Where do your dogs sleep?

3295 Views 36 Replies 23 Participants Last post by tobey, Jul 3, 2008

CAB

Discussion Starter · Jun 29, 2008

I'm going to be getting a high drive working gsd shortly and I plan to build a run in the back yard to keep it apart from the other 2 dogs when I can't supervise.

I'm still not sure where the best place for it to sleep is? In my bedroom in its crate or in its kennel run. The other dogs have been raised as pets and sleep on a rug in the kitchen. I don't think this will be safe to try add the new dog to this routine at least for a few months. I would feel quite guilty if the dog is kept in the run when i'm not home as well as when i'm sleeping...

What are your opinions?

1 - 20 of 37 Posts

Liesje

· #2 · Jun 29, 2008

Both my dogs sleep in our bedroom with us, uncrated on the floor. One is a mutt (the "pet" dog), the other is a purebred working line GSD (the "performance/sport" dog). The Unborn Puppy will sleep in our room, in a crate until housetraining and teething are complete.

CAB

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 29, 2008

I would ideally want the dog in my room crated at night initially but will see how it is.

Brightelf

· #4 · Jun 29, 2008

2

As a baby puppy, crate him at night for his safety. In a few months, let him sleep in your nedroom on the floor or on a chew-proof (they do exist!) doggy bed. He needs to be near you as much as possible. He will be a baby. He will bond to SOMEthing.. be it the grass and gravel in his run, or... to you.

Grimm sleeps in the bedroom on the carpet near our bed, so he can feel loved and included in our family.

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CAB

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 29, 2008

My room is upstairs so that is the only problem. I want to minimize her walking up and down stairs so it doesn't affect her hips. Hopefully if she comes to like the crate she'll be enjoy sleeping in there when she's older.

middleofnowhere

· #6 · Jun 29, 2008

My dogs sleep where they want to sleep. I never worried about stairs affecting a pups hips.

Amaruq

· #7 · Jun 29, 2008

A crate in the bedroom would be ideal. While she is still young you can carry her up at night, down for potty break and in the AM. By the time she is big enough that carrying her is not idea she should be able to hold it all night and one trip up and down stairs shouldn't be a hip issue.

Patti is right, she needs to spend time with you so she can bond with you. Sleeping outside away from the entire family is not ideal for a working dog or a pet IMO.

Sashmom

· #8 · Jun 29, 2008

I was just wondering....on Nature PBS they had the stories of 2 reformed working dogs. Both slept at night outside in pens. But especially the herding lady said: its very important that he bond to me so she kept him away from the other dogs. But he did sleep in a pen outside at night. They were VERY bonded. Of course in the show, they showed her working with him EVERY day on his herding and getting him over wanting to eat the sheep which was why he was in a shelter.
I was really impressed with these people....the other one had rescued a Bloodhound and trained her for tracking!
So, I am confused to the people who say the dog cant bond to you unless he sleeps in your bedroom! (or even house)

arycrest

· #9 · Jun 29, 2008

Originally Posted By: Amaruq...
Patti is right, she needs to spend time with you so she can bond with you. Sleeping outside away from the entire family is not ideal for a working dog or a pet IMO.

I agree the pup should sleep with you.

Liesje

· #10 · Jun 29, 2008

Originally Posted By: SashmomI was just wondering....on Nature PBS they had the stories of 2 reformed working dogs. Both slept at night outside in pens. But especially the herding lady said: its very important that he bond to me so she kept him away from the other dogs. But he did sleep in a pen outside at night. They were VERY bonded. Of course in the show, they showed her working with him EVERY day on his herding and getting him over wanting to eat the sheep which was why he was in a shelter.
I was really impressed with these people....the other one had rescued a Bloodhound and trained her for tracking!
So, I am confused to the people who say the dog cant bond to you unless he sleeps in your bedroom! (or even house)

My uncle's dogs were the same way - he took them on patrol with him during the day and hunting on the weekends. Since my aunt is allergic and these were field bred, drivey hunting dogs, they have always slept in an outdoor run. But they are with my uncle all day every day. Also, they were never house trained. If you want a house trained dog, I think keeping the dog inside in a crate at least as a pup is the best option.

