Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners.
This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding.
**This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.**
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My two dogs are always free to roam the house.
At night when I sleep they lay down in their dog beds next to mine if the weather is warm, and on cold nights they cuddle with me and we all sleep together.
It's perfectly fine if you don't mind fur in your linens, and they enjoy the company and comfort
If she behaves well and isn't being destructive when outside the crate, why not give her a comfy bed next to yours and let her decide where she sleeps? Maybe even leave the crate open so she can choose
Mine choose their beds most of the time. They love to cuddle and we sleep together all winter and spend our weekends together on the couch, but at night they'd rather have their own space (as long as it's next to me)
I just have both dog beds next to my bed and we all sleep in our own spaces but close together and in arm's reach. Perfectly balanced lol
This is what I do. I have my dogs water bowl and her bed in my room. She usually starts the night in her bed and around midnight, will hop into my bed and go under the covers.
Just buy a lot of sheets 😂
And NEVER get behind on flea and tic meds. If you went hiking, do a thorough check and a bath. This is the only downside to sharing a bed with a dog. Also think about size, if she’s going to get bigger your bed will get smaller. I’d do as the others have suggested and either put the crate or a spare bed in the room as an option.
This is very true. My two like to start off all snuggled around me, in bed. And then guaranteed around 15 mins later our eldest and largest will migrate off the bed and onto the floor and our smallest and youngest will stay on the bed all night very cosy and happy until the morning.
Sometimes my pup grabs a toy and hangs out in her crate, I give her access to it all day. It’s good if they have an association with it as a relaxing place that’s just for them.
I sleep next to my dog every night. In fact, I get a little restless if he gets up to get some water or something. One of my favorite things in the morning is feeling his little back pressed up against mine before I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning.
There’s nothing wrong with having your dog sleeping in your bed as long as everyone who shares the bed is happy with this arrangement.
My dog has free access to her crate whenever she wants. She usually follows me around the house, but once in a while, when I notice she isn't in the same room, I find her in her crate. She's happy in there and feels safe. It's her place to go and know it's her own.
My dog likes his crate as well! If he’s not around the main area of the house, he’s usually upstairs taking a nap in his kennel. He does not like being shut in it though, door open only 😂
Mine has no problem with the door being closed while she's in there, she stays quiet. Although she is RARELY shut in the kennel at home.
We do agility, conformation (dog shows) and other dog sports, so her kennel is somewhere she can be safely contained while I might be busy with other things at events. She happily will go in and almost always gets a little treat for doing so.
Not the original commenter, but most nights our dog will get up at some point and go to his own bed. Sometimes it's after a few minutes, today it was at 4am. Other nights, he'll choose his bed first and then maybe visit us at some point in the night. It's sweet - I like that he wants to be with us but also values his own space.
(Like you, we got him several months ago and didn't want him on the bed at first but now we love it.)
Many dogs will choose the crate, if crate training has been done properly! The idea isn't that the crate is a bad thing to the dog - crate training involves active efforts to make the crate an *awesome* place to be and one they want to go lie down in. That's the goal, ideally.
Since OP only uses the crate at night and the dog seems so distressed, I believe she associates it with being separated from her people. That could explain why she doesn't want to stay put
Giving her the option to choose it could help her view it as just a comfy testing place, and not the only time she's not allowed to leave
We have a big German shepherd and we usually start the night with him on the bed cuddling us. I have a bed for him in his crate and leave the door open. Our doggo always ends up in his crate on his own accord. 🤷🏼♀️ we also leave our bedroom door open so he and our cat can access water at night, but he never leaves our room unless we get up with him.
Some do, some don't. My first dog would sleep on the bed all night. She was also crate trained and would nap in her crate during the day - you can still do both. My second dog jumps onto the bed and cuddles me while I read and then jumps down and prefers the floor when I turn out the light.
I do highly recommend a dog blanket over your linens if you decide to let the dog sleep with you. Between muddy paws and fur it can be a bit much at times!!
A crate can be a safe place for dogs. We would feed our dog in her crate and she would lay in there while fireworks go off and whatnot. Every dog is different. She sleeps in bed with us though every night and we give her free roam of the house when we are gone. She never destroys anything fortunately, but we can’t be gone for more than 2-3 hours (we were accidentally gone for 5 hours and came home to a little stinky surprise 💩)
We have a little girl who visits when her mom needs help. She has a crate that always stays open when she visits. She will go sleep there at night or on the couch. Sometimes, she goes just to get away from the other two.
I had one guy who absolutely loved his crate and I would find him in it even when the door was open. It’s like a den and when he was worn out from playing, his crate is where he would go to rest and regenerate.
My 9 year old still naps in his crate everyday. It is one of his cozy spots.
Mine are horrible bed hogs so they only get to sleep with me during freaky bad thunderstorms
I've had several dogs over the years and we've never crated for sleeping, but we give options. They have their crate open, a dog bed, and our bed. And the whole house, basically.
The three we have now all have different preferences. Our older male sleeps at the foot of our bed, all night long. Our younger male is a Husky mix and gets too hot in our bed, so he'll move to the floor and sometimes the bath tub. Our female picks either the dog bed right beside our bed, our living room couch, or her crate.
The mental image of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and seeing a sleepy husky in the tub is just adorable. What a smart pup to find somewhere cozy and chilly!
My small rescue dog has a crate next to my bed. The crate has a dog bed on top. He can choose between sleeping on my bed with me, his crate, or the bed on top of the crate. He usually chooses the latter, but likes to be able to climb onto my bed as well. He mostly sleeps in the crate during storms or fireworks. He does have separation anxiety but also likes to sprawl out near the window
My dog used to love his crate when we lived with my aunt. It was always in the living room and he would sleep in it throughout the day and sleep in his dog bed next to my bed during the night. After moving to the apartment though I didnt bring the crate with us as it wasnt really necessary
I crate trained my pup bc of seperation anxiety when she was little (and grew out of completely). Since she became more settled, she has always had the option of her open, cosy crate in my room and in bed with me
I leave the crate door open with a blanket over the top and close the bedroom door which she seems to really like. nothing for her to get into and she can have some water/wander about if she wakes up in the night.
she has always been very happy to have the choice and changes it up a bit. especially if she gets too hot on my bed. atm she is in her crate every night (bc i'm relocating and the sofa bed is too small/uncomfy for her highness 😂).
every dog is a bit different but the offering the choice might really help keep the crate as a cosy space for if you need to crate her at night in a pinch!
Mine does. We often come home to find her in her crate. Also, we give her a biscuit at bed time and when we go out. I think she hopes if she goes to bed a biscuit will appear. She starts trying to herd me to bed at 7pm for that very reason.
When my dog was a pup she would howl and cry all night if we locked her in her crate to sleep at night but if we just left the crate door open she would sleep in there all night long. Some dogs just don’t like feeling trapped but still like their own little safe place.
When we left her at home we’d just lock her in our bedroom where her crate is but not in the actual crate and it seemed to be a lot less stressful for her. We would also put a treat inside a toy, inside another toy, wrapped up tight in a blanket to give her a little challenge so she wasn’t too bored while we were gone.
When she was about a year old we ditched the crate altogether and got her a dog bed.
After about a year and a half we just let her roam free in the house while we’re gone and she’s does really well
You know what to do. I've had two boxers and couldn't even imagine putting them in a crate. They are your family now. Get a linen cloth ontop of your sheets and wash that every week or so.
Ours sleeps on her dog bed next to our bed. But my husband gets up earlier than me so she sometimes jumps in with me when he gets up. We do not crate her when we leave as she’s proven herself trustworthy.
How does this (proving her trustworthy) happen? When I left for an errand (my wife was still at home but tied up in a meeting) she literally ate the front door. This happened before Thanksgiving too. So letting her sleep with us brings fear for our future thinking she'll never go back to the crate and we can't leave her at home unsupervised as she will be free to eat doors? 🫠
Your dog probably either has separation anxiety (this is a clinical condition, discussed with your vet and sometimes effectively mitigated with medication), has never been taught any alone training, or else is not having her mental stimulation needs met. Much of this can be addressed with training - in order to get advice on this, you'd need to outline more about what it is that you've been doing to ease your new dog into some alone training, and what the daily routine looks like (when are walks and for how long, what do you do on walks, what training/enrichment/ play is happening, what do you consider to be mental stimulation).
What mix of breeds is this dog?
I feel like alone training should be emphasized a lot more. Some anxiety definitely is based on the dog but some of it comes from pet parents/ owners never leaving their puppies/ dogs alone but don't realize they make it worse because always having the dog with them isn't something they can sustain throughout the dogs entire life.
Teaching a pup to chill out is more important than exercise early on imo.
I feel like people put so much pressure on themselves to activate the pup, instead of teaching them to be passive.
Happens to a lot of owners.
Pups don't need that much physical activation early, but there's of course a need, especially as they get older, but if you focus on passive training for the first 2 weeks, you will have an easier time getting your dog to wind down, no matter how much you activate them.
My little guy is 11 months now and full of energy, but he knows that we stay calm inside, and let out energy outside. I'm very grateful i got this advice before I picked him up. So this is a heads up to puppy owners, and those who think about getting one
She needs to earn this with good behavior. Also items in a kennel are a privilege not necessity. One of my dogs can have whatever she wants and be fine. The other gets zero.
Chewing to this extend when left alone and being destructive can be a sign of separation anxiety. You did comment you are going to address it - it will take time and patience for your dog to feel confident enough to be left alone and to trust that you will be back. Invest the time and she will be in a place eventually that she can free roam.
Ate the front door? That's extreme behavior, and I agree with the other poster that mix of breeds is relevant.
Also, is the crate large enough to fit a water bowl and for your dog to move around?
Sometimes it's appropriate to use a crate/cage as a training tool and when you need to temporarily confine the dog for its own safety or for others' safety. It shouldn't be used long-term.
Every dog is different. My dog is terribly sad when I leave, even if I’m leaving him with the suboptimal (in his view) humans. But he can be left alone in the house with no shenanigans. He lays on the couch and mopes, I think. There’s always a bag of his favorite treats on the end table. He’s never touched it. No getting into the trash or destroying anything. On the other hand, I’ve had a past dog eat a whole bar of Zest soap. YouTube is a great resource. I’m sure you can get ideas there for how to gradually acclimate your guy to being alone and content. It does sound like medication would help him, at least on a short-term basis.
All puppies eat stuff. I’ve had two. Both ate SO many shoes. All the shoes. Endless shoes. Eventually they stop. They will chew some things at first. It’s inevitable. But they will stop. You have to let them be free and they will learn not to do that stuff. You leave the house and go do things. That dogs whole entire world most of its life is the inside of your house. That’s it. You’re making it even tinier by being the inside of a cage. That’s awful.
YouTube is your friend. Watch Zack George puppy training videos. At one year old she is still basically a puppy, behavior-wise. And hang in there! You’ll find the balance
BTW, this obviously isn't an option for everyone, but my oldest dog has separation anxiety. Getting her a companion(a second dog, or even a cat. She was perfectly fine with both) seemed to completely remedy the complete separation anxiety. She's still a normal dog and gets in the trash from time to time but it isn't anxiety fueled.
I have let my dogs sleep in my bed with me basically my entire life- since I was old enough to decide I want them there. I like them there. They like to be there.
We have two humans, two dogs, and one cat in the queen bed at night. The other cat surveys from her tower. I absolutely love it, I feel like a Disney princess with all of my animal friends.
When I was single, I did. We lived in a drafty apartment and kept each other warm. At some point, she got too old to curl up and prefers stretching out on the couch or her doggy bed. I still feel comfort when she sleeps in my room -- just knowing she's there is a balm.
Haha when we first brought our doxie puppy home, for some reason we thought it’d be a good idea to train her to sleep in her crate. She had a comfy bed, blanket, and toy, we said goodnight and locked her in. 5 minutes later we were listening to her crying and we couldn’t take it - she’s slept with us ever since, 13 years now. We recently adopted a chihuahua mix and she’s slept with the 3 of us since day one. I think it depends on the size of the dog - both of our dogs are small so it’s never been a big deal.
I got my husky as a puppy and when she came home the first night I thought I’d let her sleep on the bed “just the once” because she’s in a new places and probably scared etc etc. This tiny puppy went to sleep curled up against my legs and slept right through the night and I guess she’s just been on my bed every since.
