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Is it bad to allow your GSD to sleep in your bed with you?

153K views 263 replies 204 participants last post by  Gaia 
#1 ·
First post, dont hold back :p

My 5 month old GSD has his own bed, and uses it most nights, however some nights I need to go to sleep and he just isn't getting bored or comfy, If I let him in my bed with me he goes right to sleep. Now Im aware this might not be the best thing down the road. But if i continue to do this, is it really going to haunt me in the future?
 
#86 ·
Ours was sleeping in the bed and he still wants to, but we have three dogs. Even with a California king bed there's not enough room. Riley will stretch and push you right off.

We decided to encourage floor sleeping for the digs. They each have a dog bed on the floor. The two boys will stay in theirs all night. My female dog always ends up back on the bed.
 
#87 ·
Jack has only been allowed in bed the past couple of months. Pleasantly, he stays down at my feet mostly and get up to patrol the house periodically through the night.

Idk how this relates to his obedience. We are scheduled with a trainer for a revamp, if that says anything ;)

I don't think it impacts my status as leader, though. The Weimaraner is my snuggle bunny. Jack just takes his station on the bed, as if he's keeping watch :) If anything, I think we have a closer bond as a result. He did work to earn that spot!

Pretty sure he knows it's a privilege, and he will kennel up again if he makes himself TOO comfortable. It's my bed, after all ;)


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#88 ·
my dog thinks that snoring means I need to saved from what she perceives as the grave danger i must be in. Not able to let my girl sleep in my room unless i would like a wake up call about the time I start counting sheep!:) I put her in her crate and she and i sleep well.
 
#90 ·
Finn starts out on the bed, but usually ends up on his dog bed in the corner. For the first two years of his life, he was kenneled at night, but on his third birthday, he was allowed out and about. Now, he'll either sleep on the dog bed in our room, or sleep at the top of the steps.

As for snoring, he doesn't, but when he starts to dream, watch out! The first time he did it at night, it scared the poop out of me! I thought someone was breaking in the house with all the growling and woofing!
 
#93 ·
Eko is up and down all night, but he always gets on in the morning to wake me up with kisses and cuddles lol. We have a pretty regular routine so its always around the same time. He doesn't snore at all really, he is a very light sleeper and seems to be on alert all the time.
 
#94 ·
When I was in high school, my parent's german shepherd would let herself onto my twin bed at night. Then she'd brace her back against the wall and slooooooooooowly push you away with her 4 legs.

She also had a habit of trying this when I was too groggy to fight back.

I always thought it was funny. Now I've got a king sized bed, and she's staying with me for a little while, and there's plenty of space for both of us.
 
#98 ·
Is it bad? Matter of personal preference and knowing your dog, I guess. I have known some good dogs that were allowed on beds and some ill behaved dogs who were allowed on beds. Your mileage may vary.

For me, I don't allow my dog on any furniture, including the bed. From a training/obedience perspective, I think some separation is important. The dog has his own food, dishes, and toys...and thus knows, for example, that his Kong is ok to chew on but my shoes are not. Same with furniture.

He has his own beds in the crate, living room, entertainment room, garage/workshop, at my office, and in my truck. And I'm going to put one on the patio for him soon too. He is not lacking in the least, hahaha...

The biggest reason is really consistency and public behavior. He goes everywhere with me, including client's offices and friend's houses. Some of these folks have dogs, some don't...but he's welcome everywhere because he knows to stay on the ground and won't jump on their beds or furniture.
 
#99 ·
Jake sleeps with my husband in his room (due to different work schedules we sleep in separate rooms during the week). Jake starts out on the bed and after half an hour or so sleeps on his bed or on the floor in the hall. When my husband gets up in the morning, Jake goes back into the bed and lies down where it is still warm :)

Me personally, I'm a light sleeper so it's a no go for me. But my husband loves their routine at night.
 
#100 ·
Zoey has her crate in our room, she'll snuggle with me untill i fall asleep and then lay at the foot of the bed or jump down and sleep in her crate. If my old lady is there though, they spoon all night and leave me with a sliver of the bed....... :)
I don't think I could do it with more then 1 dog though.
 
#102 ·
I think it depends on the dog and your personal preferences.

I have dog designated blankets on my couch and bed. They aren't allowed up without it in place. The Weimaraner will stand by and give me the stinkeye if I'm on the couch and her blanket isn't, lol. But she won't get up until it's in place. You can train this :)

As for my younger GSD, he has temporarily lost bed privileges, because we are restarting OB training and I want to reinforce his status as below mine. Not exactly NILIF, but approaching the idea. Idk whether it will help, but I can't imagine it will hurt ;)

Over the winter, it was a blessing to have them both in bed with me. Saved on heating costs!





