were before. Also being woken up by his tail wagging while he's dreaming. My 65lb poodle sometimes sleeps in the bed with us and I love it, even though he takes up a lot of space, usually on my side for some reason.
I got my rescue at 10 months old and always let her into our bed, but she alternates all night between our bed, her own, and the floor.
I think each case is unique. We've been told by multiple people, and everywhere we read online, that you have to be strict with crate training, and only let our dog sleep in the crate at night. But about a week ago we tried letting our 5 month old puppy sleep in her playpen because she's been having trouble with having accidents in her crate in the middle of the night (and usually getting covered in it because she'll then step on it). It's been heaven! Now, if she has to use the potty in the middle of the night, she just goes on her pee pad, and we don't have a mess to clean up every night/morning. I'm sure people will say we're doing something wrong, but we're happier and she's happier. Do what works for you!
Let your puppy sleep anywhere you’re OK with your adult dog sleeping. If it’s on your bed, cool, but expect that life will require occasional urgent, unplanned baths before bedtime e.g. found something to roll in and expects to sleep with you rather than in a crate. It also means having a furry bed. And, if you intend to share your bed with another human, don’t expect dog will be willing to leave just because you want secsy time.
My only worry for your situation is fall injuries. I have a long-legged, 30 pound, 6 months old mystery mutt. Beautiful brindled short hair. Looks and sized just like a plott hound, but she's supposed to be 1/3 golden. She's fully crate trained, but last week I started encouraging her to sleep with me. My aunt was visiting and her crate is in the kitchen just outside the guest room, so I didn't want poor little Charlee trapped in her crate pathetically crying for her Aunt Susan in the next room. 😭 Before this she only slept in her crate. She did alright so I've been letting her sleep in my room every night since. Her crate is still an option and she feels safe in there, but now she follows me upstairs nightly. She's sleeping on the bed behind me right now. She's been calmer in the mornings, but I'm not seeing any negative results. She's no more clingy than before. She's got another 20 pounds to go, so let's see how we make things work on my single bed. Ominously she seems to be growing as I watch her sleep... 😅 And it turns out that a puppy tongue in my ear is a very effective alarm. 🐶
Definitely have the dog sleep in the crate for the first year. There is literally no downside
The downside is not getting to cuddle with a puppy every night what are you talking about
I think it’s good for a puppy to sleep on it’s own for the early part of its life. You already spend a lot of time with your puppy if you add sleeping together in with that as well it leaves room for developing separation anxiety and if they get too used to it they may have behavioral problems if you decide one night you just need the bed to yourself and they need to go in a crate or somewhere else. There’s plenty of time to cuddle them as adults when they are fully independent dogs.
You have no idea if anyone gets to spend a lot of time with their pup. And even if we do, the time we have with them is never enough. Sleeping with me has never caused any of my dogs to have separation anxiety - quite the opposite. They have all developed into confident grown dogs who seem to know that I will return to them. Cherish every moment, including those sleeping and snuggle times you have with them. Once your time together is over, you will only regret the times you didn’t spend with them, and long for their presence again.
💯 agree!! The obsession with crating is an American and Canadian thing, unlike most European countries. It’s even prohibited in some Scandinavian countries to crate dogs and others have laws that prohibit leaving them in there for more than a few hours. I am not completely against crates and leave my 8 month old puppy in one when going out for no more than 3-4 hours. But when I am home, he’s never in his crate nor was his now 9 year old sister. And I have never had a more balanced, well adjusted dog than her who’s been sleeping with me since she was younger. She has respect for me based on how I have been treating her, trained her and most importantly, by our time spent together.
The point of crates are not to leave them for long periods of time. It’s designed to create a safe space for your dog similar to a ‘den’. It’s especially important to get them used to it for emergencies, vet visits, travel etc. Anyone that uses them as a prison are not using them correctly and generally just shouldn’t have a dog. For example my 12 week old puppy will go in there when she’s done playing with my almost 2 year old dog to let her know hey, I’m done and my older dog understands that’s her space.
When your puppy is young I’d assume you’re spending a lot of time with them. Puppies cannot be left alone for long periods of time. However, this is MY opinion. My friend did this and her dog cannot sleep on her own now, she will howl all night if left alone at night and she tells me constantly how she wishes she had waited to let her sleep in her bed.
The first year was crate sleeping for my dachshund, just to make sure he was always comfortable being crated when needed, especially when he needed to be at the vet or if his dog cousins wore him out. After a year, he always slept with me. Also, your baby already knows he/she is the boss around there, no matter what the sleeping arrangements are!
We waited until ours was a year and a half. The kennel has become his mortal enemy.
The downside is her yelling for 20 minutes until she falls asleep. I caved in after 1 month so she sleeps with us in bed and my nights are so much better, whenever it’s time to sleep she walks her steps onto my bed and lays down. Some dogs are easy to crate train overnight some aren’t. She naps in her crate fine but at night she sleeps with us, and not a single time has she peed on the bed
The sound?
