Dog Tired? It Could Be Your Pup!

It’s a classic story, really.  You bring home your adorable new puppy, complete with collar, leash, bowls…You get the perfect dog crate and outfit it with the softest, fluffiest bed and blankets to make him the perfect bed…other than your bed, of course! Sounds like the ideal plan, except for the fact that Fido probably has other ideas. 

The first night he whines, yelps, howls, and cries. You hold your ground thinking to yourself, ‘Surely this can’t last too much longer.’ Hour after hour passes before, eventually, your resolve breaks…Little Fido is out of the comfy crate and in your comfy bed, where he’ll likely remain for the next, well, forever! 

According to a recent survey of pet owners by the American Pet Products Association, nearly half of dogs sleep in their owner’s beds. Specifically, 62% of small dogs, 41% of medium-sized dogs and 32% of large dogs sleep with their owners. 

So is it healthy to sleep with Fido in your bed? Well, not always, and for a number of reasons. 

Snoring, Kicking, Cover-Hogging Pups 

The biggest problem with having dogs share your bed is that they can disturb your sleep. A study released by the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center found that about half the patients in the study slept with at least one dog in their beds, of which 53% admitted that their pets disturbed their sleep in some way nightly. 

“I’ve had patients that I’ve spent visit after visit going over their insomnia problems, trying to figure out what’s happening, then I find out they have a dog that’s scratching all night,” says Lisa Shives, MD, medical director of Northshore Sleep Medicine, a sleep center outside Chicago, IL.

An interesting tidbit for cover-hogs: check out the latest and greatest pet product, The Pleat Sheet!  It's a complete sheet set featuring a patented expandable pleat that unfolds to create extra 'wings' of cover and warmth at night, and easily folds back into the shape of a normal flat sheet for making up the bed in the morning. This could be your perfect solution! 

Allergies 

Another major problem that pets in the bed can pose is with allergies- pet dander, pet hair, and dirt in the bed can trigger allergies for some. “People who suffer from pet allergies or asthma should not sleep with their dog or cat, or even allow them in the bedroom,” said Derek Damin of Kentuckiana Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Louisville, KY. “Use a HEPA filter and keep them out of the bedroom to give your nose a few hours every day to recover,” Damin says. 

Studies show, however, that most pet lovers won’t kick Fido out of bed, even if they discover their pets are causing allergy problems. For those people, he recommends allergy shots to build up a tolerance to the pet dander that causes allergic reactions.

 But are there benefits to having dogs in the bed? Of course! 

Some people have no problem falling or staying asleep, regardless of whether or not Fido is in the bed. In these cases, Shives says it’s perfectly fine to allow a dog in the bed. 

“There are all kinds of medical benefits to having a pet,” says Shives, who sleeps with her 45-pound dog. “The most common reason I get from patients is that some people may feel safer or calmer with a dog in their bed.” 

According to Shives’ patient, Candace Hunziker of Kennesaw, GA, “My lab sleeps against me and has very rhythmic breathing and it just soothes me. I have insomnia, my whole family does, and we all sleep with dogs. She puts me to sleep better than an Ambien.” 

Also, the bond between Fido and his owner is strengthened when sleeping space is shared. As puppies, dogs sleep snuggled tight with their mother and littermates, so it’s only natural for them to want to sleep with their owners as a sign of mutual affection and inter-dependency. 

It should be noted, however, that if you do invite Fido into your bed, marriage experts agree that it’s important that pets don’t physically come between a couple at night. “The snuggling and the holding and the touching is critical,” says expert Elizabeth Schmitz. “It’s one of the seven secrets of a successful marriage.” 

So, Fido’s been sleeping in your bed for years now. Is there any hope for a change? 

Yes, you can get Fido out of your bed! There are a number of approaches you can take. For example, make it a game to get off the bed, using lots of praise and petting, meaning that Fido gets no attention on the bed, but only on the floor. Eventually, when he’s ordered off the bed, Fido will get down, although it will likely take a few weeks before he doesn’t attempt to get back on the bed. Just stick to it. 

Another approach is to go ‘cold turkey.’ Follow your regular bedtime routine, but when you crawl into bed, put Fido in his own bed, either on the floor or in a crate. For the first few nights, expect Fido to attempt to get into your bed every 10 minutes. As with all approaches, just stick to it. Each time he props up to give you the evil eye or creeps onto the foot of your bed, put him back in his bed. Some people even recommend keeping a water bottle next to the bed to lightly squirt Fido when he tries to get into the bed with you! Other people, including LCD publisher Leah England, have found covering ‘No No Zones’ in tin foil- the crinkle sound and crunchy texture is definitely a deterrent! 

The point is, experiment until you find what works for YOUR Fido and stick to it! Consistency is key here to getting a good night’s sleep- for both you and your pup!

Erin Thomas is the owner of Summerville's Lowcountry Pet Sitters, the area's premier in-your-home pet care service.  For more information, please visit www.LCPetSitters.com or call 843-327-7487.