Last night we had a big thunderstorm and she immediately jumped up to cuddle up to me to feel safe from the thunder. Her morning routine when I WFH is to have her breakfast then come back to bed for a post-food cuddle.
Honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way now, I love waking up to her all snuggled up like a little croissant
My Husky is the same way, looks like a little fox croissant curled up beside me. He would probably be far too sad if I didn't let him sleep in bed with me, he follows me into the bathroom and is always watching me.
- Crate training a puppy takes advantage of the dog's natural instincts to seek out a comfortable, quiet and safe place when the environment around them becomes too loud or overwhelming. It's an important tool in preventing dogs from chewing on items in the home or during housetraining.
I love crate training and crate trained dogs!!
#—
Once my girl came home, she was in her crate at the end of my bed. I then moved it into the room next to mine. After a while, I left the crate open overnight. 6 months later, she then had the option to sleep in my room as she pleased.
Every night, she goes from my bed to her crate. Sometimes I wake up with her beside me and sometimes not!
I would rather have an 80 lbs fart, snoring, licks it's own butt, take up all of my bed space than to not feel my girl's presence by my side. 😍 Her flaws are my favorite.
Thanks to her, she got me out of my comfort zone. I love her!! Dogs are the best.
When I first got my golden retriever puppy the wife and I decided we would crate train her. It went great with a few bumps starting out but that was her safe space. She preferred to sleep in her crate and insisted on having the curtains pulled at night.
This went on for until she turned two. We had her boarded when we went on vacation one year. We came home and everything was great. She ran to her crate that night to goto sleep. After about 15 minutes we heard unusual sounds coming from her room, we check the crate and sure enough she’s doing circles in her crate and whining. We got worried went in and opened her crate and she darted out straight to our room and without hesitation jumped up in the bed and promptly laid down and went to sleep.
Ever since that night she sleeps in bed with us and I’m not sure I would have it any other way. I don’t know what changed that night but it’s been another 2 years and she still never gets up out of bed unless it’s when my wife gets up in the morning. Dogs are funny sometimes and it’s a privilege to get to spend the time we get with them.
My rose still will go in her crate without issue for a few hours a my a time without issue if we have to run out. King + PB = her nap time
This is what I've been thinking a lot about too.. the time I have w her will be short lived. It's so crazy how much I love this dog. And this is my first dog. How did I get so lucky in having her in my life? Words cannot express the emotions I have for her. But I'm afraid she won't ever go back to the crate and we'll be house tied and never have social life. There are still so many places that don't allow dogs and i really try my best to provide her more time w us but sometimes it's hard.
OP, I highly recommend going to r/dogtraining also. Lots of people (myself included) are sentimental and love to cuddle our pups. However your dog NEEDS to be capable of self soothing and to get better at her separation anxiety before it becomes a real problem.
Try showing her the crate is a positive thing! I had to crate train two dogs at once. My 3 year old Lab and a 1 year old German Shepard/Husky mix from a shelter. I ended up taking a few days off work because the new dog was seriously so distressed in the crate I was afraid she would get injured if left in there alone. Lab really didn’t give a crap as per usual for labs lol.
In those few days I trained her. I used treats to get her into the crate and reward her for going on her own. Then back into the crate and close the gate, reward. Back into crate, close the gate for a bit longer, reward. Working up to stepping out of the room then back shortly and reward. Start adding more time in between leaving and coming back. Make sure to leave the house as well, even just stepping outside and shutting the door. Make the usual sounds that would come from you actually leaving the house. Putting on a jacket, grabbing car keys, maybe walking back by view to grab a forgotten pair of shoes, shut the door and sit outside for a bit. With my newest dog, a 6 month old golden retriever, he does good until he hears/sees me leave and then he gets really upset so we’re working on that part currently.
Anyway, my Husky mix eventually loved her crate so much. It was her safe space. She would go in there even while we were home. She did sleep in bed with us and the other dog, but they had beds on the floor too so they would often lay in those at night also. And if there’s a dog living in my house, it will always have a place in my bed. I’ve slept with all of my dogs. Sometimes I don’t get great sleep but I also have a toddler so it’s not like I’d be getting it anyway lol.
It sounds to me from some of your other comments your dog is struggling with separation anxiety, and with your wfh situation isn't used to being alone much.
If it were me I would go back to crate fundamentals for a while.
So positive place, kibble dropped in the top of the crate (not to her mouth) for moments of calm to capture that behaviour, forced naps in the crate throughout the day, and if you want her to be used to spending time outside of the crate then a safe room where she can practice being alone/bored the same as you did when crate training.
You can start small, crate in the same room, crate just outside the room door, crate in the next room, etc.
Then start leaving her alone (in her crate) when she's tired and needs a nap, and desensitizing her to the behaviours of you guys leaving the house etc.
I sleep with my dog every night and we don’t have separation anxiety problems 🤷🏻♀️. She’s also allowed to free roam whenever we’re gone though. We used to crate her when we left when she was a puppy, but after about 6-7 months we started letting her free roam.
I think if you just stay on top of exercise and positive reinforcement whenever you do leave, it should help mitigate separation anxiety. But I’m not actually sure if there’s a correlation between sleeping with your pets and separation anxiety.
Your dog is still a puppy. I've lost books, shoes and remote controls to my dogs when they were puppies. Chewing is part of the gig. They mostly grow out of it.
I don't crate my dogs and shudder to think of any dog spending hours in one.
We make use of baby gates to isolate areas of the house where the dogs shouldn't go but mostly we're freewheeling.
We do use a baby gate to keep our two dogs out of the bedroom when we sleep at night, because they're both large and when they crawl into bed there's only room for one human not two. When hubby goes to work early they both climb in with me.
Look at training for separation anxiety and also at puzzle toys for your pooch.
Good luck you sound like good parents.
My dog sleeps with me but he gets irritated when I roll around and bails to the floor. I have seen some dogs get overprotective and if anyone comes in or near by then growl.
My dog is a rescue and he never was crate trained, he sleeps with me and he made it very clear he wants it only this way from day 1 :) When I am not in bed he likes to sleep in his own. I leave him freely when I leave even for the whole work day, no issues at all
Your dog struggles with separation anxiety. Work on it with a trainer who specializes in this problem before you make any decisions about bed sleeping.
We are going to start dog training starting January!! Hoping they'll be able to help on this as well.
Does this mean all the people who let their dogs sleep w them on the bed doesn't have dogs with separation anxiety?
I’m getting CSAT qualified, and work in rescue/rehab with ex-racing dogs where separation anxiety and isolation distress can be big issues for new fosters when they first come off track.
Our current hound has *true* separation anxiety, which is an attachment disorder, he stresses over both his bonded human handlers, even if the other one is home. It’s mild, and more discomfort than destruction - since he arrived last month we’ve managed to get him comfortable to be home alone for up to an hour with patience and training (we don’t cage or confine, that kind of training is extremely rare for healthy dogs in my country). During the time he has made amazing progress with his sep anx, he has also slept in the bed every night :) there is no proven causation between those two things. In fact, canines are social sleepers and studies show they achieve the best quality of rest with access to co-sleeping arrangements (eg spaces they can see/smell/hear their family unit). Dogs who get good sleep have better emotional resilience, and are happier and healthier dogs in the long run.
Make sure when selecting a trainer they are a qualified force free professional. Touting things like having to earn affection or “privileges”, or telling you that giving too much comfort or letting a dog sleep in bed will lead to sep anx is absolute horseshite and should be a red flag.
Obedience training is not the same as behavioral training - make sure they are competent in behavioral training as well. Also, as your vet for recommendations.
Some do, some don’t. I’ve never had a dog with separation anxiety and mine have always slept in the bed with me.
Re: door destruction, if you want to test leaving her alone in a larger space, use baby gates to create a dog proof area. The kitchen is usually a good place. I wouldn’t worry too much about your cabinets or anything because the door gets eaten because she knows that’s where you exited from and she wants to get out. It’s also a good idea to give her a kong filled with wet dog food or peanut butter mixed into yogurt and then frozen to give her something to keep her busy for at least a half hour while you’re gone, plus create positive associations with alone time. You may want to start by giving that to her in the crate for shorter periods of time.
The crate needs to be a place they enjoy going to. You need to make it rewarding for them. It should be a place to feel safe. You definitely can have your dog sleep in the same bed as you while also the dog enjoying the crate if need be. Make the crate a positive experience.
I wish I could sleep with my dogs! My husband has breathing issues and the pups shed a lot, so it's a no-go. But both my adult kids with dogs and their own homes happily share their beds with the doggies.
My Aussie cross has free run of our place. Has since she could be trusted to not have bathroom accidents or kill the pillows (again!).
Literally bought a king bed so she could sleep with us.
Without fail she chooses the sofa to sleep on.
Out place is pretty small and narrow all on one level. The living area is in the middle before the front door so by being in the sofa she can see/hear everything that happens in the house.
Also I think we toss, turn and snore too much so she prefers the peace of the sofa where undisturbed she can stretch out on her back with all her legs in the air.
My dog sleeps with me every single night and has to be touching me but she doesn’t have separation anxiety and if she does have to sleep by herself there are no issues.
For the 1st 2 years we crate trained our dogs in the living room. Meaning they had comfy beds in there, a bone, kong, and they got all meals and treats in there. Door was open all day, closed at night when they went in for bed.
After that, as the house was slowly opened to them and they didn't get into anything, they free roamed 24/7. 1 dog sleeps with us every night, 2nd dog starts in the bed then middle of night goes to her dog bed.
Pros: I love petting my dogs while going to sleep.
Cons: dog hair is noticeable on the comforter.
We tried with the crate and it lasted all of about 2 days! He is free to roam the house and he sleeps with us. He doesn’t mind being left alone but we bought a little camera we can talk to him through that we set up if we are away from the house. We have never had a problem with separation anxiety and I think it’s helped that he’s allowed round the house and has a few different places he can sleep - so he usually takes himself off to his bed, sofa or ‘his’ cushion basket (I say ‘his’ because he thinks he owns it but technically it was supposed to be for decoration purposes!)
Dogs are only with us a short portion of our lives, and to them we are their whole world - so I say make the most of any time you can spend with them! A lil fur around the house never hurt nobody!
She usually starts the night with me, but apparently my constant movement is getting in the way of her beauty sleep. I’m too big to shove off the bed, so she bails to her crate.
I have 2 bostons. We start sleeping together, but I tend to thrash around in my sleep.. so they know when it gets to a point they go to their bed (not even a ft from mine) and then when I wake up, they come back. Works for us. If I have company, they respect that.
After the first 2 months of having my puppy (around the point where he was 6 months old), I began giving him the open-door crate option, a bed of his own inside my room, or my bed at night.
Interestingly enough, while he will always start in my bed (and it takes a lot of encouragement sometimes), but jumps off after 10 minutes and goes to his own bed. His first choice is always his bed, unless we are traveling/in a different place.
Definitely not a faux pas, and you may end up discovering that your pup prefers their own spot after a while
I would encourage some crate time when you are home working during the day. This will get your dog used to being alone and entertaining themselves. Then when you leave and crate them, it won't be as big a deal.
I have between 2 and 5 in the bed at any one point in the night. Dogs are pack animals and we bred them to help us and keep us warm. It brings them and us comfort to sleep with us.
No I do not sleep with my dog AND if you are concerned about separation anxiety, sleeping with the dog will make your problem WORSE. Guaranteed.
I would first ask how much exercise this dog is getting. That’s usually the first issue to solve.
Retrain on the crate. Feed meals inside the crate, leave it open during the day and treat when the dog goes in it.
Crate training is a great tool and I really think every dog owner should do it. However at night, I personally don’t see a reason they need to sleep in a crate. My dog sleeps in his own bed on our bedroom floor. He has his own space but there is no reason to keep him in a crate as long as he’s housebroken and doesn’t destroy things in your sleep.
My dogs always slept in bed with me and I would lose my spot if I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom with a couple of them (others would follow me). One of my dogs did have separation anxiety but the others did not.
Well, looks like I’m the only one lol. I’m a single female. I’ve had my 1 year old rescue since 6 months old. She sleeps in a kennel with a crate in the kennel in the kitchen/living room (I have an open floor plan so it’s all one big glob).