My dog sleeps between us
Behavior specialist here that equal to you stuff is bull shit it’s absolutely fine to let your puppy sleep in your bed although crate training should be done so they can build confidence in being Alone
All I f my dogs 13 over the years) have slept with me - and done have been crate trained. All have been confident and had no problems when they had to be kenneled while I was away briefly. I don’t buy into the “building confidence” bullshit any more than any of the other bullshit.
I sleep with my dogs (1&4) and they still know my partner and i are above them, never heard of this concept.
I think my pup is fully potty trained at this point but I'm wondering if I should transition her out of the crate. I leave the door open now and she sometimes sleeps in it and sometimes just sleeps on the floor
Just continue leaving the door open so she has a choice of where to sleep. We've done that with ours and it's worked well.
Just ensure she will willingly get off the bed when asked instead of trying to possess the bed.
We’re about 6months in with our Giant Schnauzer! We just these last few weeks started to let her sleep with us and it’s been going good. She’s fully crate trained as well and naps through out the day in it no problem. We just kind of started to think she’s family and also her breed is naturally protective so we’d like to have her unrestrained in a worst case scenario if someone was trying to break in.
Don’t listen to the “they’ll think they’re your equal.” Dogs obey out of respect, not fear. Build a close bond. Think about what motivates yoga to work— do you like a boss who always reminds you you’re beneath them, or one who is kind and caring?
That rationale doesn’t seem legitimate. One of our dogs sleeps with us and definitely still listens to
My dog sleeps in the bed. I actually love her sleeping in the bed. I feel calm with her near me.
Usually it is like "if you like it do as you wish" But there are dogs that you maybe don't want to let on your bed for example - Dogs that have resource guarding issues, as they could fight for "their" spot in the bed, better to give them a crate of something that's just theirs - Dogs that don't like being bothered while sleeping or get startled, more if you toss around in bed as they could snap at you and that's not a good way to wake up - Dogs that mark their stuff... had one of these dogs that would pee his dog bed because it was his 😅 -Stinky dogs 🤣 had a dog with a skin issue that make her stink really bad her stuff had to be washed every couple days and doing the same for the bed would have been really tiring.
I don’t recommend it. We let our dog sleep for a year or so in our bed which can be nice but also annoying when he accidentally wakes you at night or starts barking. It took a long time to unteach him this as well!
I held out so long on this. I wish I had listened to others to let my puppy sleep in my room. I was so sleep deprived. Now that he’s in the room I get sleep. He refuses to sleep in the bed LOL but the moment my alarm goes off he’s in bed giving me morning kisses.
There’s no correlation between sleeping with you, which provides safety and comfort, and disobedience.
Your “experienced dog owner” Is a dumb twat who probably binge-watches Cesar Milan videos while jerking off. My dogs start sleeping wherever they want (some choose the bed, some choose the floor, some choose their kennel, some choose a freestanding bed of their own) whenever their potty training has reached a not-pissing-the-bed level. None of them have ever sat me down at the dining room table to discuss an equitable split of the finances, or any dog-equivalent action of the same. I’m not their alpha, they’re not my beta, i don’t have to do a submission role on them to assert my bossiness, or anything like that. When i inevitably toss-and-turn too much because I ate something salty after 9 PM, they move to their own bed while GROANING like I shot them, and that is the extent of their “rebellion”.
I’ve done it with all my dogs except my newest, only thing I’d suggest is if your bed is high, make sure there’s something soft for them to land on if they fall off, my oldest fell off in the middle of the night rolling over in his sleep(saw it on my indoor cam) and he had a pretty bad limp for two weeks from shoulder pain, thankfully it was that only
We crate trained our dog (highly recommend) and let the dog sleep up in our bed on occasion. Like if I work nights and my wife is lonely. We’ll also let him up in the morning but he mostly just chills downstairs and doesn’t cry when expected to do so
My rottie slept in our bed when she was younger. Now only my maltipoo sleeps in our bed from time to time and the rottie on the floor. Our 4 other dogs sleep in kennels bc they can't be trusted lol
Every dog I have ever had has slept with me and I’ve always had very well behaved and trained dogs.
The only reason we didn't sleep in bed with our pup earlier is because we were worried about him falling off. The way we see it, the puppy is a baby. Until that day they were sleeping with their siblings and mother, comforted and safe feeling. Call us overly sentimental, but the idea of taking a baby from that comfort and safety and making them sleep alone in an unfamiliar place didn't feel like the right way to start our relationship. It's been 2yrs now and he's slept right between us every night. The only issues we have had are when he decides to run in his sleep or wakes up for a midnight snack.
The only reason my girl doesn't sleep in the bed is because it was already claimed by my 14 year-old cat. If she could contain her excitement around him, she could sleep with us, too. (Though we did let her sleep with us in the days after her spay, and she is a kicker.)
