It seems like the dog world is deeply divided on the topic of bed-sleeping for pet dogs. Some authorities are adamantly against it, while others roll their eyes and insist the nay-sayers should lighten up, a little.

So what is the truth?

As a professional dog trainer, I’m neither for nor against dogs sleeping in the bed with their humans. However, there is validity to both sides of the argument, as bed-sleeping does have its own pros and cons. Through this article, I’ll cover the behavioral problems that can arise from your dog sleeping in your bed with you, how to combat them, and highlight some of the pleasant things about bed-sleeping, as well.

At the end of the day, your dog sleeping in your bed should be a personal choice, but keep the following things in mind so you may tend to them and make that choice wisely!

Where Should Your Dog Sleep at Night?

As professional dog trainers, our general advice is to teach your dog to sleep in their own crate at night. The reasons we encourage dog owners to crate train are many, a few of which look like this:

• Your dog will be used to being alone comfortably for certain periods of time, which prevents separation anxiety.
• Your dog will be capable of being crated safely, which creates useful management scenarios in other areas of life.
• Your dog will be unable to get into mischief in the middle of the night when you’re asleep.
• Multi-dog households will have designated spaces for each dog, which aids in management of multiple dogs.
• Crate sleeping creates a clear boundary that dogs can understand, which prevents boundary-pushing when it comes to bedtime.
• A crate is easy to clean in the case of messes and accidents.

However, that doesn’t mean we are always adamant about consistent crate time at night. Is it our recommendation? Absolutely. Can you get away with letting your dog sleep in your bed at night? Also absolutely. It’s very much a personal choice, and we’re not ones to get uppity about dog owners choosing to let their dogs sleep in their bed from time to time.

The key is understanding what that may cause, behaviorally, in your dog, and making adjustments based on the dog in front of you. Frankly, not every dog is a great candidate for bed-sleeping, while others will get along fine without any significant changes in behavior.

There is, however, one situation in which we advise dog owners to just not allow a dog to sleep in their bed, and that is the case of puppies.

Should a New Puppy Sleep with You in Your Bed?

While we think bed-sleeping is ultimately a personal choice that we respect with most dog owners, as pro trainers we tend to sing a slightly different tune when it comes to puppies. We don’t mean forever; just hold off when they’re young!

For the previously listed reasons, we usually recommend that in the case of young puppies, you hold of on allowing them to sleep in your bed. This is because puppies are still developing mentally, and teaching them how to be in their own space when they are young will help greatly in adulthood at times where you really need them to be capable of being alone every now and then.

If a puppy grows up consistently sleeping in your bed, it can be extra difficult to transition them to sleeping in another room or in their crate. I’m talking excessive barking, destruction, and severe separation anxiety.

Additionally, most new puppies do not come house trained; allowing a new puppy to sleep with you in your bed could have you waking up to some unpleasant surprises in the middle of the night while puppy is still learning to control their body.

For more information on this, take a look at the following articles:

How to Potty Train Any Dog

Potty Training Puppies vs. Adult Dogs

How Long Does It Take to Potty Train Your Dog?

Through the first several months, we strongly urge dog owners to resist the temptation to bring your pup to sleep in your bed with you at night, and get them accustomed to a bed (or better yet, a crate) of their own. It may be hard to hold off when you’re swept up in puppy cuteness, but it will pay off when you have an adult dog that knows how to be content in their own place when asked.

When your dog is through their “teen” months and is ready to start expanding their freedom a bit, that is a good time to start thinking about experimenting with allowing some bed-sleeping or not.

Are Dogs Happier When They Sleep in Your Bed?

I think it is safe to say that most dogs are happier getting to sleep in the bed with their favorite person than they are sleeping on their own. Mot human beds are higher up, which give dogs a feeling of safety, are both firm and supportive, come loaded with comfy pillows and blankets, and have a built-in human to snuggle up to. What’s more is many dogs love the security of sleeping next to their human, and even with all other things aside, they would absolutely prefer bed-sleeping to being in their own spot.

However, that doesn’t mean that a dog is unhappy being in their own spot. They might have their preference, but know that it’s still okay to say no if that is the boundary you prefer!

A dog that knows their spot and is taught to sleep there through consistency becomes accustomed to that spot over time. It just becomes normal to them, so don’t get caught up thinking that you’re being mean for having your dog sleep in their crate most (or all) nights. Chances are, they don’t really think about it!

Why Should You Let Your Dog Sleep with You?

On top of being enjoyable to your dog, there are some pros to letting your dog sleep in your bed that are awfully tempting to a lot of dog owners. Some of them are:

• It may provide emotional support to the human.
• Animals and humans sleeping in one room can cut down on costs of heating.
• You will be woken up immediately if something is wrong or your dog needs your attention.
• It may help you sleep, as per this article from Sleep Review.
• It may reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and reduce depression (in human).
• It can foster the bond between you and your dog.
• It may reduce or prevent dog-related allergies over time.

Reasons Why Dogs Shouldn’t Sleep in Your Bed

The reasons to allow your dog to sleep in your bed are awesome, but the habit is not without its drawbacks, as well. Here are some of the cons of letting your dog sleep with you:

• It’s less hygienic, as dogs often pick up dirt or other nasties going through their day while being bathed less than humans.
• Dogs can get used to sleeping in your bed with you and develop separation anxiety or have difficulty coping if they are suddenly not allowed to for any reason.
• Some dogs may become territorial over the space, if not taught that bed-sleeping is “by invitation.” In some dogs this can become resource guarding or aggression.
• Your dog may see your bed as an all-access zone where they can go to at any time, which is not ideal for many people.
• Some dogs will become pushy about being asked to get off the bed if they are accustomed to the human bed being their spot, which can look like aggressive behaviors when being removed from the bed.
• Depending on the dog, they may cause damage to beds, mattresses, or bedding through behaviors like digging and chewing.
• It may disturb sleep, if your dog is a particularly restless or loud sleeper.
• Your dog will be fully capable of getting up out of the bed to engage in potentially unwanted behaviors while you’re sleeping.
• Your dog may carry zoonoses (species-to-species transferable diseases or conditions) without you knowing which could infect you, such as parasites (like worms, fleas, ticks, etc.), salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and giardiasis.

Is It OK to Let Your Dog Sleep in Your Bed?

Even with evident drawbacks, many dog owners still prefer to have their dogs sleep in their bed, and this is entirely okay to do.

As professional dog trainers, our advice for dog owners who want to be able to have their dog sleep with them at night is to pay attention to behaviors your individual dog shows around the bed. Does your dog whine or bark if they’re not allowed on the bed some nights? Do they invite themselves when you don’t want them up? Do they push boundaries in other areas after getting bed privileges?

If your dog never shows any of these potential side effects, that is great! Simply keep an eye out for these sorts of things, as they are something that could develop.

If your dog starts to get presumptuous about the bed or behaves poorly as a result of having bed-sleeping privileges, it may be a good idea to pull back on those privileges until those behaviors are back in check. There is a balance that dog owners can keep between those downsides and getting the lovely perks of sleeping next to your best friend at night!