Have you let your pup sleep with you?

[kdistler77]

Ok. I am ready to be inundated with comments about how terrible this is, but here goes.....
I have a 12 week old shihpoo for only one week. We also have an 11 year old bichon. I am trying to crate train puppy at night and also when we go away during day. I don't know what goes on while I am gone. I can only imagine, but I do know exactly what is happening at night and it is not good. Puppy has been whining, crying, yelping, etc since first night. Now, we did start a very bad habit that might have something to do with this. The first night puppy cried and we just let her cry. At 5:30 when my husband got up to go to work, he let her out to do her business and brought her back to bed with me. Our other dog sleeps with us every night. Puppy proceeded to cuddle up and go to sleep peacefully for the remaining 2-3 hours until I got up. Puppy has been crying all night now in her crate for the past week. Should I just let her come in bed with us at beginning of night and forget crate since she loves the bed in those early hours? Note: OUr bichon did the same thing and we brought him to bed with us and he was fine from then on out. No accidents on or off bed. I want to be strong and not give in. But am needing a good night sleep too. How bad of a pet owner does this make me? Ok, let the comments rip.....

 

[dogsarebetter]

Ruckus sleeps in the bed with me every night, and goes in the crate when I am gone. But its not because he is crying or anything. He is just spoiled

 

[canadianmandy]

My puppy always slept with me no problems. exept I constantly wake up with out a blanket b/c she steals them! she loves snuggling under blankets

 

[Herschel]

Our 6 month puppy sleeps with us--and has been doing so since he was 4 months. If your dog can reliably stay in the bed with you without having an accident then I don't think it's a problem.

However, you might want to get your dog comfortable in the crate. It's a really useful tool to be able to have a "safe spot" for your dog. Have you tried pulling it closer to the bed? (I mean right next to you)

 

[moxiegrl]

Katie sleeps with us at night and has since we got her. She was crated while we were away too. (now shes got free roam)....But no it doesnt make you a bad pet owner lol..it makes you human

 

[xo_PuPpYlUvEr_xo]

Dillon (my 10 week old puppy) has been sleeping out of the crate since we got him(so spoiled!) He hates his crate SO much so I let him sleep right next to my bed in his little dog bed with all his toys... He sleeps ALL night and every morning he chews my toes to wake me up and I bring him in bed with me for the last few minutes before I have to get ready for school! I find it works out wonderfully... He also never has accidents because my parents take him out for me every morning before leaving for work!

 

[dogsarebetter]

I've been thinking of letting Ruckus free roam. He has yet to cause me any trouble what so ever

 

[Southpaw]

There was a period of about a month when Lucy slept in bed with me. Not because she didn't like her crate, though. It was because we were at horse races from 6:00-11:00pm, and she was crated that whole time, so I didn't really want to put her back in it since she had already been crated for so long. So, she slept in bed with me, and since she did so well I just kept doing it.

THEN...I woke up one morning and she was NOT in my bed, but on the floor, standing at my door. I was lucky that she hadn't peed/pooped yet, but that was the end of her sleeping in my bed. I figured if she was going to do it once, she would definitely do it again. The first night I put her back in her crate she whimpered a little bit, but after about a minute or two she stopped and was fine.

I think you should stick with the crate though until she's used to it. For a while, it was horrible listening to Lucy cry in there, but she got used to it and now she doesn't make a peep during the night.

 

[Zoom]

I let Sawyer sleep in bed with me everynight, but he's long since house trained and knows the rules of the house. You might want to stick with crating a while longer so you can establish ground rules and good behavior.

 

[Roo92]

Our dogs were sleeping with us till we had a bug issue. Both of them have flea medication and everything but still managed to track in some chiggers and they slept with us and by morning we were covered in bites. Lesson learned no more sleeping with us in the summer time so they sleep in their crates in the summer and every now and then with us in the winter.

 

[otch1]

Crate training for a 12 week old puppy is a safety issue, as well as potty training tool. Southpaw said it best, it is very easy for them to slide off the bed in the middle of the night. It would be heartbreaking to wake up in am to find puppy had been electrocuted, while you slept. Easily chewing the clock and lamp chord. You would never know it. It sounds like a little hickuping noise at best. After your puppies' mature, we all know where she's going to end up... snuggled in the center of the bed in her rightful spot. Until then, I hope you'll stick with the crate training. good luck!

 

[Keyfairy]

i WISH loki would sleep with me!! he insists upon making a nest somewhere (generally under a table) and sleeping there.
I've always been curious why this is...is it just husky thing?

 

[otch1]

Northern breeds tend to have such thick coats, (remember they were bred to tolerate extreme temperature) it doesn't take much to become over heated when snuggling in the bed with another warm body. It simply isn't comfortable for some dogs.

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

When Binn was small enough to fit on our bed he slept with us... but now he takes up the WHOLE bed.. so no.. he has his own place to sleep.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

sleeping

I do not want dog hair on my bed or a dog touching me while I sleep but perhaps that is just me. Wrigley sleeps crated on the other side of the house. He whined his first night and that's it--if he ever tried whining again I would NOT let him out. It is cleaner not having him in bed with me and safer (both from any accidents or things he might get into while we are sleeping).

Too many people humanize their dogs--dogs do not need to be on a bed or with you constantly unless you want them too. I have seen too many small dogs get very possessive of their owner when they have slept in the bed from puppyhood and spend every waking moment with the owner.

 

[misticaleclipse]

Charlie never sleeps on thed bed. He has slept in his crate directly next to the bed since we had him as a puppy. This way we did nto have to worry about suffocating him, pushing him off the pet, him soiling the bed, etc.

Some days I would love to have him sleep beside me and the whining in the first week was tough, but a lot of it was seperation anxiety from being seperated from his sibblings and mom. The whining goes away if you do not let them out and reward it. Invest in good ear plugs and teching them the quit command.

 

[dr2little]

I let Sawyer sleep in bed with me everynight, but he's long since house trained and knows the rules of the house. You might want to stick with crating a while longer so you can establish ground rules and good behavior.

I agree^..Nothing wrong with a snuggle pup in bed as long as the training and rules are established.

 

[ihartgonzo]

I admit that Fozzie sleeps on my bed. =P he's 6 months old, and hasn't had an accident or chewed anything up in 3+ months, so I have more trust in him... plus, my room is totally puppy-proofed. I never wanted Gonzo on my bed because he's big and sheds a lot, but Fozzie is a little guy and doesn't shed at all. I always invite him to come up, too, he doesn't get to sleep on my bed whenever he wants to.

Crate training definitely is handy for the future, so it's best to get it down now. Fozzie slept in his crate at night from 2-4 or 5 months, and it was better for him & for me. You should take it slower if your pup is having trouble with it. Feed him in his crate & give him chews in his crate, so he learns to hang out there for short periods of time, and he learns that he gets good things in the crate. Just make sure you never reward crying, because it will exacerbate the behavior. If you just can't crate train, a secure x-pen could be an option.

 

[cindr]

Doggie sleeping with me

Yup My girls sleep with me. To be honest with you all 3 do. My poor Hubby has to sleep on the couch. LOL Miss Zoe the Dob at the head of the bed on the pillow, Miss Joy on the left side of the bed and Miss Fritzy on the right side of my feet. They all know where they belong. So now we have to make room for the two pups.

 

[bubbatd]

I thought of this thread last night when Ollie snuggled next to me ... he put his head next to mine and his paw across my chest ... I held his paw and we both drifted off . He went unto the floor and then his bed next to mine for most of the night ... but hopped back on the bed about day break ... I dozed for an hour and got up .... he stayed in bed another hour !