When we brought our first puppy home we had intentions of having Dallas sleep on the floor in our bedroom. We started off great! We bought a puppy play pen just like this one.
We would allow Dallas in our bed for a snuggle while we watched some tv and when it was time for sleep, we would put her in her bed that was inside the playpen. It worked great…until she figured out that she is a little bulldozer not a bulldog and would stand up against the wall and knock it over. Plan B, we added a homemade gate that blocked off her bed in the corner of the room. This worked until we got our second puppy and she figured out that if you whine at mom at 3 am she will let you in bed for a snuggle. I’m a sucker and I love sleep…what are you gonna do?! Long story short and another puppy thrown in the mix and it’s fair to say it’s the dogs bed and they just allow us to sleep in it.
We completely take full ownership of this. We completely let this happen. As cuddly as they are in bed and how toasty they keep us in the winter, having dogs sleep with you in your bed does come with its drawbacks. The following are some of the reasons why you might want to rethink having your bully in bed with you.
- they do not respect personal space – we recently purchased a king size bed and I still sleep on the very edge of the bed with zero blanket most nights
- dogs can be gross – ok…maybe I shouldn’t admit this but yes…I have found a crusty butt nugget or two in our sheets
- damper on sexy time – I think the pups get more smooches than my husband I give each other. We have to make a point of kicking them out of the room if we feel romantic. It is funny…first we had a hard time kicking the kids out of our bed; now the dogs!
- the snoring…oh the snoring – need I say more. We have had to bust out the ear plugs some nights
- once you’ve let them in, it’s impossible to get rid of them – you really need to stick to your guns!
I honestly don’t have the answer. As you can see, my husband and I are suckers for our doggy snuggles. I might have listed a lot of cons to having them sleep with us but I have to admit that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I live for Daisy’s morning hugs and face washes or how Luna forces herself under the blankets to be my little spoon.
Whatever you decide, make the decision early and stick to it. Dogs are creatures of habit and once that habit is established you are going to have a heck of a time breaking that habit.
I would love to hear your opinions. What do you do in your home?
La Jolie Frenchie 