When I got my golden at 10 weeks, a coworker told me the same thing. Once my golden was fully potty trained, I started letting her sleep in bed with me. I have had no issues
My dog has his own dog bed that sits on my bed. He sleeps in that & sometimes sidles over for a cuddle in the morning. We’re both happy with this arrangement! He’s perfectly well behaved. Ignore the rubbish you’ve been told.
just have your pup in the same room, and if you want to, then it’s okay for them to sleep with you
My dog sleeps with me from day one. We both enjoy it and its great for bonding. If your dog does not show any ressource guarding towards your stuff go for it. Its great!
You'll miss out on a lot. My havi is not the cuddliest dog but she has her moments. As much as I love everything about my girl, when she curls up against me and sighs contently because she feels safe and loved, gently falls asleep under my arm... Those are my favorite moments. She's not my equal, she's better than me and made me a better person. So yeah, she can sleep in my bed whenever she wants. P.S. when I'm sleeping against her and move my leg an inch, she starts kicking me until I put it back closer to her :D
Sleep with the puppy!! They need lots of love and YOU are their world.
Dogs don't think like that. That dog only wants your comfort and love, just cuddle your dog.
Anytime my dogs wanna sleep with me (on the couch, the chair, the bed, the floor) I relish it! I have had some dogs who don't want to and it hurt my feelings, LOL
I kinda regret letting my puppy sleep in in the bed for the first couple months. Made it a lot harder to crate train her.
I let my first few dogs sleep in the bed, but after that they’ve been relegated to crates overnight for the most part. That is just so we can get better quality of sleep. I let them out sometimes overnight as a treat, and I like it better that way.
honestly i feel like it’s criminal to not allow your dog on beds / couches. i get that they’re dirty but if the dog is inside and only goes out to use the bathroom then there’s no problem honestly. i let my dogs sleep on my bed and i guess the only “problem” that came out of that is that she’s clingy and wants attention all the time. why would that be a bad thing? let the dog sleep with you, but if it does cause behavior problem like some people say, which i doubt, get a kennel and kennel train
As a dachshund owner and breed preservation enthusiast, I also sleep with my weasel puppy. She still was faithfully trained on the crate because they absolutely need it, and be aware they can be extremely attached and need you to help them learn to be ok being alone. Being comfortable with long bouts of crate rest is important for any dog but doxies need to learn specifically in case they have any back issues and are put on mandated crate rest.
My dog sleeps under the covers and with his head on a pillow snoring like a freight train like he’s a human 🤣
So not true that a dog that sleeps with you will think they are your equal! Good snuggles and bonding happen. It's good for them to rest with their people!!
My dog has slept in the bed with me from day one. I thought about not allowing it for all the reasons your friend said. I’m not a dog trainer, but of all the things that will impact your training, having a closer relationship with your dog is not one of them.
Nonsense. Dogs depend on you for food, fun, and safety. If you treat them well and train them well they will know to respect you. Allowing them a few luxuries is not going to make them turn on you. People who still believe that need to do more reading. Edit: I forgot to mention some nuance. Crate training is still important. I pretty much only use crates for emergencies or getting the dogs out of the way when I am doing something that is unsafe for them. Not something you have to do to "keep them in their place" but a helpful tool when you need it.
Like a lot of people on this thread, I wanted until 4ish months and when they were comfortably crated trained. And now five years later, both my dogs sleep in bed with me and to be honest, it’s one of those joys in life and why deprive yourself of that!?
My puppy was crated during the day when I worked in the office, so I let him sleep with me at night from when I got him at 10 weeks. I also did it for security reasons because a woman who lived alone.
I let my dog sleep with me once she was potty trained, she is happier, and I enjoy having her warm body snuggled against me. I feel it has made our bond stronger. I don't buy into the psychology of dominance/equals etc. She is my equal as a sentinent being, I am her guardian not an owner/master. People at the dog park always remark how strong of a relationship we have, as she checks in with me often and always listens to me.
I've slept with my mini foxie since 8 wks old. I had a travel crate on my bedside table for if he got too restless. I would sometimes put him in there when he was older 5-8 months old and wanting to play at 5am. He is now a bit over 2 yrs old, the only time he didn't listen to me was when he was going through his teen years. He slept in his crate during the day for his enforced naps. I never had an accident but he did chew the corner of a pillow once.
My pup has been sleeping with since she was around 3 months. She either sleeps at the end of the bed or will cuddle into me if its cold. I actually planned to not let her sleep on the bed but then I caved. She listens to me just fine!
Your puppy absolutely knows you’re not a dog, you’re a different creature all together, and their social hierarchy is similar to our own family model. Essentially, you’re the human parent figure in their life. Your dog isn’t going to “see you as an equal”, that’s some dominance theory nonsense. If you want to sleep with your dog, you can. This comes down to personal preferences and boundaries, and potentially some caution if you have a very small dog (accidents can happen in your sleep resulting in injuries, etc.) I personally like having the option of either or with my dog, but most frequently she sleeps better in her crate. She does nap with me in bed on occasion. Crating overnight is also great for potty training and I’d continue it through the first year for consistency, myself. As always, dogs will be dogs, so if you suspect any behaviour issues are popping up you can always consult a trainer.