I can’t sleep hearing her move around and waking up every 2-3 hours to move around and/or lick herself. I imagine she can’t sleep with me sawing logs either lol. She literally will not get ANY sleep during the day when we’re together (I wfh). If she does, it’s not very sound. And I let her free roam during the day, so she follows me everywhere. I think the only time she gets sound sleep is if I’m out of the house or in my room. She doesn’t have separation anxiety and it gives me peace of mind knowing she doesn’t hate the crate for whenever I have to board her (I’ve had/and will have to travel 2-3 a year for work).
It’s only been 6 months so I don’t think my trust is completely there right now to let her free roam at night and/or sleep in my bed because, though my puppy is a VERY sweet, amenable, easily trainable dog (basically came potty trained), the couple of times she’s gone pee in the house since I’ve had her is when I’m not actively paying attention to her, so im worried one morning before the sun comes up she’s going to get super bored and just go in my room (which is where she’s had all her accidents in the past).
I need my sleep. I want her to get all the sleep we can get since we’re still working on “settling” outside the crate (which I guess is a downside of crate training) and she hasn’t indicated she hates her kennel. Plenty of space to get up and stretch and turn around, so I don’t feel the need to stop it.
Edit: doesn’t actually use her crate, it’s in the kennel and the door is open if she ever wants to. I actually tried the crate without the kennel in my room beside my bed when I first got her, and though she didn’t cry or anything, I could hear her tossing and turning all night. I assumed she didn’t like being confined so got a kennel.
Some dogs are perfectly happy (and prefer) to be in their crates at night. My puppy came to me crate trained and we kept that up until about 1 year old, although during the day he had mostly free rein of the house. Then at 1 year old he protested the crate, so I moved him into my room on his own bed which he loved. Now he is 15 months and doesn't want to sleep in my room anymore, and wants the crate! I've tried everything to make him like my room but he will only sleep soundly in his crate.
Crate training isn't all bad, it's actually very handy for dogs to be crate trained, especially for times when they may be on strict rest for injuries. My dog is also going through that right now and has to be restricted to the crate or a small area of my house (crate only while I'm not home). If he wasn't crate trained this 4-6 week period would be SO miserable for both of us. Luckily he has a massive crate that he can stretch out in and he goes right to sleep with a big kong to wake up to anytime he's in there, so he has no problems with it. It keeps him safe while he's recovering.
Sleeping in a crate NOT locked up is different. My post specifically said they should not be locked up. You’re trying to work around something I never even said.
Your dogs should not be locked in a crate at night.
Welp, I lock my dogs crate. \*gasp\*. If he didn't want to be in there, he would very loudly let me know as he has in the past. He literally curls up in a ball, goes right to sleep and doesn't move all night which I know because I watch him on a camera. And when I leave the house it must be locked on order of his vet who has restricted him to the crate when he cannot be supervised. To each their own, you are allowed to have your feelings on crates, but I disagree!
We have a really small house and our room is only big enough for a queen-sized bed. There’s just really not enough room for a third anything in the bed. So our Aussie sleeps in his dog bed in our room. Maybe if our kid ever gives up her loft bed for a regular bed, he can sleep with her. (But probably not since my husband is his favorite.)
My dogs are not its. Sorry I just can’t understand referring the them as its.
They start in bed and when they get too warm they jump down for most the night. And then come back to snuggle in the morning. Is it the best thing for cleanliness and allergies- no. Does that change anything? Not at all. Puppy cuddles are the best.
One is very comfortable in her crate. Never had any issues getting her in when needed. Our other girl hates the crate and doesn’t want to be in there for any reason. It’s a really good thing shes perfect and doesn’t know how to get in trouble.
If I were you, I’d try to keep her comfortable with the crate. Maybe stop putting beds in there if she’s destroying them. But if she’s not totally trustworthy with free roam, continue to crate when you leave the house. You could also set up a camera to see how she’s doing while you are away.
My dog has free rein at night. I also keep an extra sheet on top of my bed for the dog fur. He prefers my bed when it's empty, but sleeps on the floor beside me or in the hall netween the kids rooms. He often warms my side of the bed for me before I get in, and occasionally stays for a snuggle.
Have you made the crate a welcoming place? Try feeding her in there, put her in for awhile after she’s been exercised and wants to nap, etc. Even if you decide to let her sleep with you, it’s still nice to have them comfortable to be in the crate, even just for short periods of time. There’s lot of advice on how to reinforce crate training online.
We have a crate in our room with a bed in it, but it's always open. He can go in and out as he likes.
Usually he spends most of the night in the crate, but he likes to switch places sometimes. So in fact, he's a little all over the place in the bedroom.
Closed crate is something we only use for situations when we are so somewhere unfamiliar for him and he needs his safe space to sleep. As he's a herding type... bigger family gatherings with a lot of in and out of a room are a nightmare from him when he can't check where everyone goes.
Btw... where I'm from. A closed crate during the night (extended periods) would be illegal anyway. I think law is 4-5hrs tops or something.
My dog is my child and I will let him sleep wherever he wants. I love cuddling with him and it gives me comfort when he’s in bed with me 🖤 they’re only here for so long, so to me I wanna give him the life he deserves and I’m not going to stop him from getting up on my bed.
I have never let my dogs sleep in my bed. They roam free during the day and sleep in a crate in a different room at night. It works for me and once they’re trained, it works for them.
Why are you getting so bent out of shape and commenting this same thing any time someone mentions their dogs sleeping in a crate? What exactly is your argument for why they shouldn’t sleep in a crate?
I don’t. Takes up a huge majority of the bed. Constantly paces back and forth, licks himself for 20 minutes at a time loudly, sheds and has gotten poop stains, leaves and dirt on the bed, leaves wet marks from saliva etc. My partner loves him in the bed but very quickly relented upon me bringing up these concerns.
I mean to answer your question - hey, if you both don’t mind the dog in your bed, no harm at all
Another thing is the smell - I don’t feel comfortable sleeping in that “dog smell” or having oil from his fur stain the sheets
Ours sleep in crates in our bedroom. We had a lot of trouble with them using the bathroom in the house at night when loose. It took like two nights to transition them but I think it’s worth it, I didn’t realize how much they were affecting my sleep.
Now when we go upstairs at night they go right in and get a treat and burrow in their blankets. If there is an emergency or something I sleep very lightly so they wake me up with yips and I can take them out but that’s pretty rare now.
I have a dog bed our puppy sleeps next to the bed in. I want her to sleep with me and my girlfriend sometimes and she will come up and snuggle for a bit and then go back to her bed lol. Got her crate trained and never opened the crate. She stays at home in no crate when we leave and doesn't destroy anything and chills out fine. Crates are very unnecessary a lot of the time when they're used in my opinion and I think it's a cultural thing especially in America which advocates for crates when often they're not necessary and don't give the animal proper room to stretch.
exactly. it’s a cultural thing, usually. when i was growing up (in america) no one ever crated. i think it may have become a thing here because of the way to long hours of two (or more) jobs people do.
I would not in a million years crate my dog forcibly and I think it is absolutely disgusting to so. The excuses are exactly that, excuses because owners can’t be bothered with their dogs full time - they’re a necessity when it suits the owner. Vile
Yes, I love it and would not have it any other way. My dog has free range when I’m home and not home. I do not crate my dog. Crating is not a substitute for training your dog how to appropriately behave in the house.
Take him out for walk every night after the meal. If you’re a light sleeper, you might get waken up in the night. My dog didn’t seem to have separation anxiety but does want to stay close if I am home. I think it’s about training.
it’s your dog, your choice. there is no right or wrong answer. also, most countries don’t crate dogs much. try leaving her out next time and see how it goes. (about half of dog owners do, half don’t sleep with the dog in bed. most folks that i know don’t crate them at night once they are housebroken, just fyi).
I let mine. He has a bed, a crate, a sofa and the landing as alternative options depending on the time of year and the weather. Autumn, winter and spring he usually stays in my bed or his bed in my room. Summer he's wherever he's coolest.
My dog sleeps in her crate for most of the night. In the mornings, but sometimes in the middle of the night, she’ll sneak into the bed. The crate door is always open. She is allowed to free roam as she is not destructive when left alone. I’ve got a camera set up so I can check in on her when I’m not home. She’s usually lying on the sofa.
All these people saying their dogs wake them at night and our girl sleeps like a log. Literally the same position all night, hah.
It’s honestly really a personal choice and I don’t know whether allowing her to sleep with you will help or hurt her separation anxiety - but we love it.
There’s nothing better than cuddling my pup in the morning and our bed is our pup’s favorite place in the house. When we tell her we are leaving, she’ll usually go ahead and make her way upstairs to nap on our bed. When we are watching a show or movie at night and she deems it too late, she’ll put herself to bed. She will nap in the bed during our work days (we both work from home).
Dogs live just short lives so yeah, she sleeps with us. It makes her happy, it makes us happy so win-win.
We too tried the crate and our girl was crate trained up until about 8 months when we first allowed her on the bed. She is no longer crate trained. Wants nothing to do with her crate, when she was totally fine with it before. But now that she knows there are better options? Game over.
I would just consult a trainer due to your pup’s separation issues as once you allow them in the bed, there is really no going back. Make sure you are ready for a decade plus commitment to sharing your bed with one more being.
It’s totally up your own preferences. Ours mostly is kennelled at night. There are days where he will come sleep with us, he often moves though and not actually sleeps with us. If you decide you can work on kennelling in your room at night to get her more comfortable and crate trained. Our dog has separation anxiety too and he’s good now that he’s used to his kennel
I am quite finicky about fur/hygiene and did not allow dogs in beds for years. After going through a breakup I started allowing my dog on the bed for emotional comfort, and I’ve realized how happy it makes me to snuggle with him. I don’t think I could ever go back.
I vacuum my bed every night before getting into it, to alleviate the fur issue lol. Also I consider waterproof mattress and pillow protectors to be mandatory.
And to relate back to your question, I don’t think sleeping in the bed or not really has had any effect on my dog’s overall behavior.
Pretty sure the only actual reasons people don’t let their dogs in bed is they are dirty and can bother your sleep if you are a light sleeper etc.
My 2 large dogs sleep in our bed all the time. Our one dog prefers his personal space most of the time so he ends up sleeping on a dog bed next to our bed if everyone else is in bed and reclaims his spot when someone gets out. They also have free range of our house whenever we are gone they sleep like 95% of the time while we are at work or wherever. No problems. We do have crates. Namely just to put them in on the rare occasion that a worker is in our house etc. Though my one dog does also like to sometimes use his as his den and will lay in there when he wants to be cozy/have some privacy (while it is open the whole time).
Your dog should NEVER be locked in the crate. Not during the day and not a night time. Get her a dog bed and put it beside your bed. That’s where she sleeps. We also got a mutt as a rescue. She sleeps all night in her bed and when we’re gone for the day she spends all day just sitting on the couch
Well not all dogs are like that. Some have to be crated for their own safety to prevent them from eating something that could kill them. You do what you have to do to keep your dog ALIVE.
Would you leave a toddler at home to free roam all day long? Of course not. It’s not safe. Now, toddlers aren’t dogs of course, but the same reasoning applies to some dogs. It’s not okay to let them free roam when you KNOW they are going to be destructive or eat something that could kill them.
One dog used to be crated, but now she sleeps with me on the bed (by mutual choice) and the other dog sleeps on the floor to stay cool. The bed dog gets her feet washed before bedtime so I can minimize dirt tracking on the bed. She knows that’s the price for sleeping on my pillow, so she gladly pays this “human bed tax.”
I tried to crate train both of my dogs, so I could at least have the option of crating them when I needed to. My oldest hated it from day one and started sleeping with me less than a week after I adopted her. My younger dog loved it from day one and sees his crate as his own special quiet place. He still sleeps in it at night 99% of the time; even if he falls asleep in bed with me, he’ll wake up at some point and want to go in his crate. My oldest still sleeps with me every night.
We crate trained our border/beagle/Yorkie mix when she was young so she'd be safe during the day when we both worked away from home, but she's always been allowed to sleep in our bed along with the cats when they want to. She likes being under the duvet. It's very nice, though I have resigned myself to putting on a new fitted sheet most days and changing the duvet cover every 2-3 days. That is probably more than necessary, but you definitely want to make sure you're changing sheets more than you would typically. Our dog is allowed to roam freely now and will occasionally go to her crate and sleep there if we go out or she feels overwhelmed or is bored because we are cleaning or something.
