# Help!! Sharing our marital bed with 2 Vizsla puppies



## hannahdennison (Aug 10, 2015)

Hello - 
So happy to find this forum! Draco and Athena are siblings and now 7 months old. We had a lot of sleeping issues - wailing, whining, hysterics, hated the crate etc plus being siblings, they would egg each other on. Neighbors complained a lot. We were desperately sleep-deprived, too. In the end, we brought them into our bed at 6 months old. Of course, they sleep like babies now and we love snuggling - BUT they are getting really big. In fact, they spread out so much that my husband and I have to take it in turns to sleep in our bed with them - there is not room for two adults and eight legs - especially when you get a paw in the eye in the middle of the night. We know we have made a mistake in encouraging them to be in bed with us and we also know that we have to do something about it. Any suggestions on how to break this habit for all of us?


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Well, I have always slept with mine, so I'm not going to encourage you to do otherwise. They're pack animals... and Vizslas!... so they like to be close.

I'd treat this like any other behavior you need to train, so when they poke you, say "OWW!" very loudly. They are sensitive enough and eager to please enough that they'll get it soon enough. Ditto if they take over the prime bed parts. Let them know you are unhappy and they'll catch on.

If you cannot tolerate them in the bed..and I know many cannot...let them sleep together. That way they get that bonding thing they need with each other, and not you.


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

I would suggest getting a couple of big comfy dog beds that you can put on the floor beside your bed. They may share, but putting two together will give them lots of room if they want it. That way, your pups are still nice and close to you and you get your bed back. 

You can teach them to sleep there at night, and teach a command for when they can join you, such as for morning cuddles.


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## hannahdennison (Aug 10, 2015)

Great! Thank you so much. You echoed a couple we bumped into out hiking today - they had a pair of Vizslas and we asked the same question. They suggested Cozy Cave dog beds. We'll try it! Fingers crossed!


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

We have two cozy cave beds in our bedroom. They seem to like them a lot, when the weather is hot they sleep on top of them.

We've never slept with our dogs (the only household rule we have ever stuck with) but if one of us is in bed ill they somehow seem to find their way in


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## Copperboy426 (Sep 7, 2014)

The cozy cave was a big time game changer for me. Highly recommend.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Cozy caves are great...but recall these are Vizlsas and they'll not see them as a substitute for sleeping with you!..that particular horse has already left the barn. I think you'll need to put them in another room with these at night, I'd be very surprised if they stay in them all night in your bedroom!


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## HannahD (Jul 23, 2015)

Thank you so much for all your suggestions on our plight! I'm afraid ... as you mentioned ... that ship has sailed - but we'll keep trying. We had no luck with crates either - the longest either will stay in a crate is an hour and a half (with a kong). It's fine if I am in the room working - then they both nap - but they have to see me there. We really tried crating them when they first arrived at 8 weeks old but Athena's high-pitched hysterical wailing almost brought around animal control - apparently one of our neighbors thought she was being tortured....


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Some battles aren't worth the fight, especially when you're taking away something that just feels so instinctually good.

FWIW, I personally think that the bonding time when you guys sleep together is worth it, aside from the comfort factor for all, a Vizsla that feels truly loved and understood..its an instinct for them to be close and not want to sleep without the leader...will do absolutely anything for its person. And this is purely anecdotal...just my own experience...but the folks who have the most problems with their dogs also have been the ones who don't sleep with them.

I really think the solution here is to view the sleeping arrangement, since its already established, as an opportunity to train them to be good sleepers and sharers rather than try to put the toothpaste back in the tube by hoping you can get them out of the bed.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

After Cash was crate trained he got to sleep in my bed. Cash left for training, and I brought home a new puppy,June. My husband promptly let her sleep in the bed, as he missed Cash. I still worked on crate training with her during the day. Not long after my daughter got Lucy, and she slept with us to half the time. Then Cash came home from training, and of course back in our bed.
With three dogs, and two people in the bed, I think they were the only ones getting any sleep. Now Cash sleeps in the bedroom at night, and the girls pile up with me during the day for a nap.
Just how it worked out for us, and everyone gets a good night sleep.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Willie has always slept on the bed with me. If your bed seems just too crowded, you could consider buying a bigger bed.


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

We have one long legged v who goes up and down the bed all night and kicks us and steps on my hair and my husband's other body parts. She sleeps right between us. I AM SOOOO LOOKING FORWARD to going away for the weekend sans Dharma and having a king size bed, a Jacuzzi and a fire place!!


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## Janders (Feb 27, 2014)

We have had this problem also. Gus has slept with us from night one. He was so cute and little and cuddly. Wow did he ever grow (he's just about 2). I did purchase a bigger bed for us but it seemed like he was still pushing one of us out. I bought so many beds trying to find one he would like and sleep on all night. Nothing worked. He did like a bolster bed that I got him but wouldn't sleep on it through the night. He didn't like to be in the floor beside of us. Then one day the craziest thing happened. I threw his bed on top of the chest that I had at the foot of our bed to vacuum. He came home early and jumped right up on there. Wow! The chest was too narrow so I spent many weekends trying to find a piece of furniture that was the right size to go at the foot of our bed and finally about a week ago found one. I have secured his bed to the top. The first night he slept all night long there. Needless to say I kept waking up to check on him. Since then, he's slept on his bed about 90% of the time. He does get cold and wakes me up to snuggle. I have to tell him to get on his bed and then cover him up. He is allowed morning snuggles but knows know he sleeps on his own bed. Both my husband and I are so relieved (and much better rested! I have noticed that since he's not been sleeping with us he tends to be a bit more clingy during the day. Nothing I can't deal with though. Good luck!


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Janders said:


> ... a piece of furniture that was the right size to go at the foot of our bed and finally about a week ago found one. I have secured his bed to the top.
> ...


Reminded me of this. Custom made, I'd say. That dog is way more spoiled than ours are!

Bob


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## miru (Sep 9, 2014)

Hello

Thanks for posting this.It is an"intimate vizsla issue"and I think we all need to assume that sleeping with our vizslas is ....fun,pleasure,wonderful bonding!


Leo was 8 weeks old when we took him from the breeder .He was so distressed quitting his mum and siblings...we made him sleep with us and ...everybody was happy and calm ...so it never changed!!
He changed our sleeping habits, we got used to his presence in our bed for one year and a half now,he also got used with us, and we would not change this arrangement !
I don't know how two vizslas could fit in but may be you just need a bigger bed and ...enjoy it!

Good luck

Miru


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I don't have any advice but just wanted to say that I can relate. Our girl has been taking over our bed since she was 8 weeks old. Here are a few photos of her doing so that'll at least hopefully make you smile and let you know you aren't alone! I can't imagine there being two of her!


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## Pitanga (Sep 1, 2015)

I am having a similar issue with my 4 month old vizsla. She slept in our bed for the first month she was with us and then we moved her to her own bed (next to ours). It only took her two days to stop trying to get back to our bed and I was surprised at how fast she learnt! But... a few weeks later and now she keeps jumping up on our bed! It is an all night long battle between me and her (my boyfriend doesn't even wake up), she jumps up and I push her out. It is so funny how she grumbles and goes all soft like a child that doesn't want to be picked up. Someone told me to teach her the command off instead of pushing her out... It hasn't worked out for me yet, but I think the first thing you could try is to put a bed for them in your room.


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

We are sharing our bed with one Vizsla boy and it is not enough space for three of us. Thinking about upgrading to a King size bed - if I had two Vizslas, I would have already done it


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