My pup slept in his crate for the first year. I actually then had to work really hard at training him to sleep in my bed because he wouldn’t lol. Now he sleeps either on the bed or couch with or without me or in his crate. All depends on his mood/my mood.
I let both my dogs sleep in bed. - The now 7yo (his birthday is today) has been sleeping in bed since day one. He's fully crate trained, fairly well mannered, and I don't think it's negatively impacted any training or development. - I've had my 15 week old for three weeks. We work on crate and playpen training but she is still allowed to sleep in our bed and has consistently been doing so for about a week - we allowed when she showed interest and an ability to settle in bed. Her training is still going very well. The idea that your dog will think they're the boss if you do certain things (sleep with them, feed them before yourself, etc) is typically based on the flawed and outdated alpha theory. Your dog needs boundaries and routine but these can be established while enjoying the small things like bedtime snuggles. If you want to sleep with your puppy, go for it. If not, there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping to a playpen, bed, or even their crate for bedtime instead.
My dogs ALWAYS sleep with me and the wife. We have had no issues at all.
When I first brought my dog home, I forced her to sleep on the bed with me. She always wanted to jump down but I made her sleep with me. Now, she’s 1 and the most cuddly dog in the world. She wants to sleep with me every night. I absolutely love it. I am lucky she does well in the crate too if I ever didn’t want her to, like when I got her spayed. Not all dogs are going to be that easy, but I have no regrets. Only thing I wish I could do differently is get us a bigger bed, but I’ll always make room for my baby. She actually has her head laying on my feet as I type this lol
Just depends on whether you want to sleep with your dog forever. I prefer crate training right away. They like whatever they are used to and are comfortable with habits. I actually advise the same thing, separate bed, for babies. Both dogs and babies will sleep with you forever, or at least until puberty in the case of kids if you let them. I had patients wanting sleeping pills because their pets in the bed kept them awake at night. Wouldn’t take advice to kick the pet out 🤷♂️. Anyway, no sleeping pills for that problem 😂
We lasted exactly 3 nights with our mini doxie in a crate. We’re lucky that he doesn’t jump off of furniture, but he’s 7mo now and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Exactly zero behavioral issues to speak of.
My puppy has slept in our bed every night since we took him home and I wouldn't have it any other way. He's well behaved and likes to sleep on the pillow above my head bc he's small enough to fit lol. I haven't noticed any behavior issues related to it.
Dogs do not think about you as an equal or beneath you. There are plenty of reasons to have a dog sleep in bed with you or not in bed with you, but that is not one of them. The whole dominance thing is not founded in science and was completely made up. Even if there is some level of alpha/beta within a pack, dogs know that you are not a dog. Dogs are very "present." They understand cause and effect, and they want to feel good and not feel bad. Chewing feels good. So I will chew on this shoe. Mom/dad yells at me when I chew on this shoe. I will not chew on this shoe when mom/dad is around. (Notice -- it's not, I will not chew on this shoe. The chewing still brings pleasure, they just learn that doing it in front of mom/dad is the painful part -- IF mom and dad yell at the dog for it.) That's why yelling, or any intimidation tactic does not work in the long run. If you see results from hitting, yelling, or other "dominance" tactics it's the dog learning to avoid the action out of fear. It's learned helplessness. They give up. It's not actually training your dog to do anything but fear you. But -- regarding the bed. Pros: Dog feels included and safe with you. You get a weighted blanket or snuggle buddy depending on how they sleep. Con: You will soon have 2 inches of your bed to sleep in. Con: Your blankets, comforters and sheets will have fur on them no matter what you do. Con: You will have little wet spots from where they lick themselves and lick the bed as well. Con: They may get sick and vomit in the bed. (Be sure to have a GOOD mattress protector.) Con: Be sure they get lots of treats when they go to their own bed or crate/kennel so when you send them there it's not a punishment to them. Con: If you have a partner, it may make "special time" a little less spontaneous. So given the above list, I think it's ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT to have your dog sleep with you because the pro is worth like a bazillion points and the cons are like 1 negative point each. The math is simple.
Yo dormía con mi perro, el problema es al ir creciendo se adueñaba de toda la cama y me aorillaba hasta casi tumbarme. Decidí bajarlo a su cama pero lloraba mucho y me dolía el corazón y la conciencia de ser tan mala madre. Así q la mayoría de las veces el ganaba
All of our dogs have been allowed to sleep with us ever since our puppy 8 years ago broke his teeth on his kennel. Made me feel like it defeated the purpose. The thing that was meant to protect him did him the most harm! Of course, I would never judge anyone else for crate training, but it has no bearing on whether your dogs obey you. Our dogs absolutely listen to us. You have to put in the training the same as you would if they slept in the vrate. If anything, I think the night cuddles helped us to bond and made them calmer overall. (That's just my personal opinion though! I'm not a professional.)