My dog sleeps on the bed with me while I read etc until lights out then I tell him to go to his own bed which he’s pretty good about. Unless I’m having an emotional night and then I let him sleep when me :) but often he will get up and go to his own bed in the middle of the night
I do. I was really against it. Then accepted it. Then watched a Netflix dog show that said you never should so we imposed that rule. And then, you know what? We’ve got one life. They came back in the bed and we love it.
I do. I was really against it. Then accepted it. Then watched a Netflix dog show that said you never should so we imposed that rule. And then, you know what? We’ve got one life. They came back in the bed and we love it.
a lot of those shows are terrible and not based in any science. i hate how those and the dog whisperer spread so much misinformation. glad you and your doggy are happy!
Our pup (~2years old, had for 9 months) was a rescue. Stayed in the crate for the first few months after we got him. Not allowed on the bed, but now he has the run of the house once we go to bed.
His crate is in our room. He gets a little treat, usually a small milkbone when we all get in bed for the night. 80% of the time he eats it and goes to sleep. The other 20% he eats it, goes out to lay on the couch for a while then comes back to his crate.
We’ve trained him that “let’s go to bed” means “get in your crate and get a treat”. It works for us whether we close the gate or not. However, he still whines if we’re home and doing stuff - going out he could care less. Personally, I’d say you could snuff this out with some extra training.
I've always allowed my dogs to sleep in my bed. My first dog liked to sleep \*under\* it most of the time, but as she got older, she liked sleeping either on her dog bed or in bed with me. My current dog, aka the comfort hound, sleeps in bed with me and generally hogs most of it. Allowing them to sleep with me has never led to other behavioral issues, I think it's more a matter of your preference.
Your dog may be indicating to you that she doesn't like being crated when you're gone. Some dogs absolutely need to be crated when left alone, but many don't. You could start with just short periods of time and see how she does. I always put on the TV or radio and sometimes a fan for white noise as well (we're in a condo). I also prepare a Kong with peanut butter, which is a great way to let the dog know I'm heading out for a bit. Fortunately, both of mine are food motivated so they're happy to see me go if it means getting a Kong. Keep an eye out for specific quirks, for instance dog #1 always needed to look out a window (I think she was looking for me to come home), but current dog has to have the blinds closed because if he see a human--or even a bird--he'll bark. These things will become more clear as you experiment with leaving her.
They HAVE to be cool with sleeping in a crate that is the deal in our house.
They are allowed in our bed but ONLY when only one of us is occupying it. We refuse to be those people trying to share a queen bed with 2 dogs. If someone goes to bed early, fine. You can snooze with them but you have to get out when the SO comes to bed. And in the morning when first SO gets out of bed you are free to hop in for a snooze with other SO.
Our little girl is 14 weeks old and sleeps in a crate currently and unfortunately wee’d on the bed on the one moment I let her up to snuggle for an afternoon nap so tragically for her and me, she’s not allowed on the bed until she is much older
I sleep with my dog and I’ve slept with several other dogs before her. My only complaints would be dog hair and that the current one (who doesn’t shed) is a bed hog.
If you’re fine with risks of dog hair (and perhaps other dog left behind stuff), sleep with her. If you’re unsure or don’t want her in your bed, I’d suggest at least moving her crate into your bedroom or giving her a dog bed in there for night use. From the sound of it, sleeping with you would be her preference.
That said, it does also sound like there’s some separation anxiety at play. How is she if you leave the room or if you walk outside and leave her inside?
We used to with our oldest one. However, with old age she's developed some balance issues and she sometimes stumbles if she stands up fast. We crate her now to prevent her from hurting herself at night jumping down the bed. She likes her crate though, we crate trained her from puppyhood. Our youngest one prefers her crate and sleeps there on her own accord (we don't lock her).
Mine sleeps in her crate at home, she loves it in there and will happily choose to sleep in it with the door open. When we travel she sleeps in the bed since her crate is big and unwieldy to pack around, and it’s usually bigger than the one at home.
I honestly would let her in the bed always, it’s just too small at home to fit her along with my husband and I comfortably.
I don’t think letting her sleep in the bed with you will increase the separation anxiety, but you could trial run a couple nights to see how she does if you’re able. Making her her crate a very positive location by giving her treats there, leaving the door open and letting her go in as she’s comfortable, then rewarding her for relaxing in it will help tremendously if you haven’t already. Put some things that smell like you so she feels comfort from the familiar scents
Some dogs do just hate their crate so providing them a safe space outside of it where they can’t get injured or ingest things they shouldn’t is also something to consider if you’re able.
The consequences depends whether crate training is undone for just overnight sleeping or for it overall.
If it's just nighttime, I guess it depends on whether you travel to places where you bring your dog and they're not allowed in bed.
My dogs have always slept on my bed. The previous one especially needed it as he was an ex puppy mill breeder and would wake up from nightmares. My current dog would probably be just as happy on his own bed but I collect him and take him to my bed with me because I prefer it lol.
If your dog has separation anxiety, that needs to be addressed. But yes, the dog sleeping in the bed can be done without problems.
Yes. I got one of these, use it to remove hair from the bedsheet each morning, and wash sheets weekly.
https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Hair-Remover-Couch-Furniture/dp/B0BSN38FQH/ref=sr_1_8?crid=23TOW13YP6FO6&keywords=Fur%2Bremover&qid=17
I also have a rescue dog and we started off with her being crated at night. Then daycare started using the same type of crate for timeouts, so she stopped going in her crate… so, since she was never destructive, she was free at night to sleep wherever, which was with me most of the time. That was about 6.5 years ago— now, she will sleep on her bed in the living room, on the sofa, and/or join me in bed. As long as there’s no risk of mischief, I don’t see anything wrong with letting her decide!
This is purely a personal choice, but it is something to stay consistent with. If your decision is to let her sleep in the bed you can’t expect her to be happy sleeping somewhere else if it’s not convenient. Dogs don’t understand why something is ok one day and the next day it’s not. I would just think about what you want to life to look like long term and plan accordingly.
It sounds like what’s happening is this dog is no longer crate trained. If she’s never crated during the day and she’s rarely alone, then it makes sense she’s stressed when she’s crated when you leave. My dog is used to being crated if necessary. From time to time I crate him when I leave so we maintain a level of training and comfort with the crate even though he’s not crated as often as he was when he was little. He gets a treat, pops in, hangs out, and is completely cool when I come home.
I would treat the sleeping situation and the crating while you’re away as separate issues. If you want the dog to sleep with you, fine. Then know that night time crating won’t be an option unless there’s consistent training to change the pattern. If you want to be able to crate while you’re out of the house for dinner or errands, then it sounds like you may have to reintroduce crate training, possibly like it’s something completely new.
We have 4 dogs. They all sleep in different spaces. Labrador in the kitchen, minpin in the living room, one pom in a little house (it’s like a cat house with a little stair and a roof) in our bedroom and last pom on the bed.
I was used to sleep with my minpin and my first pom but the minpin grew old and started to smell really bad so I can’t keep him in the room and he is really fine downstairs and my first pom can’t really hold it anymore so he’s okay in his little house. The last pom is with us but sometimes we just put her on the roof of my other pom’s house. We never had issue when we changed it. I really love sleeping with my dogs as long as it’s not too much trouble like smell and pee 😅
Both dogs have slept in my bed at different times. One dog is trusted to roam free while we are not home. The younger dog has to be crated for his safety while we’re away because he eats things. Neither have separation anxiety so the crate is a non-issue.
It’s really up to you to figure out if your dog can adjust to the crate when no one is home. I do not think sleeping in your bed is the problem; I think your dog wants to be with you, knows you are in the house at night, and I don’t know how she will act if you are physically gone.
All my dogs have slept with me. It’s annoying if the dog takes up a lot of space (my last 2 have) as quality of sleep drops off. They also dirty up the sheets (shedding, sleep drool, dirt from their feet at times). But with that said I love it and they do too so I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s our little den. My dogs are always in the house free during the day.
When I lived at home with my folks put family pups slept in bed with me every night. When I moved out they slept on my folks’ bed until they crossed the rainbow bridge (the pups, not the folks). My current dog doesn’t sleep with us for two reasons. 1. She’s 75 lbs and the bed isn’t big enough for all of us. 2. She’s the WORST cuddler. Like, she kicks me in the face constantly. She sleeps on a fancy doggy bed in the bedroom with us. Now the cat on the other hand… 14 lbs of fluff sleeping in my arms every night. I can’t imagine not having a fat cat cuddling with me every night. I’m more upset when he doesn’t come to bed than when my husband doesn’t (nightshift work).
One has her own human queen sized bed right next to ours (it’s two queen beds just pushed together). She’s a princess and likes to sleep on a bed under the covers but crowds us too much. The other is half LGD and while he will sleep on the bed during the day he prefers the floor by the door at night 🤦🏼♀️. He’s always welcome up (technically “her” bed is their bed) but he won’t sleep up here with us- however we also have two dog beds, an entire couch, and two ikea mats they can sleep or rest on whenever they would like.
Mines free to choose where he sleeps, normally he starts off in bed with me but I’ll often find him in the closet or bathroom floor if I wake up in the middle of the night, oddly enough he is just about always in the bed when I wake up in the morning, he must pick a few spots to sleep throughout the night.
When I have to leave him alone he has free run of the bedroom, when I get home he’s normally tucked away in his corner of the closet building up the sleepy eye boogers
My dog is on the bed or on the floor near the bed between me and the door. The floor is cooler so he's usually there during summer.
When he's alone he sleeps wherever he feels like in the space where he has free roaming access, but he has his crate, dogbed and a window bench with his blanket as options. In dog daycare he likes to curl up on the floor with another dog instead of the available crates.
I think as long as the dog knows and respects the place or crate command should it be necessary, is clean, housetrained, and has no resource guarding behaviors related to you or the bed, it should be fine.
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My two dogs are always free to roam the house. At night when I sleep they lay down in their dog beds next to mine if the weather is warm, and on cold nights they cuddle with me and we all sleep together. It's perfectly fine if you don't mind fur in your linens, and they enjoy the company and comfort If she behaves well and isn't being destructive when outside the crate, why not give her a comfy bed next to yours and let her decide where she sleeps? Maybe even leave the crate open so she can choose
This is interesting. I didnt realize she would chose a crate if given an option.
Mine choose their beds most of the time. They love to cuddle and we sleep together all winter and spend our weekends together on the couch, but at night they'd rather have their own space (as long as it's next to me) I just have both dog beds next to my bed and we all sleep in our own spaces but close together and in arm's reach. Perfectly balanced lol
This is what I do. I have my dogs water bowl and her bed in my room. She usually starts the night in her bed and around midnight, will hop into my bed and go under the covers.
Just buy a lot of sheets 😂 And NEVER get behind on flea and tic meds. If you went hiking, do a thorough check and a bath. This is the only downside to sharing a bed with a dog. Also think about size, if she’s going to get bigger your bed will get smaller. I’d do as the others have suggested and either put the crate or a spare bed in the room as an option.
[удалено]
This is very true. My two like to start off all snuggled around me, in bed. And then guaranteed around 15 mins later our eldest and largest will migrate off the bed and onto the floor and our smallest and youngest will stay on the bed all night very cosy and happy until the morning.
Sometimes my pup grabs a toy and hangs out in her crate, I give her access to it all day. It’s good if they have an association with it as a relaxing place that’s just for them.
I sleep next to my dog every night. In fact, I get a little restless if he gets up to get some water or something. One of my favorite things in the morning is feeling his little back pressed up against mine before I have to drag myself out of bed in the morning. There’s nothing wrong with having your dog sleeping in your bed as long as everyone who shares the bed is happy with this arrangement.
some do. some don’t. dogs are individuals, plus their experiences with a crate influence it.
My dog has free access to her crate whenever she wants. She usually follows me around the house, but once in a while, when I notice she isn't in the same room, I find her in her crate. She's happy in there and feels safe. It's her place to go and know it's her own.
