# Is it bad to have her cuddle/sleep in my lap



## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Since we brought Ruby home, she constantly wants to be in our lap. It just seems the only time she is really relaxed is if she is on us or touching us. I keep putting her in her crate when she does this to relax and she falls right asleep with the door open . I love that she cuddles with us and allow her to do it but is this setting myself up for bad behavior. She turns 9 weeks on friday and this is only her first week away from her littermates and Mom. I don't want to be so cruel to her and give her confusing messages.

Also, after a full night in the crate, I let her lay on me for a bit (after potty) and before breakfast. She is so exhausted since we take her out a few times at night for potty. I love our little bonding time in the morning. I know the rule is don't let your puppy do anything a 40-50lb dog would do but not sure where to draw the line.

Sorry for the questions - I have never owned a dog and my husband had a Vizsla as a family pet and doesn't know or remember all of this.


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## jakersmomma (Jan 3, 2010)

I'm glad that you like having her in your lap because that's where she will be from now till forever!! Jake is 54 lbs and sits in my lap all the time! I heard a trainer tell me at the dog shows, the other handlers laugh because all the Vizslas will be in their owners laps. They are cuddlers and lovers all the way. I've never had a dog be so affectionate.......although they aren't "dogs" they are Vizslas It sounds like you are doing everything right, as long as you don't mind.


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## Mercutio (Jan 18, 2010)

I think you're lucky - Merc was at least 6 months before he slowed down long enough for me to cuddle! 

I started out saying that pets were animals and the cat would NOT be allowed on the bed and the dog would stay on his own bed and NOT get on any furniture. Well the dog is currently curled up on the couch next to me and the cat licks me on the nose when she wants to get under the covers in bed....

It's up to you guys really where you want the boundaries to be. she will probably still want to be on your lap when she is grown but as long as she continues to sleep in her crate as well and as she gets older you teach her that cuddles happen when you say, not just whenever she wants, I think it's ok. Personally I don't think younwill ruin her or that you are necessarily letting her "be the boss" but that's just my opinion (and plenty of my friends roll their eyes when they see me let the dog on the couch or on my lap but it's my dog and my house  )


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks for the responses. I don't mind at all having my little velcro dog on me at all times. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't messing anything up for crate training. I thought I was supposed to get her to relax and go in her crate and not relax on me. I work from home all day so I have her go in her crate and hour here and there throughout the day and sometimes I let her just sleep on the floor. She is getting better at night - only crying for 15-20 minutes now instead of a couple of hours. She goes in at 10:00pm -5am with a potty break at 2am. 

Just worried that all of the lap time will backfire and make her not wanting to go in the crate to sleep.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Like Merc said, you need to decide where the boundaries are going to be, and then be prepared for those boundaries to go out the window soon after ;D

I don't think there is anything wrong with letting Ruby do this, as long as you're comfortable with the fact that she will probably want to do it when she is fully grown. As for crate training, I would not worry about it... Kobi rarely goes in his crate on his own and lots of times he finds better options for sleeping (the bean bag, my bed) so he only goes in the crate when he must.


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## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

Ruby,
That pic in your avatar is so adorable. I don't think it is an issue with her sleeping in your lap versus her crate. Holley only goes into her crate when she has to as well. She loves to lay on the couch with us or on her bed on the floor. I wish she still loved to cuddle up on us as much as she used to. She is now 8 months old today and she is a bit more independent at times when it comes to where she naps. If the sun is coming through the windows, she forgets all about us to go lay on her bed in it.


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## Kasey71209 (Oct 6, 2009)

Kasey's always been a cuddler..i love it though!  ..I was worried too that I babied him to much when he was tiny about letting him up on the bed to sleep with me in the mornings but how can you say no to those big floppy ears ! As he got older though he was taught that he had to be invited up and not just jump up on his own...he still forgets at times and comes flying onto the bed in the mornings but that's normally after he's already been invited up and gotten down to go roam around. It's hilarious to now finally see the difference between the dog wanting to come up on the bed because it's more comfortable than their bed and the difference between actually just wanting to be near you. Riley loves to be on the bed and cuddle but I think she loves the bed more than us lol..Kasey could care less about the bed would lay on concrete all night long just to be able to cuddle with you


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## sarahaf (Aug 17, 2009)

Much better to err on the side of more cuddling. To get scientific about it (not that we need to, of course cuddling doesn't have to have science behind it)...extrapolating just a bit from research data on the effects of early body contact on later reactivity to stress across species, it's possible that more cuddling in puppyhood may actually have a lifelong impact on the dog's well-being! http://www.umich.edu/~vazquezd/Stress-HPA.htm Quoting from the webpage: "Simply being touched and held during the first few years of childhood may set up positive stress-response patterns that last a lifetime." It's certainly intuitive that it would be a good thing for your bond with her.


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