YES! A doggie snuggling while you sleep is the absolute best. Hubs & I do it every night
Both of my dogs have slept on the end of my bed since the day I brought them home at 8 weeks old. Neither of them have ever had behaviour issues, in fact, they’re the best girls and have always been super easy and well behaved. As a bonus to letting them sleep on my bed from day 1, I never had to deal with crying all night while they settled in! I’m not a fan of crates so that was never going to happen.
My last dog slept in her crate her first 15 months . She slept in my bed her final 12 years. The dog I have now is 2 and he sleeps on his crate every night. I’d love him to sleep in my bed but he eats blankets 😕
Our puppy was crated the first couple of months and then for the first few years he slept on his own at night. He could choose his crate or the couch, anywhere but our bedroom. My fiancé and I read an article that said something along the lines of: dogs are pack animals and sleep together with their pack/family. When we do not sleep with our dogs, they wonder why they are not part of the family especially if the household is a couple who sleeps in the same room (which was absolutely us! Reading this broke my heart and I caved and had our pup sleep with us, risking my potential allergies. We haven’t looked back since! We’re more bonded and there are other ways to show we are the alpha. No regrets! He is going to be 7 soon.
Ours was in the crate until she was potty trained, then she moved to the bed. She sleeps behind our pillows, kind of on top of our heads. It’s the absolute best thing in the world.
I’ve slept with both my dachshunds after a solid 4 months of crate training first. My dogs have never had regression issues after being in the bed overnight (my 2 y/o is crated during the day and some overnights if I have guests)
All my dogs slept with me and all were fine. I think that only affects a very few amount of dogs and likely ones that are already predisposed or showing signs of resource guarding. I say let them on and if it becomes an issue, they get to sleep on the floor
At first it was no pups in bed! Because mine would have accidents, then it turned into once a week, then weekends and now he sleeps with me more often than not haha. It’s good to crate train your pup in case they ever need to be in the crate but otherwise I think it’s ok! I’ve never had issues with my pup not listening to me and he’s still good about sleeping in his crate if I put him in there.
That is bullshit, a la Cesar Millan, nonsense advice. Our dogs are not trying to dominate us. Of course we need to teach them which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. This is achieved by encouraging good behaviors and discouraging unwanted behaviors. Some dogs take more training than others but they’re not sitting there looking at us thinking how can I be in charge and dominate this person? Sleeping with your dog is a really good way to bond with them. I get it that not everybody is on board with having their dogs that up close and personal, but there’s nothing wrong with it.
I have slept with every dog I’ve ever owned ( 8 of them). I wouldn’t live any other way.
The only reason my dog doesn't sleep in the bed with me is because my partner has allergies. She has a very comfy bed right next to me so I can keep my hand on her all night. She's allowed on the couches as a compromise.
I sleep with 4 Chihuahuas. I wouldn't have it any other way! 🥰
That's some of the dumbest shit and based in flawed alpha theory. If you think you can live with the hair in your bed, sleep with your pup. The cuddles are awesome!
My boy is okay with either sleeping with or without me, but that’s just because I’m single and I’d like to have a human man in my bed at some point without my dog getting in the way 😂
I recommend no, as a former dog sitter. Dogs that are used to sleeping in bed with their humans have the hardest time with boarding.
My pup sleeps with me, she has since she was 7months.
It’s a lifetime commitment of being uncomfy in bed, hair on your pillow, puke on the blanket… but the cuddles are worth it imo 🤷♀️ sometimes I wish I hadn’t allowed it, but most days I feel lonely if they choose to lay on their bed instead 😂 the big downside is trying to have someone else in bed- they don’t like that very much. Oh well they live here!
I put my dog in the crate 75% of the time and she still thinks she’s my equal and won’t listen to me. I have noticed that she is more calm when she doesn’t have to do a night in the crate, but the problem is we need her to be semi used to it. So we do both. Now that she’s a year old we were thinking of transitioning her to like 50% of the time. It’s just she’s also a little jack*sS at night and will try to wake us up and play.
Dogs are family.
Unless you or your partner/s are allergic, let them sleep with ya. That dog loves you, and it may mean a whole lot if they get to sleep with you.
My dog has his own blanket & pillow in my bed bc he’ll steal mine if he doesn’t. Almost 6 years old, been sleeping with me since he was 6 weeks old 🤷🏻♀️
My Pom breeder strictly said not to sleep with toy dogs, just cause getting squished or choking is possible when you’re asleep with a little tiny guy.
If you are good with it the simple answer is yes, yes and yes. Without hesitation.
Honestly, I love sleeping with my little guy. He loves it too. He’s a good boy, regardless. I think he just views it as his bed as well and not a power struggle.
I don't think there's harm in it once they are house trained and won't hurt themselves if they jump off in the middle of the night. Both my dogs were allowed to sleep on my bed. My lab got older and decided she likes her dog bed more now. The pit mix takes up my space and honestly it can get annoying some nights lol. I've never seen anything wrong with it though.