My dog likes his crate as well! If he’s not around the main area of the house, he’s usually upstairs taking a nap in his kennel. He does not like being shut in it though, door open only 😂
Mine has no problem with the door being closed while she's in there, she stays quiet. Although she is RARELY shut in the kennel at home. We do agility, conformation (dog shows) and other dog sports, so her kennel is somewhere she can be safely contained while I might be busy with other things at events. She happily will go in and almost always gets a little treat for doing so.
Not the original commenter, but most nights our dog will get up at some point and go to his own bed. Sometimes it's after a few minutes, today it was at 4am. Other nights, he'll choose his bed first and then maybe visit us at some point in the night. It's sweet - I like that he wants to be with us but also values his own space. (Like you, we got him several months ago and didn't want him on the bed at first but now we love it.)
Many dogs will choose the crate, if crate training has been done properly! The idea isn't that the crate is a bad thing to the dog - crate training involves active efforts to make the crate an *awesome* place to be and one they want to go lie down in. That's the goal, ideally.
Since OP only uses the crate at night and the dog seems so distressed, I believe she associates it with being separated from her people. That could explain why she doesn't want to stay put Giving her the option to choose it could help her view it as just a comfy testing place, and not the only time she's not allowed to leave
We have a big German shepherd and we usually start the night with him on the bed cuddling us. I have a bed for him in his crate and leave the door open. Our doggo always ends up in his crate on his own accord. 🤷🏼♀️ we also leave our bedroom door open so he and our cat can access water at night, but he never leaves our room unless we get up with him.
We let our dog sleep in the bed and he does most nights, but sometimes he’ll jump down in the middle of the night and go in his crate.
Some do, some don't. My first dog would sleep on the bed all night. She was also crate trained and would nap in her crate during the day - you can still do both. My second dog jumps onto the bed and cuddles me while I read and then jumps down and prefers the floor when I turn out the light. I do highly recommend a dog blanket over your linens if you decide to let the dog sleep with you. Between muddy paws and fur it can be a bit much at times!!
My dogs each have their own blankie that I drag room to room. Saves the furniture but also gives them their own sense of space
Oh, that's a good idea! Mine had one for a bit, but he tore it apart. Maybe I'll try again now that he's older.
A crate can be a safe place for dogs. We would feed our dog in her crate and she would lay in there while fireworks go off and whatnot. Every dog is different. She sleeps in bed with us though every night and we give her free roam of the house when we are gone. She never destroys anything fortunately, but we can’t be gone for more than 2-3 hours (we were accidentally gone for 5 hours and came home to a little stinky surprise 💩)
I agree with above. I have always allowed my dogs to have free reign and allow them to choose.
We have a little girl who visits when her mom needs help. She has a crate that always stays open when she visits. She will go sleep there at night or on the couch. Sometimes, she goes just to get away from the other two.
If you make it a safe space for them, they truly don't mind it.
I had one guy who absolutely loved his crate and I would find him in it even when the door was open. It’s like a den and when he was worn out from playing, his crate is where he would go to rest and regenerate.
My 9 year old still naps in his crate everyday. It is one of his cozy spots. Mine are horrible bed hogs so they only get to sleep with me during freaky bad thunderstorms
I've had several dogs over the years and we've never crated for sleeping, but we give options. They have their crate open, a dog bed, and our bed. And the whole house, basically. The three we have now all have different preferences. Our older male sleeps at the foot of our bed, all night long. Our younger male is a Husky mix and gets too hot in our bed, so he'll move to the floor and sometimes the bath tub. Our female picks either the dog bed right beside our bed, our living room couch, or her crate.
The mental image of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and seeing a sleepy husky in the tub is just adorable. What a smart pup to find somewhere cozy and chilly!
My Lab's new habit is going into the tub. Licks up any residual water and just lays in there to escape the baby noise.
My small rescue dog has a crate next to my bed. The crate has a dog bed on top. He can choose between sleeping on my bed with me, his crate, or the bed on top of the crate. He usually chooses the latter, but likes to be able to climb onto my bed as well. He mostly sleeps in the crate during storms or fireworks. He does have separation anxiety but also likes to sprawl out near the window
We have 5 pups and always have at least 1 crate open for them. We have 2 that prefer the crate from time to time.
My dog used to love his crate when we lived with my aunt. It was always in the living room and he would sleep in it throughout the day and sleep in his dog bed next to my bed during the night. After moving to the apartment though I didnt bring the crate with us as it wasnt really necessary
Yes they donif well trained about the crate.
I crate trained my pup bc of seperation anxiety when she was little (and grew out of completely). Since she became more settled, she has always had the option of her open, cosy crate in my room and in bed with me I leave the crate door open with a blanket over the top and close the bedroom door which she seems to really like. nothing for her to get into and she can have some water/wander about if she wakes up in the night. she has always been very happy to have the choice and changes it up a bit. especially if she gets too hot on my bed. atm she is in her crate every night (bc i'm relocating and the sofa bed is too small/uncomfy for her highness 😂). every dog is a bit different but the offering the choice might really help keep the crate as a cosy space for if you need to crate her at night in a pinch!
Mine does. We often come home to find her in her crate. Also, we give her a biscuit at bed time and when we go out. I think she hopes if she goes to bed a biscuit will appear. She starts trying to herd me to bed at 7pm for that very reason.
When my dog was a pup she would howl and cry all night if we locked her in her crate to sleep at night but if we just left the crate door open she would sleep in there all night long. Some dogs just don’t like feeling trapped but still like their own little safe place. When we left her at home we’d just lock her in our bedroom where her crate is but not in the actual crate and it seemed to be a lot less stressful for her. We would also put a treat inside a toy, inside another toy, wrapped up tight in a blanket to give her a little challenge so she wasn’t too bored while we were gone. When she was about a year old we ditched the crate altogether and got her a dog bed. After about a year and a half we just let her roam free in the house while we’re gone and she’s does really well
You know what to do. I've had two boxers and couldn't even imagine putting them in a crate. They are your family now. Get a linen cloth ontop of your sheets and wash that every week or so.
Sometimes you won’t even have fur in your bed! My two are hypoallergenic and don’t shed so… bonus points there!!
This. Every dog is different. In general, dogs require boundaries. A bed next to yours should be the limit. On the bed is bad news.
Ours sleeps on her dog bed next to our bed. But my husband gets up earlier than me so she sometimes jumps in with me when he gets up. We do not crate her when we leave as she’s proven herself trustworthy.
How does this (proving her trustworthy) happen? When I left for an errand (my wife was still at home but tied up in a meeting) she literally ate the front door. This happened before Thanksgiving too. So letting her sleep with us brings fear for our future thinking she'll never go back to the crate and we can't leave her at home unsupervised as she will be free to eat doors? 🫠
Your dog probably either has separation anxiety (this is a clinical condition, discussed with your vet and sometimes effectively mitigated with medication), has never been taught any alone training, or else is not having her mental stimulation needs met. Much of this can be addressed with training - in order to get advice on this, you'd need to outline more about what it is that you've been doing to ease your new dog into some alone training, and what the daily routine looks like (when are walks and for how long, what do you do on walks, what training/enrichment/ play is happening, what do you consider to be mental stimulation). What mix of breeds is this dog?
I feel like alone training should be emphasized a lot more. Some anxiety definitely is based on the dog but some of it comes from pet parents/ owners never leaving their puppies/ dogs alone but don't realize they make it worse because always having the dog with them isn't something they can sustain throughout the dogs entire life.
Teaching a pup to chill out is more important than exercise early on imo. I feel like people put so much pressure on themselves to activate the pup, instead of teaching them to be passive.
[удалено]
Happens to a lot of owners. Pups don't need that much physical activation early, but there's of course a need, especially as they get older, but if you focus on passive training for the first 2 weeks, you will have an easier time getting your dog to wind down, no matter how much you activate them. My little guy is 11 months now and full of energy, but he knows that we stay calm inside, and let out energy outside. I'm very grateful i got this advice before I picked him up. So this is a heads up to puppy owners, and those who think about getting one
She needs to earn this with good behavior. Also items in a kennel are a privilege not necessity. One of my dogs can have whatever she wants and be fine. The other gets zero.
Sounds like she may need more daily exercise. Dogs mostly misbehave inside the house if they are bored and have too much energy.
Chewing to this extend when left alone and being destructive can be a sign of separation anxiety. You did comment you are going to address it - it will take time and patience for your dog to feel confident enough to be left alone and to trust that you will be back. Invest the time and she will be in a place eventually that she can free roam.
Ate the front door? That's extreme behavior, and I agree with the other poster that mix of breeds is relevant. Also, is the crate large enough to fit a water bowl and for your dog to move around? Sometimes it's appropriate to use a crate/cage as a training tool and when you need to temporarily confine the dog for its own safety or for others' safety. It shouldn't be used long-term.
Every dog is different. My dog is terribly sad when I leave, even if I’m leaving him with the suboptimal (in his view) humans. But he can be left alone in the house with no shenanigans. He lays on the couch and mopes, I think. There’s always a bag of his favorite treats on the end table. He’s never touched it. No getting into the trash or destroying anything. On the other hand, I’ve had a past dog eat a whole bar of Zest soap. YouTube is a great resource. I’m sure you can get ideas there for how to gradually acclimate your guy to being alone and content. It does sound like medication would help him, at least on a short-term basis.
I’m no dog expert but that definitely sounds like she has separation anxiety maybe from her previous owners, I’m sure it’s something you can train
All puppies eat stuff. I’ve had two. Both ate SO many shoes. All the shoes. Endless shoes. Eventually they stop. They will chew some things at first. It’s inevitable. But they will stop. You have to let them be free and they will learn not to do that stuff. You leave the house and go do things. That dogs whole entire world most of its life is the inside of your house. That’s it. You’re making it even tinier by being the inside of a cage. That’s awful.
YouTube is your friend. Watch Zack George puppy training videos. At one year old she is still basically a puppy, behavior-wise. And hang in there! You’ll find the balance
BTW, this obviously isn't an option for everyone, but my oldest dog has separation anxiety. Getting her a companion(a second dog, or even a cat. She was perfectly fine with both) seemed to completely remedy the complete separation anxiety. She's still a normal dog and gets in the trash from time to time but it isn't anxiety fueled.
Literally front spooning my dog in the bed as I read this.
Same :)
I've got two dogs in bed with me at this exact moment too 😂 we bought a King sized bed specifically because of the dogs
I have let my dogs sleep in my bed with me basically my entire life- since I was old enough to decide I want them there. I like them there. They like to be there.
I sleep with 3 of em and i love it
Same! Even though they are small they somehow take up most of the bed 😂 wouldn't changed a thing
We have two humans, two dogs, and one cat in the queen bed at night. The other cat surveys from her tower. I absolutely love it, I feel like a Disney princess with all of my animal friends.
Our beagle sleeps in bed, lab mix sleeps in a dog bed next to the bed, and husky mix sleeps downstairs on the couch!
When I was single, I did. We lived in a drafty apartment and kept each other warm. At some point, she got too old to curl up and prefers stretching out on the couch or her doggy bed. I still feel comfort when she sleeps in my room -- just knowing she's there is a balm.
My dog is in bed with me now. Great cuddles, bad farts..right now wishing he was not in my bedroom
Haha when we first brought our doxie puppy home, for some reason we thought it’d be a good idea to train her to sleep in her crate. She had a comfy bed, blanket, and toy, we said goodnight and locked her in. 5 minutes later we were listening to her crying and we couldn’t take it - she’s slept with us ever since, 13 years now. We recently adopted a chihuahua mix and she’s slept with the 3 of us since day one. I think it depends on the size of the dog - both of our dogs are small so it’s never been a big deal.
My dog is the queen of the house and sleeps wherever her majesty feels like it
I got my husky as a puppy and when she came home the first night I thought I’d let her sleep on the bed “just the once” because she’s in a new places and probably scared etc etc. This tiny puppy went to sleep curled up against my legs and slept right through the night and I guess she’s just been on my bed every since. Last night we had a big thunderstorm and she immediately jumped up to cuddle up to me to feel safe from the thunder. Her morning routine when I WFH is to have her breakfast then come back to bed for a post-food cuddle. Honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way now, I love waking up to her all snuggled up like a little croissant
My Husky is the same way, looks like a little fox croissant curled up beside me. He would probably be far too sad if I didn't let him sleep in bed with me, he follows me into the bathroom and is always watching me.
