# Why not sleep with us?



## UBuildIt Indy

Last week my wife got into the habit of letting Jenny get in bed with us for 20-30 minutes before we get up for work, to get some cuddle time in. What this quickly created, was her waking up several times during the night and whining to get into bed with us. I should have seen that coming!

So my wife asked this morning, "Well, why not just let her sleep with us in the bed all the time?"

Besides me saying "Heck no, that's just stupid", I couldn't come up with cohesive argument showing the behavioral dangers of caving in that way.

I know some of you likely allow this behavior, but surely the majority of the civilized world doesn't? What are the dangers of letting this happen?

Thanks,

Allen


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## UBuildIt Indy

You do realize that won't make my argument for my side very strong, don't you? 

Thanks,

Allen


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## wbavos

Adds a kink to love life--not as easy to just get it on whenever you'd like. We just got our youngest daughter out of our room 2 years ago--now we have the dog to contend with! ;-)


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## texasred

Its just a personal preference on where the dogs sleeps. 
No golden rule on where that is, after they have been crate trained.
Both my females get in the bed with us in the morning.
It like clock work at 5:30 in the morning. Out to potty and then under the covers for a good 30 minutes.
I've had one try the waking us up at night to get in the bed. She woke up at 2:30 one night to potty. I let her out and then after going outside, she made a mad dash to the bedroom. I let her in the bed. You know what's coming next. The next night she wakes me up barking at 1AM. I go let her out to potty, but instead of going to the back door, she runs to the bedroom door. I put her back in her crate and don't hear another peep out of her. Had I let her in the bedroom, she would have been waking me up every night.


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## MCD

I was sick one night so my husband let Dharma into bed with us..... once started you really can't go back! I seem to know all to well about the lack of intimacy too.... she needs to always be with us and does actually steal all the covers. Not to mention- she sleeps between us.


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## oliveJosh12

Olive comes to bed with me and my fiance for cuddles before bed and in the morning. She will often get up of her own accord to tell me she is ready for bed. she likes her own space to stretch out.

I let her sleep with me with OH is away but shes too big to share with us all the time plus we would never get a minute on our own!

if you like the 'cuddle time' I would create a routine and just put her back to bed when she crys she will soon learn it wont get her anywhere.


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## FLgatorgirl

We let Ellie sleep with us (mostly curled around my head or throat!) when she was a baby for a few months to make housebreaking easier and until she was totally comfortable in the crate at night. She sleeps in the crate (door shut) just a few feet from my side of the bed. However, she often gets snuggles at night in our bed before she goes in the crate and I let her in our bed in the morning. Depending on what time it is, sometimes she gets under the covers and goes back to sleep, sometimes she just cuddles up for a little while. She has never whined at night time to get in the bed with us. 

I swore after my last dog, a 90 lb Weimaraner that I would not get into the habit of letting a dog sleep in the bed all night. I love them and love that they snuggle up, but it is always me that they want to be on top of and it can be hot and or uncomfortable if they are hogging the bed, etc. I think for us, we all sleep better with her in the crate and compromise by letting her on the bed in the morning.


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## solefald

Dre has been sleeping in bed with us since he was 3 months old, or even younger. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.


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## emilycn

Lua really only gets to sleep in bed when my boyfriend isn't sleeping over --- there just isn't enough room for the three of us. Plus she really insists on being smack in the middle of any affection being doled out; that gets awkward fast. When it's just me and Lua, I think we both sleep better when she's in her crate, but I just can't resist snuggling with her most nights. The only problem is that this happens:


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## Bob Engelhardt

UBuildIt said:


> ...
> I know some of you likely allow this behavior, but surely the majority of the civilized world doesn't? What are the dangers of letting this happen?


I thought that was one of the things that one got a V for! It's certainly one of the things that I miss now that they're gone.

Bob


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## einspänner

I suppose you could allow it for a trial run. If it cuts into your sleep or if other issues pop up then back to the crate. 

I'm single, so there is plenty of room for two dogs. Usually it's just me and Scout and she just curls up in the tiniest ball next to my head. During crate training I made her sleep in her crate every once in awhile in case future events call for it. 

Good luck with winning your argument! Doesn't look like you're getting much help from us.


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## emilycn

einspänner said:


> Good luck with winning your argument! Doesn't look like you're getting much help from us.


In truth, I think the dog does the convincing --- they're just so sweet and snuggly and they really make you feel loved when they curl up at your waist or use your neck as a pillow (it's not as uncomfortable as it sounds... promise!). Why not just give it a try for a night or two--- you can always go back to the crate if it's too uncomfortable.


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## mswhipple

One of the great joys of having a Vizsla is letting them snuggle up beside you in bed!! ;D ;D ;D


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## MilesMom

We have our sweet snuggly boys in bed with us.  Miles sleeps curled up at my hip with his head on my stomach and Chase tried to get under our pillows but will settle for between us


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## MeandMy3

My husband is gone during most weeks, so all three of our dogs sleep with me. That's 178 pounds of dog! When he is home, they sleep in their own spots, our labs on the floor and our vizsla in her crate as long as he is the one who tells them it's bedtime. If I put Bristol in her crate while he is gone, she cries and screeches for hours. I created this monster, but oh, do I love her!!!!


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## CatK

Morris is a proper wriggler in bed! I had him with me the other night and i swear we didn't sleep a wink. I'm taking him to bed again tonight, to cuddle while i read, then I'll put him in his bed before i fall asleep.