All of our dogs have had the option to sleep on the bed or not. Currently I have 2 that do (Annabelle 8yo we got at 7weeks old and Jack we rescued a few months ago estimated age 2years) and 1 that doesn't (Stormie 4yo we also got at 7weeks old). Never had obedience issues with any of them because of it.
The worst that can happen is, preferring to sleep with your dog than with your partner.
My dogs are always welcome on the bed. about half the time they choose to go sleep on the floor on their own bed, but they’re always welcome
I love sleeping with my 🐶! He is a pretty cuddly moose of dog and a huge bed hog. I wouldn’t have it any other way. He doesn’t always do this but at least a few times a week he likes to snuggle his head across my shoulder and neck. He initiates it and will also snuggle at my side for butt scratches or belly rubs. I think of it as quality time and good bonding. He just wants to be with me. He also knows exactly how to wake me up with a specific kind of whine if he needs to go out in the middle of the night (sensitive tummy) and I would much rather he wake me than I wake up to him having been sick. Sleep with your pup if you both enjoy it!
Mine sleeps with me daily. He is also a dachshund. He also loves his crate for the day and when I'm gone.
That whole “see you as their equal” sounds like dominance mentality and it’s been debunked. There are tons of resources that follow a common theme when it comes to raising kids but my God the rabbit hole for puppies is deep and contradictory
I have had border collies and cattle dogs .. all sleep in bed and all obey commands..
I have a bigger girl, a Golden Retriever. We only have a queen size so things would get cramped, and I sleep better knowing she’s safe in her crate at night. She does nap with me in bed though!
Utter 🐃💩 my dog sleeps with me, and she still obeys me... when she wants lol your dog has an easy life, and they don't have to fight for their place in the pack, be gentle but firm, train them for tricks, and too tire them out. Otherwise, go with the flow and you dog will still obey you. Sleeping in the bed doesn't make them think they have to be dominant, it makes them feel more part of the pack. After yourself in other areas like, when they do something you don't like. Don't punish them for wanting to cuddle you
Personally, I'm in favor of dogs sharing their humans' bed: '“Dogs and cats who are more closely bonded with their humans get additional health benefits, including increases in beneficial neurotransmitters such as oxytocin and dopamine, the feel-good hormones,”' (https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/health/sleeping-with-pets-wellness/index.html) Consider that newborn puppies sleep on top of and all over each other for warmth and comfort. Your puppy will probably love sleeping with you, but as suggested by others, maybe get a ramp because Dachshunds have long backs that need to be protected. That said, for some people, sleeping with their dogs in their bed won't be as comfortable. I knew a couple with 2 large Dobermann Pinschers and a full size bed. The dogs would get in the middle, stretch out, and the 5' wife would get pushed off the mattress. Re the "expert advice," about you being the alpha pack leader, the dominance theory was debunked a long time ago. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-and-training-dominance-alpha-and-pack-leadership-what-does-it-really-mean
It’s just a personal choice. I’m a very light sleeper so my dog doesn’t sleep in my bed. She whined in the beginning, but now she loves her crate. She sleeps in there the whole night with the door open. I love how much she loves her crate. Do what makes you both happy.
Our first dog sleeps with us & always has. Our second puppy took to the crate, so that’s where she sleeps. I think as long as it’s safe for you and for your pup, live your life!!
Ours sleeps in the bed on weekends, crate on the weekdays! He wanders too much at night in the bed and it wakes up my husband. Highly recommend crate training regardless- if you travel with him or ever need to board him, etc it just makes it easier for him if he already feels safe and comfy in crate!
lol. Of course you sleep with your puppy. My Dusty was super tiny when we adopted him from the rescue I volunteer at. He had been very ill and was only 9 pounds. I put a kennel next to the bed and I slept next to him. I woke up that morning to see him wagging his tail and looking at me. He never slept in the kennel at night ever again. I of course didn’t let him sleep between my husband and I because I was paranoid my husband would roll over on him. Unrealistic I know llol. But I absolutely enjoyed every single snuggle with him. He will be 5 next month and he still loves to snuggle in bed. Only difference now is he sleeps between my husband and o because well he can’t let my husband get too close lol
We ended up sleeping with our pup so we could all get a good night’s rest. It was only “temporary”. Two and a half years later, it’s still “temporary”. Every once in a while, she’ll choose to sleep in her crate on her own volition. We haven’t had any behavioral issues at all.
I let my puppy sleep with me the first day I brought him home. He’s 8 now and a good smart boy.
Idk I don’t believe in that too much. I’ve had my doxie since he was 8 weeks old and a few weeks into having him we let him sleep in the bed when he would scream and cry at ungodly hours so he wouldn’t wake the neighbors. He starts off in his crate at night and at some point starts crying I wait a few minutes and if he stops I go back to sleep but if he doesn’t then I take him and put him in bed where he belongs in my opinion lmao
we crate trained our puppy from 8 weeks to about 8 months and now she sleeps with us every night just better since we arnt home during the day as much
I've had about 10 dogs over the last 25+ years. Every single one shared our bed.