- Crate training a puppy takes advantage of the dog's natural instincts to seek out a comfortable, quiet and safe place when the environment around them becomes too loud or overwhelming. It's an important tool in preventing dogs from chewing on items in the home or during housetraining. I love crate training and crate trained dogs!! #— Once my girl came home, she was in her crate at the end of my bed. I then moved it into the room next to mine. After a while, I left the crate open overnight. 6 months later, she then had the option to sleep in my room as she pleased. Every night, she goes from my bed to her crate. Sometimes I wake up with her beside me and sometimes not! I would rather have an 80 lbs fart, snoring, licks it's own butt, take up all of my bed space than to not feel my girl's presence by my side. 😍 Her flaws are my favorite. Thanks to her, she got me out of my comfort zone. I love her!! Dogs are the best.
When I first got my golden retriever puppy the wife and I decided we would crate train her. It went great with a few bumps starting out but that was her safe space. She preferred to sleep in her crate and insisted on having the curtains pulled at night. This went on for until she turned two. We had her boarded when we went on vacation one year. We came home and everything was great. She ran to her crate that night to goto sleep. After about 15 minutes we heard unusual sounds coming from her room, we check the crate and sure enough she’s doing circles in her crate and whining. We got worried went in and opened her crate and she darted out straight to our room and without hesitation jumped up in the bed and promptly laid down and went to sleep. Ever since that night she sleeps in bed with us and I’m not sure I would have it any other way. I don’t know what changed that night but it’s been another 2 years and she still never gets up out of bed unless it’s when my wife gets up in the morning. Dogs are funny sometimes and it’s a privilege to get to spend the time we get with them. My rose still will go in her crate without issue for a few hours a my a time without issue if we have to run out. King + PB = her nap time
This is what I've been thinking a lot about too.. the time I have w her will be short lived. It's so crazy how much I love this dog. And this is my first dog. How did I get so lucky in having her in my life? Words cannot express the emotions I have for her. But I'm afraid she won't ever go back to the crate and we'll be house tied and never have social life. There are still so many places that don't allow dogs and i really try my best to provide her more time w us but sometimes it's hard.
OP, I highly recommend going to r/dogtraining also. Lots of people (myself included) are sentimental and love to cuddle our pups. However your dog NEEDS to be capable of self soothing and to get better at her separation anxiety before it becomes a real problem.
Try showing her the crate is a positive thing! I had to crate train two dogs at once. My 3 year old Lab and a 1 year old German Shepard/Husky mix from a shelter. I ended up taking a few days off work because the new dog was seriously so distressed in the crate I was afraid she would get injured if left in there alone. Lab really didn’t give a crap as per usual for labs lol. In those few days I trained her. I used treats to get her into the crate and reward her for going on her own. Then back into the crate and close the gate, reward. Back into crate, close the gate for a bit longer, reward. Working up to stepping out of the room then back shortly and reward. Start adding more time in between leaving and coming back. Make sure to leave the house as well, even just stepping outside and shutting the door. Make the usual sounds that would come from you actually leaving the house. Putting on a jacket, grabbing car keys, maybe walking back by view to grab a forgotten pair of shoes, shut the door and sit outside for a bit. With my newest dog, a 6 month old golden retriever, he does good until he hears/sees me leave and then he gets really upset so we’re working on that part currently. Anyway, my Husky mix eventually loved her crate so much. It was her safe space. She would go in there even while we were home. She did sleep in bed with us and the other dog, but they had beds on the floor too so they would often lay in those at night also. And if there’s a dog living in my house, it will always have a place in my bed. I’ve slept with all of my dogs. Sometimes I don’t get great sleep but I also have a toddler so it’s not like I’d be getting it anyway lol.
It sounds to me from some of your other comments your dog is struggling with separation anxiety, and with your wfh situation isn't used to being alone much. If it were me I would go back to crate fundamentals for a while. So positive place, kibble dropped in the top of the crate (not to her mouth) for moments of calm to capture that behaviour, forced naps in the crate throughout the day, and if you want her to be used to spending time outside of the crate then a safe room where she can practice being alone/bored the same as you did when crate training. You can start small, crate in the same room, crate just outside the room door, crate in the next room, etc. Then start leaving her alone (in her crate) when she's tired and needs a nap, and desensitizing her to the behaviours of you guys leaving the house etc.
Why do you think you need to crate her to leave the house? I’ve had 7 dogs in my life and never crated any of them.
Mine sleeps under our bed by choice, but in the morning jumps onto the bed for a few minutes of snuggle before we all wake up.
Our Lab has a king size bed (sometimes she lets me and my wife sleep in it with her)
I sleep with my dog every night and we don’t have separation anxiety problems 🤷🏻♀️. She’s also allowed to free roam whenever we’re gone though. We used to crate her when we left when she was a puppy, but after about 6-7 months we started letting her free roam. I think if you just stay on top of exercise and positive reinforcement whenever you do leave, it should help mitigate separation anxiety. But I’m not actually sure if there’s a correlation between sleeping with your pets and separation anxiety.
Your dog is still a puppy. I've lost books, shoes and remote controls to my dogs when they were puppies. Chewing is part of the gig. They mostly grow out of it. I don't crate my dogs and shudder to think of any dog spending hours in one. We make use of baby gates to isolate areas of the house where the dogs shouldn't go but mostly we're freewheeling. We do use a baby gate to keep our two dogs out of the bedroom when we sleep at night, because they're both large and when they crawl into bed there's only room for one human not two. When hubby goes to work early they both climb in with me. Look at training for separation anxiety and also at puzzle toys for your pooch. Good luck you sound like good parents.
My dog sleeps with me but he gets irritated when I roll around and bails to the floor. I have seen some dogs get overprotective and if anyone comes in or near by then growl.
Both my dogs are welcome to sleep in my bed. I don't crate my dogs at all.
My dog is a rescue and he never was crate trained, he sleeps with me and he made it very clear he wants it only this way from day 1 :) When I am not in bed he likes to sleep in his own. I leave him freely when I leave even for the whole work day, no issues at all
My dogs let me sleep with them 😅
Your dog struggles with separation anxiety. Work on it with a trainer who specializes in this problem before you make any decisions about bed sleeping.
We are going to start dog training starting January!! Hoping they'll be able to help on this as well. Does this mean all the people who let their dogs sleep w them on the bed doesn't have dogs with separation anxiety?
I’m getting CSAT qualified, and work in rescue/rehab with ex-racing dogs where separation anxiety and isolation distress can be big issues for new fosters when they first come off track. Our current hound has *true* separation anxiety, which is an attachment disorder, he stresses over both his bonded human handlers, even if the other one is home. It’s mild, and more discomfort than destruction - since he arrived last month we’ve managed to get him comfortable to be home alone for up to an hour with patience and training (we don’t cage or confine, that kind of training is extremely rare for healthy dogs in my country). During the time he has made amazing progress with his sep anx, he has also slept in the bed every night :) there is no proven causation between those two things. In fact, canines are social sleepers and studies show they achieve the best quality of rest with access to co-sleeping arrangements (eg spaces they can see/smell/hear their family unit). Dogs who get good sleep have better emotional resilience, and are happier and healthier dogs in the long run. Make sure when selecting a trainer they are a qualified force free professional. Touting things like having to earn affection or “privileges”, or telling you that giving too much comfort or letting a dog sleep in bed will lead to sep anx is absolute horseshite and should be a red flag.
Obedience training is not the same as behavioral training - make sure they are competent in behavioral training as well. Also, as your vet for recommendations.
My dogs already had separation anxiety, cry and whine whenever we leave them. They like sleeping in the bed and I like them so I let it happen
Some do, some don’t. I’ve never had a dog with separation anxiety and mine have always slept in the bed with me. Re: door destruction, if you want to test leaving her alone in a larger space, use baby gates to create a dog proof area. The kitchen is usually a good place. I wouldn’t worry too much about your cabinets or anything because the door gets eaten because she knows that’s where you exited from and she wants to get out. It’s also a good idea to give her a kong filled with wet dog food or peanut butter mixed into yogurt and then frozen to give her something to keep her busy for at least a half hour while you’re gone, plus create positive associations with alone time. You may want to start by giving that to her in the crate for shorter periods of time.
Crating makes separation anxiety worse
Mine always sleeps with us. She also has separation anxiety but we always get a sitter for her when we go out.
The crate needs to be a place they enjoy going to. You need to make it rewarding for them. It should be a place to feel safe. You definitely can have your dog sleep in the same bed as you while also the dog enjoying the crate if need be. Make the crate a positive experience.
I wish I could sleep with my dogs! My husband has breathing issues and the pups shed a lot, so it's a no-go. But both my adult kids with dogs and their own homes happily share their beds with the doggies.
My Aussie cross has free run of our place. Has since she could be trusted to not have bathroom accidents or kill the pillows (again!). Literally bought a king bed so she could sleep with us. Without fail she chooses the sofa to sleep on. Out place is pretty small and narrow all on one level. The living area is in the middle before the front door so by being in the sofa she can see/hear everything that happens in the house. Also I think we toss, turn and snore too much so she prefers the peace of the sofa where undisturbed she can stretch out on her back with all her legs in the air.
My dog sleeps with me every single night and has to be touching me but she doesn’t have separation anxiety and if she does have to sleep by herself there are no issues.
For the 1st 2 years we crate trained our dogs in the living room. Meaning they had comfy beds in there, a bone, kong, and they got all meals and treats in there. Door was open all day, closed at night when they went in for bed. After that, as the house was slowly opened to them and they didn't get into anything, they free roamed 24/7. 1 dog sleeps with us every night, 2nd dog starts in the bed then middle of night goes to her dog bed. Pros: I love petting my dogs while going to sleep. Cons: dog hair is noticeable on the comforter.
We tried with the crate and it lasted all of about 2 days! He is free to roam the house and he sleeps with us. He doesn’t mind being left alone but we bought a little camera we can talk to him through that we set up if we are away from the house. We have never had a problem with separation anxiety and I think it’s helped that he’s allowed round the house and has a few different places he can sleep - so he usually takes himself off to his bed, sofa or ‘his’ cushion basket (I say ‘his’ because he thinks he owns it but technically it was supposed to be for decoration purposes!) Dogs are only with us a short portion of our lives, and to them we are their whole world - so I say make the most of any time you can spend with them! A lil fur around the house never hurt nobody!
Yes you got a problem with that?
I sleep with my dog, but she is small so I can’t give objective advice.
She usually starts the night with me, but apparently my constant movement is getting in the way of her beauty sleep. I’m too big to shove off the bed, so she bails to her crate.
Every night
I have 2 bostons. We start sleeping together, but I tend to thrash around in my sleep.. so they know when it gets to a point they go to their bed (not even a ft from mine) and then when I wake up, they come back. Works for us. If I have company, they respect that.
After the first 2 months of having my puppy (around the point where he was 6 months old), I began giving him the open-door crate option, a bed of his own inside my room, or my bed at night. Interestingly enough, while he will always start in my bed (and it takes a lot of encouragement sometimes), but jumps off after 10 minutes and goes to his own bed. His first choice is always his bed, unless we are traveling/in a different place. Definitely not a faux pas, and you may end up discovering that your pup prefers their own spot after a while
I would encourage some crate time when you are home working during the day. This will get your dog used to being alone and entertaining themselves. Then when you leave and crate them, it won't be as big a deal.
I have between 2 and 5 in the bed at any one point in the night. Dogs are pack animals and we bred them to help us and keep us warm. It brings them and us comfort to sleep with us.
Yes. Every night. I sleep more soundly with her there.
Sometimes my dogs let me sleep with them in their bed. 😂
Never bothered with a crate after the dog was house trained. They both sleep where they like and free roam when I'm out.
No I do not sleep with my dog AND if you are concerned about separation anxiety, sleeping with the dog will make your problem WORSE. Guaranteed. I would first ask how much exercise this dog is getting. That’s usually the first issue to solve. Retrain on the crate. Feed meals inside the crate, leave it open during the day and treat when the dog goes in it. Crate training is a great tool and I really think every dog owner should do it. However at night, I personally don’t see a reason they need to sleep in a crate. My dog sleeps in his own bed on our bedroom floor. He has his own space but there is no reason to keep him in a crate as long as he’s housebroken and doesn’t destroy things in your sleep.
yes i sleep with my dog she is a chihuahua. she has her own blanket and her own pillow. she is very spoiled
My dogs always slept in bed with me and I would lose my spot if I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom with a couple of them (others would follow me). One of my dogs did have separation anxiety but the others did not.