Amaruq

· #11 · Jun 29, 2008

Originally Posted By: SashmomI was just wondering....on Nature PBS they had the stories of 2 reformed working dogs. Both slept at night outside in pens. But especially the herding lady said: its very important that he bond to me so she kept him away from the other dogs. But he did sleep in a pen outside at night. They were VERY bonded. Of course in the show, they showed her working with him EVERY day on his herding and getting him over wanting to eat the sheep which was why he was in a shelter.
I was really impressed with these people....the other one had rescued a Bloodhound and trained her for tracking!
So, I am confused to the people who say the dog cant bond to you unless he sleeps in your bedroom! (or even house)

I guess my thoughts are if the house is ok for the "pets" why can't the future working partner sleep in there as well?

I never said he would not bond with his dog if she slept in the kennel but Shepherds are pack oriented and pack driven. A baby having to sleep in an outside kennel while EVERY other member of the family is inside just doesnt seem fair to me.

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butch33611

· #12 · Jun 30, 2008

Sarge has a crate in our bedroom but the door is not closed. He can roam the house and sleep anywhere he wants. He mostly sleeps in the crate though, we have a nice mattess in there and he likes it very much. Othen then the crate he sleeps at the foot of our bed. He doesnt like to let us out of his site.

Sashmom

· #13 · Jun 30, 2008

Originally Posted By: Amaruq

Originally Posted By: SashmomI was just wondering....on Nature PBS they had the stories of 2 reformed working dogs. Both slept at night outside in pens. But especially the herding lady said: its very important that he bond to me so she kept him away from the other dogs. But he did sleep in a pen outside at night. They were VERY bonded. Of course in the show, they showed her working with him EVERY day on his herding and getting him over wanting to eat the sheep which was why he was in a shelter.
I was really impressed with these people....the other one had rescued a Bloodhound and trained her for tracking!
So, I am confused to the people who say the dog cant bond to you unless he sleeps in your bedroom! (or even house)

Click to expand...

I guess my thoughts are if the house is ok for the "pets" why can't the future working partner sleep in there as well?

I never said he would not bond with his dog if she slept in the kennel but Shepherds are pack oriented and pack driven. A baby having to sleep in an outside kennel while EVERY other member of the family is inside just doesnt seem fair to me.

The oiriginal poster said the new dog will be super high drive *working* dog. i think there is a difference in serious working dogs and *pet dog*. I once watched a show on a lady police officer, her pet dog slept in house with the fam, she showed putting her *working dog* in the outside kennel at night.
But yes, there is a difference, if you will be working with the dog everyday in a serious way, they dont mind the kennel. They get used to it and serious working dogs *from what Ive seen* are only allowed to bond to the person it will be working with.
If he will be stuck 24/7 outside in the kennel, no I dont agree with THAT.
this is a tricky question. Maybe he should ask the working dog people? I am just going by 2 TV shows Ive watched.
You have a point there about the being housebroken tho but if he gets used to sleeping in the house, he might not accept going into his kennel when needed...

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jesusica

· #14 · Jun 30, 2008

It's not the amount of time they spend with you, it's the quality of time. Those folks spent far more quality time with their dogs than the average person with an indoor pet so I'm not surprised they were heavily bonded.

That said, Flash sleeps in our bedroom or bathroom (usually bathroom, he likes the cool tile). He was crated at night for many, many months.

Liesje

· #15 · Jun 30, 2008

Originally Posted By: Sashmom

Originally Posted By: Amaruq

Originally Posted By: SashmomI was just wondering....on Nature PBS they had the stories of 2 reformed working dogs. Both slept at night outside in pens. But especially the herding lady said: its very important that he bond to me so she kept him away from the other dogs. But he did sleep in a pen outside at night. They were VERY bonded. Of course in the show, they showed her working with him EVERY day on his herding and getting him over wanting to eat the sheep which was why he was in a shelter.
I was really impressed with these people....the other one had rescued a Bloodhound and trained her for tracking!
So, I am confused to the people who say the dog cant bond to you unless he sleeps in your bedroom! (or even house)

Click to expand...