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#103 ·
No dogs on the furniture, here. It was always a rule in my home when I was a kid, and I never felt any sense of loss that would prompt me to start after I got my own dogs. I have large dogs and a tiny bed...lol. There's not enough room for both of us. I have a ton of floor with area rugs, dog beds and sections of hardwood, so when they want comfort, they flop on the dog bed. When it's hot, they go for the hardwood. They are allowed to sit on the bed with me only when invited, but it's such a foreign thing for them that they rarely stay for more than ten minutes before jumping off again. Discoe does have one exemption: she is allowed to sleep in the bed with me when we're staying in a motel for a trial or a show. She's very trustworthy out of crate (as long as there's no uncovered garbage), and so she loves a big, squishy motel bed and stretches out on the far end of it. She's not much of a mover in her sleep, either, so she's very pleasant to share a bed with.

My fiance's GSD is allowed to sleep on the bed with him, but he always gives me the choice of leaving her out or crating her when I stay over. One night, I decided 'what the hey' and let her stay out. What a nightmare it was. Just eight hours of her sleeping, getting up, repositioning, going back to sleep. Waking up, walking over to us, squeezing between us and falling asleep with her nose in my ear. Getting up and walking down my legs. Falling asleep on my foot so that it loses circulation, goes numb and wakes me up. Finally, I just poked her awake, told her that I had to be to work in three hours, and pointed at the floor.
He sleeps like a dead man, apparently. Did not even stir during this whole exchange.
Looks like I will be continuing my dry spell of not sleeping with dogs in the home.
 
#104 ·
I grew up in a house where pets were allowed on furniture, so it sort of carried over.

Corey is always welcome on the sofa with me (thank GOD the couch, like her, is gray), which is nice because I work from home, and having some company is always good.

As for sleeping arrangements - Corey mostly sleeps on an old futon in my room (it used to be our "couch" before we got an actual couch, now it is just the dog's couch). She tends to join me on the bed in the morning, though, when she feels really needy for affection. She typically snuggles up with me and, if I don't get up, falls asleep right up next to me. And every once in a while I'll let her on the bed at night. She sleeps pretty soundly, so she doesn't bother me until morning.

All that said, my life is COVERED in dog hair. I'd die without lent rollers.
 
#105 ·
I'm looking for advice.

I'd like to know if you think it'd cause behavior or self esteem problems if I let one dog sleep with me but not the other?

Here is the scenario. I have a 16 month old Miniature Pinscher who has slept with my wife and I since he was 6 weeks old. I work nights sometimes, so on the nights I'm not home he will sleep with my 14 year old son (the dog's choice).

We have an 8 week old GSD coming and I think the bed will be too crowded. Will I be a bad dad if I make him sleep on the floor next to me while the Min Pin sleeps with me?

Thanks
Curtis

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#108 ·
We have an 8 week old GSD coming and I think the bed will be too crowded. Will I be a bad dad if I make him sleep on the floor next to me while the Min Pin sleeps with me?
I don't think it will be a problem either. I have two cats, and they get to do all sorts of things the dogs don't get to do, like jump up on tables, and the kitchen countertops. Well, they aren't really supposed to do that either, but cats are notoriously hard to train!
 
#106 ·
My dogs sleep wherever they please. It has nothing to do with "pack structure" or "rank" or whatever, its about finding a comfy place and enjoying your rest.

Mulder is the only one who likes the bed anyway, the others prefer their crates. If you habituate your dog to the crate (or bed, whichever you're going to do) young, get him to actually like it, I don't see why there would be any issues (behavioral or other) with only one dog being allowed on the bed, and the other staying in the crate/bed/wherever you designate for him.
 
#109 ·
I think it's ok to have dogs on the bed, as long as it is YOUR choice, not just theirs. In other words, if you want them off the bed, make them get down. We usually have one dog sleeping with us and it is just whoever gets there first. You are right, it's too crowded to have more than one.
 
#110 ·
My boys sleep in bed with us but they don't get in until we're comfy. Taz, our Border Collie, sleeps at the top and sleeps as close as he can get to us so we have a technique: lay where you want him to lie then when he slumps down move in to your own space. It's either that or have half a foot of bed space. Shadow, our black GSD, always takes the bottom right corner of the bed with his head on either of our lower legs. I suppose they just like to know we're there still, or if we've gotten out of bed.
 
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