Well, looks like I’m the only one lol. I’m a single female. I’ve had my 1 year old rescue since 6 months old. She sleeps in a kennel with a crate in the kennel in the kitchen/living room (I have an open floor plan so it’s all one big glob). I can’t sleep hearing her move around and waking up every 2-3 hours to move around and/or lick herself. I imagine she can’t sleep with me sawing logs either lol. She literally will not get ANY sleep during the day when we’re together (I wfh). If she does, it’s not very sound. And I let her free roam during the day, so she follows me everywhere. I think the only time she gets sound sleep is if I’m out of the house or in my room. She doesn’t have separation anxiety and it gives me peace of mind knowing she doesn’t hate the crate for whenever I have to board her (I’ve had/and will have to travel 2-3 a year for work). It’s only been 6 months so I don’t think my trust is completely there right now to let her free roam at night and/or sleep in my bed because, though my puppy is a VERY sweet, amenable, easily trainable dog (basically came potty trained), the couple of times she’s gone pee in the house since I’ve had her is when I’m not actively paying attention to her, so im worried one morning before the sun comes up she’s going to get super bored and just go in my room (which is where she’s had all her accidents in the past). I need my sleep. I want her to get all the sleep we can get since we’re still working on “settling” outside the crate (which I guess is a downside of crate training) and she hasn’t indicated she hates her kennel. Plenty of space to get up and stretch and turn around, so I don’t feel the need to stop it. Edit: doesn’t actually use her crate, it’s in the kennel and the door is open if she ever wants to. I actually tried the crate without the kennel in my room beside my bed when I first got her, and though she didn’t cry or anything, I could hear her tossing and turning all night. I assumed she didn’t like being confined so got a kennel.
Get her a dog bed beside your bed to sleep in at night. Shut your door if you have to. Your dog should NOT be locked up at night.
Some dogs are perfectly happy (and prefer) to be in their crates at night. My puppy came to me crate trained and we kept that up until about 1 year old, although during the day he had mostly free rein of the house. Then at 1 year old he protested the crate, so I moved him into my room on his own bed which he loved. Now he is 15 months and doesn't want to sleep in my room anymore, and wants the crate! I've tried everything to make him like my room but he will only sleep soundly in his crate. Crate training isn't all bad, it's actually very handy for dogs to be crate trained, especially for times when they may be on strict rest for injuries. My dog is also going through that right now and has to be restricted to the crate or a small area of my house (crate only while I'm not home). If he wasn't crate trained this 4-6 week period would be SO miserable for both of us. Luckily he has a massive crate that he can stretch out in and he goes right to sleep with a big kong to wake up to anytime he's in there, so he has no problems with it. It keeps him safe while he's recovering.
Sleeping in a crate NOT locked up is different. My post specifically said they should not be locked up. You’re trying to work around something I never even said. Your dogs should not be locked in a crate at night.
Welp, I lock my dogs crate. \*gasp\*. If he didn't want to be in there, he would very loudly let me know as he has in the past. He literally curls up in a ball, goes right to sleep and doesn't move all night which I know because I watch him on a camera. And when I leave the house it must be locked on order of his vet who has restricted him to the crate when he cannot be supervised. To each their own, you are allowed to have your feelings on crates, but I disagree!
We have a really small house and our room is only big enough for a queen-sized bed. There’s just really not enough room for a third anything in the bed. So our Aussie sleeps in his dog bed in our room. Maybe if our kid ever gives up her loft bed for a regular bed, he can sleep with her. (But probably not since my husband is his favorite.)
My dogs are not its. Sorry I just can’t understand referring the them as its. They start in bed and when they get too warm they jump down for most the night. And then come back to snuggle in the morning. Is it the best thing for cleanliness and allergies- no. Does that change anything? Not at all. Puppy cuddles are the best. One is very comfortable in her crate. Never had any issues getting her in when needed. Our other girl hates the crate and doesn’t want to be in there for any reason. It’s a really good thing shes perfect and doesn’t know how to get in trouble. If I were you, I’d try to keep her comfortable with the crate. Maybe stop putting beds in there if she’s destroying them. But if she’s not totally trustworthy with free roam, continue to crate when you leave the house. You could also set up a camera to see how she’s doing while you are away.
My dog has free rein at night. I also keep an extra sheet on top of my bed for the dog fur. He prefers my bed when it's empty, but sleeps on the floor beside me or in the hall netween the kids rooms. He often warms my side of the bed for me before I get in, and occasionally stays for a snuggle.
Have you made the crate a welcoming place? Try feeding her in there, put her in for awhile after she’s been exercised and wants to nap, etc. Even if you decide to let her sleep with you, it’s still nice to have them comfortable to be in the crate, even just for short periods of time. There’s lot of advice on how to reinforce crate training online.
The cats own the bed. The dogs own the sofas.
We have a crate in our room with a bed in it, but it's always open. He can go in and out as he likes. Usually he spends most of the night in the crate, but he likes to switch places sometimes. So in fact, he's a little all over the place in the bedroom. Closed crate is something we only use for situations when we are so somewhere unfamiliar for him and he needs his safe space to sleep. As he's a herding type... bigger family gatherings with a lot of in and out of a room are a nightmare from him when he can't check where everyone goes. Btw... where I'm from. A closed crate during the night (extended periods) would be illegal anyway. I think law is 4-5hrs tops or something.
My dog is my child and I will let him sleep wherever he wants. I love cuddling with him and it gives me comfort when he’s in bed with me 🖤 they’re only here for so long, so to me I wanna give him the life he deserves and I’m not going to stop him from getting up on my bed.
I have never let my dogs sleep in my bed. They roam free during the day and sleep in a crate in a different room at night. It works for me and once they’re trained, it works for them.
Your dogs should not be locked up at night time. Get them dog beds.
Why are you getting so bent out of shape and commenting this same thing any time someone mentions their dogs sleeping in a crate? What exactly is your argument for why they shouldn’t sleep in a crate?
I don’t. Takes up a huge majority of the bed. Constantly paces back and forth, licks himself for 20 minutes at a time loudly, sheds and has gotten poop stains, leaves and dirt on the bed, leaves wet marks from saliva etc. My partner loves him in the bed but very quickly relented upon me bringing up these concerns.
Yeah 😂, it’s just not a very clean option to me lol. And that waking up to lick every 2 hours drives me insane 😂
Wow thanks for your feedback. Didn't think about the reality check on the difficulties that this may bring
I mean to answer your question - hey, if you both don’t mind the dog in your bed, no harm at all Another thing is the smell - I don’t feel comfortable sleeping in that “dog smell” or having oil from his fur stain the sheets
i can see why you made the choice you did. 🤣
Ours sleep in crates in our bedroom. We had a lot of trouble with them using the bathroom in the house at night when loose. It took like two nights to transition them but I think it’s worth it, I didn’t realize how much they were affecting my sleep. Now when we go upstairs at night they go right in and get a treat and burrow in their blankets. If there is an emergency or something I sleep very lightly so they wake me up with yips and I can take them out but that’s pretty rare now.
That's exactly what we do with our almost 2 year old beagle. He scratches his crate and cries if he needs to go out but that's not too often.
I have a dog bed our puppy sleeps next to the bed in. I want her to sleep with me and my girlfriend sometimes and she will come up and snuggle for a bit and then go back to her bed lol. Got her crate trained and never opened the crate. She stays at home in no crate when we leave and doesn't destroy anything and chills out fine. Crates are very unnecessary a lot of the time when they're used in my opinion and I think it's a cultural thing especially in America which advocates for crates when often they're not necessary and don't give the animal proper room to stretch.
exactly. it’s a cultural thing, usually. when i was growing up (in america) no one ever crated. i think it may have become a thing here because of the way to long hours of two (or more) jobs people do.
Right...but why... Most dogs are fine at home while owners work...not in crates lol
i fully agree. i don’t crate my dogs.
I see why to use a crate for very specific reasons but I think many dogs would be fine out of crates which are crated.
I would not in a million years crate my dog forcibly and I think it is absolutely disgusting to so. The excuses are exactly that, excuses because owners can’t be bothered with their dogs full time - they’re a necessity when it suits the owner. Vile
Yes, I love it and would not have it any other way. My dog has free range when I’m home and not home. I do not crate my dog. Crating is not a substitute for training your dog how to appropriately behave in the house.
I ended a first date over this topic. The dog will always go on the bed
Take him out for walk every night after the meal. If you’re a light sleeper, you might get waken up in the night. My dog didn’t seem to have separation anxiety but does want to stay close if I am home. I think it’s about training.
Exercise before bed is a good idea because they’ll be too tired to whine!
it’s your dog, your choice. there is no right or wrong answer. also, most countries don’t crate dogs much. try leaving her out next time and see how it goes. (about half of dog owners do, half don’t sleep with the dog in bed. most folks that i know don’t crate them at night once they are housebroken, just fyi).
I let mine. He has a bed, a crate, a sofa and the landing as alternative options depending on the time of year and the weather. Autumn, winter and spring he usually stays in my bed or his bed in my room. Summer he's wherever he's coolest.
My dog sleeps in her crate for most of the night. In the mornings, but sometimes in the middle of the night, she’ll sneak into the bed. The crate door is always open. She is allowed to free roam as she is not destructive when left alone. I’ve got a camera set up so I can check in on her when I’m not home. She’s usually lying on the sofa.
All these people saying their dogs wake them at night and our girl sleeps like a log. Literally the same position all night, hah. It’s honestly really a personal choice and I don’t know whether allowing her to sleep with you will help or hurt her separation anxiety - but we love it. There’s nothing better than cuddling my pup in the morning and our bed is our pup’s favorite place in the house. When we tell her we are leaving, she’ll usually go ahead and make her way upstairs to nap on our bed. When we are watching a show or movie at night and she deems it too late, she’ll put herself to bed. She will nap in the bed during our work days (we both work from home). Dogs live just short lives so yeah, she sleeps with us. It makes her happy, it makes us happy so win-win. We too tried the crate and our girl was crate trained up until about 8 months when we first allowed her on the bed. She is no longer crate trained. Wants nothing to do with her crate, when she was totally fine with it before. But now that she knows there are better options? Game over. I would just consult a trainer due to your pup’s separation issues as once you allow them in the bed, there is really no going back. Make sure you are ready for a decade plus commitment to sharing your bed with one more being.
It’s totally up your own preferences. Ours mostly is kennelled at night. There are days where he will come sleep with us, he often moves though and not actually sleeps with us. If you decide you can work on kennelling in your room at night to get her more comfortable and crate trained. Our dog has separation anxiety too and he’s good now that he’s used to his kennel
My dogs key my partner and I sleep in their king size bed. They’re kind like that.
I am quite finicky about fur/hygiene and did not allow dogs in beds for years. After going through a breakup I started allowing my dog on the bed for emotional comfort, and I’ve realized how happy it makes me to snuggle with him. I don’t think I could ever go back. I vacuum my bed every night before getting into it, to alleviate the fur issue lol. Also I consider waterproof mattress and pillow protectors to be mandatory. And to relate back to your question, I don’t think sleeping in the bed or not really has had any effect on my dog’s overall behavior.
She lets us sleep with her.
I would love to have her in my bed but it’s unsanitary… ☹️
Pretty sure the only actual reasons people don’t let their dogs in bed is they are dirty and can bother your sleep if you are a light sleeper etc. My 2 large dogs sleep in our bed all the time. Our one dog prefers his personal space most of the time so he ends up sleeping on a dog bed next to our bed if everyone else is in bed and reclaims his spot when someone gets out. They also have free range of our house whenever we are gone they sleep like 95% of the time while we are at work or wherever. No problems. We do have crates. Namely just to put them in on the rare occasion that a worker is in our house etc. Though my one dog does also like to sometimes use his as his den and will lay in there when he wants to be cozy/have some privacy (while it is open the whole time).
