Have you let your pup sleep with you?

[SalemWitchChild]

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

Same here. Kota will sleep anywhere I ask her to sleep. Most of the time I let her sleep in our bed till hubby finally comes in.

 

[moxiegrl]

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.

I love having Katie sleep with us...She sleeps by our feet, and there is something comforting about feeling her down there. She also is possessive of me, just like a kid would be. She likes to see where I am when Im in the house, and when Im on the comp during the day she sleeps right next to me in her crate.

She doesnt cry when we leave though...but she sure is happy to have us come home!

 

[Buckshot]

Before our house was built I was living in a van. I was working in Denver and the mountains around Denver. There were many -20 degree nights Buckshot and I spent together fighting eachother for a piece of the sleeping bag. We relied on eachother to keep warm enough. He sleeps where ever he wants now, usually in bed with us. He never really had restroom issues except a period of a few days when he was on antibiotics. He learned to bark to go out from day one. I remember hating the idea of getting out of that bag to let him pee lol

 

[iheartsammy]

I tried to crate train Samm, but how could I resist my first puppy and it crying it's lungs out? lol.. She has slept in my bed since the first day I've had here. She did take a while to fully potty train though..

 

[iheartsammy]

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.

I don't think it's humanizing to spend all your time with your dog. maybe doganizing..lol

It's not like I force Samm on my bed, she can roam around my room if she wants, HER bed is even on the floor, but she chooses to sleep with me.

I can't sleep without my dog in my bed, It's the only thing that gives me comfort. I'd be nothing without companionship with my dog..

 

[queennvisa]

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!

I agree crate training is very important. My girls love being outside as much as possible and they know that they can sleep in my bed. They sometimes take turns and sometimes both are up in bed with me and other times they both choose to sleep on the floor next to the bed... I see nothing wrong with allowing a dog to share your bed as long as you've secured the basics first.

 

[Southpaw]

I've fallen back into the habit of letting Lucy sleep in my bed.

Oh well. Now that I have to wake up for school, I'm up before she is, so no more jumping off the bed. This morning she woke me up at 5am by trying to stick her nose in my mouth. And then she curled up right next to me.

I don't think I'm "humanizing" her. But if that's what it's called by letting her sleep in my bed, that's fine with me. It's not like it's affecting the kind of dog she is.

 

[mrose_s]

buster always sleeps with me. never met a dog so cudly. he jumps up and lyes down headfirst into my chest (he weighs 20kg) then snorts and kicks around till he's comfy and snuggled up next to me. cutest thing i've ever seen. he never gets crated. nore do any of the dogs

 

[mrose_s]

buster is always up before me. he wakes up when mum takes harry for a walk at 6:30 so i get woken up because he isn't hugley vocal, i taught him to jump up on doors he wants to go through. so i wake up to this "bang" and scratchy noise. lol

 

[mojozen]

Mojo gets the choice of sleeping with me or not. In teh summer he chooses not to, too warm I guess. In the fall, winter, spring depending on the warmth of the house he will either sleep with me all night, or lay with me until I go to sleep then get down to sleep elsewhere. Right now I only have a couch in the old apartment which we're both sharing... it's kind of uncomfortable to have us both on the couch at the same time, but it still works out okay.

As far as humanizing? I don't think I humanize my dog by letting him sleep with me. My dog is house broken, stays in a crate during the day, and doesn't even get on the furniture w/o permission if i am already sitting there. (he sits and waits for me to signal if it's okay). I could do far worse by my dog to turn him into an ill mannered wanker than by letting him sleep with me when he chooses to do so.

 

[LabBreeder]

Ok. I am ready to be inundated with comments about how terrible this is, but here goes.....
I have a 12 week old shihpoo

Oh...a shitzu poodle mix.

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.....

I don't know about being a "bad owner" necessarily, but you've made your bed...so you (and your pup) must sleep in it. Figuritively and literally speaking of course.
Seriously, if you don't want the new pup in bed with you, then don't bring her to bed. Let her cry and she'll go back to sleep (unless she's got to potty). It may take awhile, but she'll get the idea that crying won't get her to the bed anymore. Also, you could put the crate in your room so she can smell/see you and she may be o.k. with that. However, if the other dog gets to sleep with you why should the pup be crated? Are you worried she'll potty in the bed or something? I don't like showing favoritism to one dog by letting them do something that the other isn't allowed to do.
Ultimately it's up to you if you want the pup in your bed, happy and content...or if you want her crying for the next week or so while you retrain. It all depends on what you want your ultimate outcome to be.

 

[Loviedovie]

Lovie was sleeping with me and having no issues. I'm a light sleeper and would take her out 2 x's a night regardless. Then I got Cookie and they both sleep good on the bed however we have had several accidents in 1 week ON THE BED in the middle of the night, so guess what.. CRATE time again

 

[TaylorDawnx0x]

I do/did.

I won't have a "puppy" until about October 7th, which is this weekend! Woo hoo! But, when my miniature schnauzer Cowboy who is 3 now was a pup, I always let him sleep with me. But I did put a towel in a certain spot so if he has to go he'll go on the towel and not all over my bed. He did quite well the 1st night.
Hope I helped, TaylorDawnx0x

 

[Whisper]

Lucy has been sleeping in her crate becuse it has been helping a lot with her chewing problem. So I put her to bed in there with a kong stuffed with goodies so she loooves her bed and she has entertainment from her chew toy/s. But sometimes I let her sleep with me when she has been being really good. When she's out she always curls up with me under the covers. She's a year old but still having some training problems. She's improved greatly, though.
ANYWAY, yes, Millie has the full run of the house and when she wants to she can sleep in bed with me but since I've been sleeping on the couch she can't really fit especially because the cats sleep with me.

 

[Doberluv]

Personally, I like a pup to get use to a crate because you never know when your pup will need to be in one; in the car, locked in a small cage at the vets sometime...I use to put the crate next to my bed and just being in the same room helped my pups. If there was any crying, I stuck to my guns and didn't let the pup out. In just 2-3 days all was well. But it is personal preference. I don't think you're a bad puppy owner at all. I think you need sleep and you love your dogs. LOL.

 

[schnauzerfan]

Our Schnauzer has slept with us since we got him at 6 weeks old. He has never had one accident in bed. He is very spoiled. When the air conditioner is blowing and he gets cold he scoots over to my side of the bed and snuggles up to me. My husband moves positions a lot on the bed, so he knows it safe on my side because I don't move very much at night. He will do a short woof when he has to go out.

 

[bumhouse]

I'm really conflicted on this issue!!

My puppy is 4 months old now and does sleep in our room in a crate. During the day if I am not home he stays in the kitchen with his crate. Recently, I bought him a bed and HE LOVES IT!! Last night he really protested going to sleep in the crate.

How do I know if it is time to let him sleep somewhere else besides the crate? Maybe not in my bed but his bed? He has been accident free for about a month now, however, I am very attentive and he still does not have the run of the house. As a matter of fact, if I can not watch him, I put him in the kitchen. When he is out of the kitchen, he has a difficult time settling down even if I station him (which he hates) or put him on a lead (which he hates).

I guess the big question is - HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO GIVE YOUR PUPPY MORE FREEDOM??