I guess my thoughts are if the house is ok for the "pets" why can't the future working partner sleep in there as well?

I never said he would not bond with his dog if she slept in the kennel but Shepherds are pack oriented and pack driven. A baby having to sleep in an outside kennel while EVERY other member of the family is inside just doesnt seem fair to me.

Click to expand...

The oiriginal poster said the new dog will be super high drive *working* dog. i think there is a difference in serious working dogs and *pet dog*. I once watched a show on a lady police officer, her pet dog slept in house with the fam, she showed putting her *working dog* in the outside kennel at night.
But yes, there is a difference, if you will be working with the dog everyday in a serious way, they dont mind the kennel. They get used to it and serious working dogs *from what Ive seen* are only allowed to bond to the person it will be working with.
If he will be stuck 24/7 outside in the kennel, no I dont agree with THAT.
this is a tricky question. Maybe he should ask the working dog people? I am just going by 2 TV shows Ive watched.
You have a point there about the being housebroken tho but if he gets used to sleeping in the house, he might not accept going into his kennel when needed...

I guess it depends on what is meant by "working" dog. My understanding is that the OP is getting a drivey dog from working lines and it will be his SchH dog. To me that is different than a dog that actually does a job with the handler all day every day. I may be in the minority here, but I consider SchH dogs to be "sport" dogs, not "working" dogs, but since they come from working lines they are commonly referred to as a working dog. To me a working dog is a police dog, a herding dog, etc. Dogs that actually work side by side with the handler all day.

I have a working line GSD and I call her my "sport" dog because we train and compete in agility, rally, UKC obedience, SchH obedience, herding, and this summer we are going to try dock diving. I don't consider her a "working" dog though.

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chevysmom

· #16 · Jun 30, 2008

Well, if we had a larger bedroom, both pups would be in there with us, in the crates. But for now, they are both in their own crates in the kitchen area. I've never had any of our dogs sleep outside overnight.

SunCzarina

· #17 · Jun 30, 2008

When she was a pup, Morgan's crate was right next to my bed. Now, she has a bed in the corner of my room - if there was no bed there, she'd sleep there on the hard floor. It's a favorite spot under a dormer, sort of den like.

At some point in the night after I fall asleep, she migrates to the landing in the middle of the stairs. I think she does this so someone breaking into the house would trip over her and wake her up before they got to me and the kids! Luther used to do the same thing, some mornings I'd find them both there sleeping on top of each other.

Our puppy, when he comes home in a few weeks, will be sleeping in his crate next to my bed.

Sherush

· #18 · Jun 30, 2008

Jesse sleeps on our king size bed (if I tell him) maybe 1 to 2 days a week I put him to bed on his bed beside the bed and he stays there.

onyx'girl

· #19 · Jun 30, 2008

Onyx sleeps next to my side of the bed near the door and Kacie sleeps on the sofa or by the sliders near our room. Clover sleeps in the bird room where she has slept most of her life(her choice) unless my kids have friends sleep over, then she wants to be with them, but she has a hard time on stairs. Onyx use to sleep in my bed as a pup, and I am glad she is now on the floor, even though I miss her cuddling! In the am if I sleep in past 7, Kacie & Onyx are wrestling on top of me til I get up.

selzer

· #20 · Jun 30, 2008

One sleeps outside in his kennel. That is where he wants to be. Given the run of the house (doggie door outside), he sleeps outside, who am I to argue.

Six sleep in the sun room that I built on for whelping. It is separated from the living room by a sliding glass door, kept open but with a baby gate, and my backdoor next to my bedroom kept open and with a baby gate. Six have wire crates in one half of the room, the other has a doggy door to her own pen.

One of these ends up being with me, usually starting out in the bed and ending up on the floor, either because it is cooler or because I move around too much in my sleep.

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