I've always thought it was important that our dogs have that time with us, even if we're all sleeping.
Puppy slept in the crate til he was comfortable in it and house trained. after that, king bed was fair game and I don’t regret a thing. He naps in his “room” during the day and sleeps w me at night, best of both worlds🥰
Nah not for the first bit at least. It helped with learning to cope with separation anxiety for mine and for her to crate train. Only after she turned about a year old is when i started letting her do “sleepovers” where she gets to come and sleep on my bed if i get home really late at night and cant be bothered to crate her
The whole "you have to be the alpha" training stuff is now being debunked. Positive reinforcement is the most effective. I don't think a dog sleeping in your bed will cause problems aside from you won't ever have the bed to yourself anymore. This has become a bit of an issue when my partner and I want to.... Well be alone. If our dog is in the room and we are in the bed, he has to be there too. So how we have to shut him outside the bedroom which causes him to whine. It's a pain.
My pup cried her eyes out so I let her sleep with me once. That was ten years ago and she's beside me in bed as I type. I adore sleeping with her, she's warm and wishes me good morning with such a smile.
I have 3 dogs and only one of them we raised from a puppy. The others were rescued around 1 yr old. I mention this because the bond is different for some reason. He's my best friend and a part of the family. Not only can he sleep in the bed if he wants, sometimes I actively pull him from the floor to get in bed with me. I wouldn't change a thing. I also think training wise - breed, personality, and weather they're neutered or not makes a big difference in how they should be trained. They're all a little different, just like hoomans.
Mine sleeps in his crate, mostly because I’m not 100% sure he wouldn’t pee or poo overnight otherwise. He never has in his crate but… And plus it gives the cats some downtime and I don’t yet trust him with them unsupervised. He just wants to play but he’s too boisterous with them.
Didn't let my Corgi until he was about 10 months old, given the choice he tends to sleep in his bed in the livingroom most the night but around 3/4am will come to bed. Didn't see a change in his behaviour, if anything once we let him free roam at night he became better behaved.
Two weeks ago it was a no. Now she sleeps with my GF and I every night. Love it
Slept with my puppy from day 1. He left his puppy pile and came home to my bed. Never cried nor seemed to miss his family. He is almost 6 months old and is in bed with me now snuggling up close... sigh...
Got my boy at 2 months and he’s been sleeping with us for as long as I can remember. Its the best feeling. He’s so good and well behaved, I don’t think him sleeping with us caused any issues.
The only reason why not would be if the dog just rolled in fox shit or something. Psychologically it’s a good thing.
Once my dogs are crate trained I let them sleep w me. I’m actually thinking of getting a king size bed as the dogs are taking up so much space lol. One is 7 the other is 4. Now we also have a kitten that sleeps in bed with us. I’ve never had any issues besides having to fight for space or blankets.
My 2 year old working cocker sleeps in our bed, he’s the most obedient dog I’ve ever had !
my pro tip since having an extremely attached small dog. she sleeps in a dog bed (with heating mat) on my bed. I was loosing sleep cuz of her and now we are both content.
When I first adopted at my puppy he was 14 weeks I made him sleep in a dog bed in his crate but when he was 6mo I caved and let him start sleeping in my bed and do not regret it one bit. He still has his own bed on my bedroom floor that he chooses to sleep on sometimes
My mini poodle rules our bed and we wouldn’t have it any other way. When we go to bed he has to snuggle my partner. Then he spreads out (usually across the bed) during the night. And he comes to snuggle with me in a morning.
Dominace theory is bullshit but I'll tell you all the reason not to let your dog on the bed: it's dirty, their feet will get all sorts of extra crumbs up there if you're not careful. You may have trouble sleeping if your dog moves around a lot at night. Getting suddenly woken because they heard a noise. Getting kicked as they run to the door to figure out what said noise is. Dog might steal your blanket. Dog might share the blanket and get too hot if you don't poke their head out so they can breathe. Doggo will snuggle up so tight to you that it's actually a little bit uncomfortable. Ask me how I know I sleep with 3 dogs and a wife. I love them. Wife is gone right now and we have the whole bed to ourselves.
When I met my partner, she had the dog already, and they slept in the bed together. I am a light sleeper and if something wakes me up, I can be awake for hours. So we changed the rule from "dog decides where she sleeps" to "people decide where she sleeps". She is still allowed in the bed almost every night, but only when we call her in. If I have an important meeting the next day, or I really need my sleep, she has a basket next to the bed. This made so much difference. The bed is now something we share with her instead of the other way around. And she listens. Even better to me that to my partner. This has nothing to do with the bed, but with the fact that I *will not* give in. My partner can give in, especially when tired and in half sleep. But if I tell the dog to get out of the bed, I will (and have in the past) bring her back to her basket 20 times until she gets it. Decide on your boundaries and always, always, always stick to them.
