7 tips for sharing a bed with your dog

Does your furry friend come to join you at night when you're ready to go to sleep? You aren't alone!

Not all dogs are small and the struggle to get enough blanket is not unheard of!

If you share a bed with your dog, you probably know that it isn't always peaceful. Surely, you must have already been awoken by your dog chasing an imaginary cat, needed to fight your way for a small area of the mattress to sleep on, or maybe even heard your dog growling when you tried to move your dog when they didn't want to.

Here are a few tips to improve you and your dog's bedtime.

If you are a light sleeper

According to a survey run by the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, around 53% of pet owners who allow their pets to sleep with them in their bed say that their pet disturbs them while they sleep.

If you struggle to sleep with your dog snoring and making noise throughout the night, it is probably time to find a different place for your dog to sleep in the house where they are free to sleep as loudly as they like.

If you have a puppy

While puppies are so cute to wake up next to, it's important to remember that puppies are not very good at holding and controlling their bladder and it is quite difficult to clean a mattress.

In addition, your odor is all over your bed. If your puppy is not well-trained, they will be more inclined to want to mark their territory on your bed, especially if other dogs also go on your bed.

Even if your dog knows that they have to go outside to do their business, they are probably too young or too small to jump off the bed at night and communicate to you that they need to go outside.

So what is the best solution? You can use a crate until your puppy is familiar with the house and your routine. You can also consider buying a waterproof mattress.

If you have health issues

If you have allergies or asthma, it is best to have your dog sleep outside of your bedroom. You should also leave your bedroom door closed at all times. Do not let your dog inside the bedroom, even just to visit the room. 

If you are allergic to pollen, it's important to remember that dogs run around in the garden and bring pollen with them into bed when they lie down. Unless you give your dog a bath everyday during allergy season and you wash your sheets frequently, you should consider not letting your dog into your bedroom during allergy season. Keep in mind that it will be complicated for a dog who has never learned to sleep alone. 

If your dog has health issues

If your dog has fleas or ticks, you certainly do not want to wake up with these on you. In addition, zoonotic diseases exist, like Salmonella infections that could be transmitted to humans. Different types of parasites and fungi also exist, like ringworm. 

Have your dog checked regularly by the vet for exams and make sure that their vaccines are up-to-date.

If your dog doesn't like your partner

While you might find it cute when your dog grumbles when your partner climbs into bed, a jealous dog can cause more trouble in the bedroom than you think. This behavior can lead to your dog biting someone. 

It is recommended to work with a dog behaviorist to try to solve this issue.

If your dog thinks that nighttime is playtime

If your dog's toys make noise, they should be banned from the bedroom once it's nighttime. 

If you do not know how big your dog will get

Did you adopt a puppy that takes up the perfect amount of space sleeping next to your legs at night? Have you ever considered what will happen when your dog gets bigger?

Before sharing your bed with your dog, you should probably wait to see how big your dog will get. This is important because it is more difficult to teach your dog to no longer sleep with you when they are already used to it. 

Otherwise, you can consider buying a larger bed so that everyone will have enough room to sleep comfortably. 

Originally written by Agathe Warlop (Yummypets) and translated by Jennifer Eubank (Yummypets).

How are your nights in bed with your pet?