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## hcrowder

I wouldn't get any sleep if Penny was allowed in the bed. She can get up there for cuddles but she needs to sleep in her own crate or the lack of sleep would result in having even less patience with her shark attacks than I do at the moment. She is also young (12 weeks today), so I think she needs to learn to completely sleep through the night in her crate before we change that routine.


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## texasred

Yesterday was June's 4th Birthday.
After a day of running the fields and getting her favorite bully sticks, she got to sleep in the bed with me and my husband last night. She is a bed hog, so it doesn't happen often.


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## CrazyCash

My dogs are usually asleep on the couch when I get ready for bed and it's pretty funny to see me sneaking around the house, getting ready for bed, but trying not to let the dogs know that I'm getting ready for bed. If they figure out what I'm doing, then they will get off the couch and go get on my bed and they take up almost the entire bed! If I'm successful, I can actually get ready for bed, turn off the lights and actually get into bed before they come in. Last night was fantastic because they both stayed on the couch and I actually got the bed to myself for awhile. They eventually came in and even then they got into their dog beds for a bit, but about 2:00 in the morning they couldn't take it anymore and they both ended up on my bed. If they would just stay in one spot it wouldn't be so bad, but at some point I usually end up waking up on the edge of the bed with no covers and then I make the both get up so that I can reclaim my spot and start over.


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## Darcy1311

Darcy still sleeps in the bed UNDER the duvet, she even has her own soft toy which she keeps in the bedroom, I know its wrong, but she is a Vizsla after all....


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## SteelCityDozer

Our both sleep in bed with us. We let Dozer do it in the beginning so everyone would actually sleep. Them I trained him out of it and he was in the habit of going to his own bed each night. Then his seizures started, including middle of the night ones, so I put him back in bed with us so we would wake if he was having issues. How can I kick him out again after that? I know, he's a dog. But I didn't have the heart. Then we got Penny. Then we got a bigger bed.

Now the issue is where will they sleep when we travel without them? THAT is a reason not to allow it.


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## CrazyCash

This first picture is what happens when they beat me into the bedroom - no place left on the bed for me 

SteelCityDozer - you need to get them to sleep together and then they can sleep cuddled up with each other when you travel without them


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## Lenalou

There's no way I'd let Toby in my bed, as I need my sleep! We're so lucky that he's a fantastic sleep and slept through from 3 days old. We can generally leave him from 10pm to 7 with no accidents, although he does the longest wee ever when he goes outside! He has a puppy pen so can come out of his bed and wee on paper if he's desperate, but he's not done that for a fortnight now, since he was 9 weeks. I really struggled during our first month with him but we (I) have turned a huge corner and love him to bits now (but not enough to take up our bed )


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## MeandMy3

CrazyCash - I LOVE your pictures. I think you need to create a book.


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## SteelCityDozer

CrazyCash - they do sleep with each other but expect to also sleep with a human. We've been lucky that they either have stayed with a friend or my mom comes to stay with them. Both allow and actually love sleeping with them.


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## CrazyCash

They sleep together all the time, the rare exception is if one is on the floor and the other is on the couch. At night they always cuddle up and basically spoon each other - they would prefer to cuddle up next to a human and if I'm around they always sleep with me. When I have to travel without them they sleep together and are happy as long as they are together. 

MeandMy3 - I definitely have enough pictures of these two, but most of them are of the two sleeping/cuddling - I guess it could be a cuddle book.


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## mlwindc

I hope these work, your stories of the pups are so funny crazy cash:

https://www.facebook.com/OffTheLeas...1195/591387574270784/?type=1&relevant_count=1

https://www.facebook.com/OffTheLeas...1195/573647236044818/?type=1&relevant_count=1


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## TupeloHoney

Dogs sleep in crates, Vizslas sleep in your bed!


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## redbirddog

TupeloHoney said:


> Dogs sleep in crates, Vizslas sleep in your bed!


But if we let Bailey sleep in our bed we get no bed. He is a bed hog. Chloe will take a little corner at the bottom. Bailey likes to "spread out." First he wants under the covers, then gets too hot and gets out of the covers, then gets too cold and gets back under the covers. This goes on all night. :

Crates are good for bed hogs. Plus he loves his crate with his sleeping bag. He gets in and out of it during the night.

We sleep much better.

RBD


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## Watson

redbirddog said:


> But if we let Bailey sleep in our bed we get no bed. He is a bed hog. Chloe will take a little corner at the bottom. Bailey likes to "spread out." First he wants under the covers, then gets too hot and gets out of the covers, then gets too cold and gets back under the covers. This goes on all night. :
> 
> Crates are good for bed hogs. Plus he loves his crate with his sleeping bag. He gets in and out of it during the night.
> 
> We sleep much better.
> 
> RBD


This is Watson. He starts off in a nice ball curled into my tummy under the covers. Then he gets hot and has to move over the covers, taking them off of us as well. Next he's on his back with his legs in the air, until he rolls over and his legs are pushing you to the edge of the bed. When you wake him up to move him over so you can claim some space back, he gets up and lets you back in, does a few spins and drops dead weight right on top of you. Yeah, he sleeps in his crate.


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## Bob Engelhardt

"Why not sleep with us?" Cause when you dream you flail your legs and kick me in the stomach, that's why.

Bob


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