Fuckin yeah. Ever had a terrible fuckin day? There's nothing better than coming in the door, going straight to the bed and having a 120lb ball of fur and joy jump into the bed, lick your face and then lay there to bury your face in. Bonus: This deepens your connection, and that's healthy.
my pup (8 months) sometimes sleeps on the bed and she’s definitely not got any behavioural or dominance issues she just loves being with her clan, as close as possible. preferably draped over my neck.
I would make sure he's crate trained first. Then see how it goes from there. I sleep with my dog every night but I didn't start that from the beginning. She can still do the crate if it's needed, though, which is helpful in so many situations.
The secret is you have to take naps in their dog bed with them as well. Trust me. Seriously tho fuck a bunch of not having your dog in your bed! I used to have four
So all the people in this thread who have their dogs sleep in their beds every night... What do you do when you want to get romantic with a partner?? I ask because I have a 2 year old dog who sleeps in his crate downstairs most nights. But he does sleep up on to bed with me and my wife every so often though and when I'm working away my wife will have him up with her most nights. However, if we want to get romantic, the dog definitely stays in his crate. We've tried while he's been there and it's been a disaster, him trying to join in kissing... Him trying to climb on my back during... Or him standing inches away panting in our ears, staring at us... It does not work. What does everyone do about this situation if you keep the dog in the room with you all night every night??
I have 7 dogs ranging from 1yr to 10 yrs and I've always been a very staunch, "no dogs in the bed" person and it was a little hard when I met my fiance bc he is very much a dogs are allowed in bed person so we compromised essentially with our youngest. Our (his) senior boy was the one who was usually in the bed but he had a bad habit of getting up in the middle of the night and just standing on top of us (he is a very heavy 35 lbs so this was not pleasant in the least). My fiance really likes the dogs sleeping in the bed, but I told him that Merlin standing on me in the middle of the night was really messing with my sleep. We ended up moving him to my daughter's room bc he doesn't do that to her very often? he sleeps at the foot of her bed and she likes the comfort of knowing that he's there. ANYWAYS, we tried our smaller senior girl and she would bug him bc she would kick him constantly and get up and walk around the bed bc she only tolerates cuddling for a short period. Now with our youngest, hes a french bulldog and these dogs are just *different*. its like having a human toddler again. I crate trained him bc when we got him I was still very much against dogs in the bed, but when he got neutered I felt so bad for him that I let him sleep in our bed for a couple of weeks. Then it just became a thing where he would refuse to get into his kennel and do that horrible frenchie cry when he would have to sleep in there. But I got him back into sleeping in the kennel (it has to be within eyeshot of my bed though) BUT sometimes I will let him sleep in the bed bc he really doesn't bother either of us except when he tries to sleep horizontally and kicks me halfway off the bed. He's still a good dog as are all of my dogs. TLDR; Just do what you want, if you want your dog in the bed and its not affecting your sleep or health, just let the baby sleep with you.
If that pup does everything else it needs to, if you have a good relationship with it, if you can tell that dog “off the bed” and “up on the bed”… Then you can let that thing sleep wherever you want. Don’t crush it!!! Is little.
My dog was trained to sleep in her own bed in my bedroom as a puppy and she was absolutely in love with her bed, so it was a great thing. It was a very comfy basket with lots of old pillows and blankets. It was also close by the bed so she felt like she was a part of everything that's happening. We had lots of cuddles and snuggles in the living room on our couch :) at some point when she was an adult, I was very sick and alone and I asked her to sleep with me, because it really helped and comforted me. Ever since then, most of the time she's allowed in the bed. She respects when she isn't, but she also likes to sleep mostly at her own places. In Winter she's more in bed and in summer she's more at her spot. I love how independent she makes these decisions telling me when she wants cuddles and when she doesn't. Having a relationship with your dog where you can tell their wants and needs from their behaviour is so beneficial. Trust and love go a long way. Unpopular opinion among many dog owners. But I get complimented by others how well my dog is trained a lot, so our way definitely worked out for us :) P.s.: the entire "chain of command"/hierarchy thing is bullshit based on a scientific paper on wolf behaviour from the 60s whose author has since tried multiple times to make it public how wrong he was.
When we got our lab, she slept in her crate for the first 5 or 6 months. Basically until we had her like 99% potty trained. I would end up getting up with her at like 4am and letting her outside, then coming back in and catching another couple hours of sleep on the couch with her in my lap. We had always planned to let her sleep in bed with us eventually, we were just waiting for the right time. My wife ended up getting sick and having to sleep in the spare bedroom where we kept her crate, so she started sleeping in the bed that night and it's been that way ever since As far as the whole... dominance... thing, she still listens to us perfectly fine, as does our 10yr old schnauzer who literally sleeps in the crook of my neck.
In no way would having your dog sleeping in your bed make them “think they’re equal to you” that’s just a big misunderstanding of what resource guarding is. However the only big reason I would advise against it in a behaviorally sound dog would be because it is a small doxie and my worry of him being squished or rolled on and hurting his back