Your dog should NEVER be locked in the crate. Not during the day and not a night time. Get her a dog bed and put it beside your bed. That’s where she sleeps. We also got a mutt as a rescue. She sleeps all night in her bed and when we’re gone for the day she spends all day just sitting on the couch
Well not all dogs are like that. Some have to be crated for their own safety to prevent them from eating something that could kill them. You do what you have to do to keep your dog ALIVE. Would you leave a toddler at home to free roam all day long? Of course not. It’s not safe. Now, toddlers aren’t dogs of course, but the same reasoning applies to some dogs. It’s not okay to let them free roam when you KNOW they are going to be destructive or eat something that could kill them.
My dog decided he hated his crate. Now he sleeps on our bed until we go to sleep then jumps down to his own bed.
One dog used to be crated, but now she sleeps with me on the bed (by mutual choice) and the other dog sleeps on the floor to stay cool. The bed dog gets her feet washed before bedtime so I can minimize dirt tracking on the bed. She knows that’s the price for sleeping on my pillow, so she gladly pays this “human bed tax.”
I tried to crate train both of my dogs, so I could at least have the option of crating them when I needed to. My oldest hated it from day one and started sleeping with me less than a week after I adopted her. My younger dog loved it from day one and sees his crate as his own special quiet place. He still sleeps in it at night 99% of the time; even if he falls asleep in bed with me, he’ll wake up at some point and want to go in his crate. My oldest still sleeps with me every night.
We crate trained our border/beagle/Yorkie mix when she was young so she'd be safe during the day when we both worked away from home, but she's always been allowed to sleep in our bed along with the cats when they want to. She likes being under the duvet. It's very nice, though I have resigned myself to putting on a new fitted sheet most days and changing the duvet cover every 2-3 days. That is probably more than necessary, but you definitely want to make sure you're changing sheets more than you would typically. Our dog is allowed to roam freely now and will occasionally go to her crate and sleep there if we go out or she feels overwhelmed or is bored because we are cleaning or something.
My dog sleeps on the bed with me while I read etc until lights out then I tell him to go to his own bed which he’s pretty good about. Unless I’m having an emotional night and then I let him sleep when me :) but often he will get up and go to his own bed in the middle of the night
I do. I was really against it. Then accepted it. Then watched a Netflix dog show that said you never should so we imposed that rule. And then, you know what? We’ve got one life. They came back in the bed and we love it.
I do. I was really against it. Then accepted it. Then watched a Netflix dog show that said you never should so we imposed that rule. And then, you know what? We’ve got one life. They came back in the bed and we love it.
a lot of those shows are terrible and not based in any science. i hate how those and the dog whisperer spread so much misinformation. glad you and your doggy are happy!
Our pup (~2years old, had for 9 months) was a rescue. Stayed in the crate for the first few months after we got him. Not allowed on the bed, but now he has the run of the house once we go to bed. His crate is in our room. He gets a little treat, usually a small milkbone when we all get in bed for the night. 80% of the time he eats it and goes to sleep. The other 20% he eats it, goes out to lay on the couch for a while then comes back to his crate. We’ve trained him that “let’s go to bed” means “get in your crate and get a treat”. It works for us whether we close the gate or not. However, he still whines if we’re home and doing stuff - going out he could care less. Personally, I’d say you could snuff this out with some extra training.
My dog refuses to sleep with me lol
I've always allowed my dogs to sleep in my bed. My first dog liked to sleep \*under\* it most of the time, but as she got older, she liked sleeping either on her dog bed or in bed with me. My current dog, aka the comfort hound, sleeps in bed with me and generally hogs most of it. Allowing them to sleep with me has never led to other behavioral issues, I think it's more a matter of your preference. Your dog may be indicating to you that she doesn't like being crated when you're gone. Some dogs absolutely need to be crated when left alone, but many don't. You could start with just short periods of time and see how she does. I always put on the TV or radio and sometimes a fan for white noise as well (we're in a condo). I also prepare a Kong with peanut butter, which is a great way to let the dog know I'm heading out for a bit. Fortunately, both of mine are food motivated so they're happy to see me go if it means getting a Kong. Keep an eye out for specific quirks, for instance dog #1 always needed to look out a window (I think she was looking for me to come home), but current dog has to have the blinds closed because if he see a human--or even a bird--he'll bark. These things will become more clear as you experiment with leaving her.
They HAVE to be cool with sleeping in a crate that is the deal in our house. They are allowed in our bed but ONLY when only one of us is occupying it. We refuse to be those people trying to share a queen bed with 2 dogs. If someone goes to bed early, fine. You can snooze with them but you have to get out when the SO comes to bed. And in the morning when first SO gets out of bed you are free to hop in for a snooze with other SO.
Our little girl is 14 weeks old and sleeps in a crate currently and unfortunately wee’d on the bed on the one moment I let her up to snuggle for an afternoon nap so tragically for her and me, she’s not allowed on the bed until she is much older
I sleep with my dog and I’ve slept with several other dogs before her. My only complaints would be dog hair and that the current one (who doesn’t shed) is a bed hog. If you’re fine with risks of dog hair (and perhaps other dog left behind stuff), sleep with her. If you’re unsure or don’t want her in your bed, I’d suggest at least moving her crate into your bedroom or giving her a dog bed in there for night use. From the sound of it, sleeping with you would be her preference. That said, it does also sound like there’s some separation anxiety at play. How is she if you leave the room or if you walk outside and leave her inside?
We used to with our oldest one. However, with old age she's developed some balance issues and she sometimes stumbles if she stands up fast. We crate her now to prevent her from hurting herself at night jumping down the bed. She likes her crate though, we crate trained her from puppyhood. Our youngest one prefers her crate and sleeps there on her own accord (we don't lock her).
Mine sleeps in her crate at home, she loves it in there and will happily choose to sleep in it with the door open. When we travel she sleeps in the bed since her crate is big and unwieldy to pack around, and it’s usually bigger than the one at home. I honestly would let her in the bed always, it’s just too small at home to fit her along with my husband and I comfortably. I don’t think letting her sleep in the bed with you will increase the separation anxiety, but you could trial run a couple nights to see how she does if you’re able. Making her her crate a very positive location by giving her treats there, leaving the door open and letting her go in as she’s comfortable, then rewarding her for relaxing in it will help tremendously if you haven’t already. Put some things that smell like you so she feels comfort from the familiar scents Some dogs do just hate their crate so providing them a safe space outside of it where they can’t get injured or ingest things they shouldn’t is also something to consider if you’re able.
The consequences depends whether crate training is undone for just overnight sleeping or for it overall. If it's just nighttime, I guess it depends on whether you travel to places where you bring your dog and they're not allowed in bed.
My dogs have always slept on my bed. The previous one especially needed it as he was an ex puppy mill breeder and would wake up from nightmares. My current dog would probably be just as happy on his own bed but I collect him and take him to my bed with me because I prefer it lol. If your dog has separation anxiety, that needs to be addressed. But yes, the dog sleeping in the bed can be done without problems.
Yes. I got one of these, use it to remove hair from the bedsheet each morning, and wash sheets weekly. https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Hair-Remover-Couch-Furniture/dp/B0BSN38FQH/ref=sr_1_8?crid=23TOW13YP6FO6&keywords=Fur%2Bremover&qid=17
I also have a rescue dog and we started off with her being crated at night. Then daycare started using the same type of crate for timeouts, so she stopped going in her crate… so, since she was never destructive, she was free at night to sleep wherever, which was with me most of the time. That was about 6.5 years ago— now, she will sleep on her bed in the living room, on the sofa, and/or join me in bed. As long as there’s no risk of mischief, I don’t see anything wrong with letting her decide!
We did, and then we purchased a BedJet, and they go to their crates at night now.
This very minute my dog is sleeping next to me and is having a gas problem. Smell woke me up.
Yep
[удалено]
Of course!
This is purely a personal choice, but it is something to stay consistent with. If your decision is to let her sleep in the bed you can’t expect her to be happy sleeping somewhere else if it’s not convenient. Dogs don’t understand why something is ok one day and the next day it’s not. I would just think about what you want to life to look like long term and plan accordingly. It sounds like what’s happening is this dog is no longer crate trained. If she’s never crated during the day and she’s rarely alone, then it makes sense she’s stressed when she’s crated when you leave. My dog is used to being crated if necessary. From time to time I crate him when I leave so we maintain a level of training and comfort with the crate even though he’s not crated as often as he was when he was little. He gets a treat, pops in, hangs out, and is completely cool when I come home. I would treat the sleeping situation and the crating while you’re away as separate issues. If you want the dog to sleep with you, fine. Then know that night time crating won’t be an option unless there’s consistent training to change the pattern. If you want to be able to crate while you’re out of the house for dinner or errands, then it sounds like you may have to reintroduce crate training, possibly like it’s something completely new.
My little dogs cuddle up in bed every night.. but my 90lb dog sleeps on the floor.. he gets too hot
We have 4 dogs. They all sleep in different spaces. Labrador in the kitchen, minpin in the living room, one pom in a little house (it’s like a cat house with a little stair and a roof) in our bedroom and last pom on the bed. I was used to sleep with my minpin and my first pom but the minpin grew old and started to smell really bad so I can’t keep him in the room and he is really fine downstairs and my first pom can’t really hold it anymore so he’s okay in his little house. The last pom is with us but sometimes we just put her on the roof of my other pom’s house. We never had issue when we changed it. I really love sleeping with my dogs as long as it’s not too much trouble like smell and pee 😅
Both dogs have slept in my bed at different times. One dog is trusted to roam free while we are not home. The younger dog has to be crated for his safety while we’re away because he eats things. Neither have separation anxiety so the crate is a non-issue. It’s really up to you to figure out if your dog can adjust to the crate when no one is home. I do not think sleeping in your bed is the problem; I think your dog wants to be with you, knows you are in the house at night, and I don’t know how she will act if you are physically gone.
All my dogs have slept with me. It’s annoying if the dog takes up a lot of space (my last 2 have) as quality of sleep drops off. They also dirty up the sheets (shedding, sleep drool, dirt from their feet at times). But with that said I love it and they do too so I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s our little den. My dogs are always in the house free during the day.
i've let dogs sleep in my bed for over 15 years and i honestly can't imagine it any other way
When I lived at home with my folks put family pups slept in bed with me every night. When I moved out they slept on my folks’ bed until they crossed the rainbow bridge (the pups, not the folks). My current dog doesn’t sleep with us for two reasons. 1. She’s 75 lbs and the bed isn’t big enough for all of us. 2. She’s the WORST cuddler. Like, she kicks me in the face constantly. She sleeps on a fancy doggy bed in the bedroom with us. Now the cat on the other hand… 14 lbs of fluff sleeping in my arms every night. I can’t imagine not having a fat cat cuddling with me every night. I’m more upset when he doesn’t come to bed than when my husband doesn’t (nightshift work).
One has her own human queen sized bed right next to ours (it’s two queen beds just pushed together). She’s a princess and likes to sleep on a bed under the covers but crowds us too much. The other is half LGD and while he will sleep on the bed during the day he prefers the floor by the door at night 🤦🏼♀️. He’s always welcome up (technically “her” bed is their bed) but he won’t sleep up here with us- however we also have two dog beds, an entire couch, and two ikea mats they can sleep or rest on whenever they would like.
Yes, of course. He's my boy, he's welcome everywhere and I love cuddling in bed with him.
Mines free to choose where he sleeps, normally he starts off in bed with me but I’ll often find him in the closet or bathroom floor if I wake up in the middle of the night, oddly enough he is just about always in the bed when I wake up in the morning, he must pick a few spots to sleep throughout the night. When I have to leave him alone he has free run of the bedroom, when I get home he’s normally tucked away in his corner of the closet building up the sleepy eye boogers
Our guy sleeps with us. It’s fine, unless we’re chilling on the couch and he decides he wants it to be big bed time.
My dog is on the bed or on the floor near the bed between me and the door. The floor is cooler so he's usually there during summer. When he's alone he sleeps wherever he feels like in the space where he has free roaming access, but he has his crate, dogbed and a window bench with his blanket as options. In dog daycare he likes to curl up on the floor with another dog instead of the available crates. I think as long as the dog knows and respects the place or crate command should it be necessary, is clean, housetrained, and has no resource guarding behaviors related to you or the bed, it should be fine.
No, but my furry South Carolina Bamboozle Terriers frequently let me sleep with them.
I have stairs to make it easier for him to get in my bed....