Pets are great for a lot of reasons, and, as some of us will attest, one of those is a failsafe ability to keep our feet warm at night. Some folks keep their pets out of the bedroom entirely—or don't have pets at all—because they are concerned about the negative impact to indoor air quality. (Dogs track in all kinds of stuff from outdoors, plus there's the fur and dander factor.) That got us wondering.
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No offense to anyone here who cosleeps with a dog (my sister and her boyfriend share a bed with 2 large cats and an enormous Akita mix) but I would never never never. I'm sorry, but it grosses me out. My bed is my sanctuary and I don't even like sharing it with my kid (now that he has his own room, when I sleep with him, it's in his bed, not mine.)
My first dog and I had a major disagreement over this. He would sneak up on the bed every chance he could, just to prove a point. But it was not ok.
My current dog is a rescue with terribly low self-esteem. She's not even sure she's worthy to sleep on the couch, so she has never even touched my bed. She goes back and forth between the couch and the dog bed in my room. I would not banish a dog from the couch, but all the dander and crap on the couch is kinda nasty.
dogs don't wipe ....
Which are all reasons to keep a light blanket on top of the bedspread when Fido sleeps with you. I keep an assortment of throws that can be tossed into the laundry.
The only way my dog would agree to sleep in a dog bed would be if I slept in it with him.
I have two cats... no dogs.
The cats sleep on the bed... and the floor... and the couch... and the chairs... and the ottomans... and...
on top of the heat lamp on the lizard tank.
Just finishing up for ronzo :)
My cat prefers to sleep curled in the crook of my arm or my neck. I got my first cat when I was three and I prefer to sleep with both my cat and my husband in the same bed ;) If we had a dog, s/he would probably be on the bed too...
Doggie sleeps in his crate (door open) next to the bed. If it is late and obvious that we are not going to bed soon, doggie sighs and trots off to go to his crate. He does get some snuggle time on the bed in the morning, but only when there is a blanket on top of the bed clothes.
The only exception is camping. His bed is next to our bed and it can get cold in that tent and a warm dog feels pretty good.
my dog sleeps on my bed, but she's very small and always sleeps on her own blanket. sometimes she'll move to her dog bed, but generally stays put. if she were a dog that sheds or rolls around in the dirt more, i might reconsider... but after several months of this, my white quilt has never seen a mark from her.
My two chihuahuas sleep on the bed. They start off the night by sleeping on top of the comforter, snuggled up next to each other. Then, in the early morning, they both burrow deep under the covers. Sometimes they sleep with their heads popping out from under the comforter.
So cute.
Ronzo's got it. I've got two cats. The younger one (and the one who has the thinner fur) sometimes even sleeps under the covers with me in winter.
When I had a dog, I was happy to share the bed with her.
No dogs, but I do have cats. Two live apart from me, one lives with me. The two who live with my parents sleep leaning right up against whichever human they are sleeping with that night. The one who sleeps with me starts off under the covers curled up against my belly or side, depending on how I'm positioned, and then moves to my pillow where she sleeps in a C shape all night long, wrapped around the top of my head like a little kitty hat.
I would never have it any other way, and sleeping away from home I often wake up with a start because the cat isn't there and I worry that she's not OK before I realize that I'm not at home.
Our 3 cats sleep wherever they want. The dog sleeps downstairs though, only because our bedroom is upstairs, and that is the only place we have carpet!
No dogs, cats. And of course they are allowed to sleep with us. That's how mammals sleep. So snuggly and happy. If you are grossed out by your own pet's dander and other bodily secretions, why do you have a pet? Or are ya the kind of dog owner who doesn't pick up after his dog in public?
No dog now.. but 2 cats sleep in the bed. I used to have a dog, a Great Dane - and she slept in the bed :D A king size bed would have been nice....
no, never. "fido" is >120 lbs. he actually started by snuggling with us but really likes to have his own space and would push us off the sofa - the only place he was allowed. was.
Three dogs of various sizes, two large dog beds on the floor beside the bed (plus an area rug for when one of them prefers more space). And three cats. And a snake, but he hasn't ever even seen our bedroom.
We try to keep the dogs off of the best most of the time, but they do try to sleep next to us if they're especially chilly, lonesome, or if they sense that one of us is sad.
If I'm up typing in the office late at night (like right now), they'll usually sleep on the couch in here or on the floor at my feet until I return to the bedroom. They love their master, what can I say...
I do have concerns about our dogs bringing dirt up onto the bed, especially since they're young and like to play messy. I've learned to keep my bedroom door closed if I'm not in it and dirt-check any dog I invite up to sleep next to us. They keep their butts pretty clean... I'm not sure what type of filthy mongrels some of you live with ;)
If you're concerned about dog-butt on your bed, you should also be worried about doggy kisses on your face or hands. Dogs do wipe... with their tongues!
That all being said, generally our dogs are very happy to sleep in their dog beds on the floor beside us. They're mostly interested in being in the same room.
Our cats are another story:
Female cat: Visits us for petting while we're in bed, sometimes will sleep near us for awhile, but generally sleeps on top of the cable box in the living room.
Younger male cat: He is quite the character! He'll jump up on our bed and either burrow his way under the covers down to our feet (where he'll nestle between us) or he'll wait until I lift up the blanket to form a tunnel for him. He'll sleep there for as long as we're in bed sometimes. He also tends to sleep on my wicker hamper or on one of my old Pier One wicker lounge chairs. I didn't realize until just now that he seems to have some preference for wicker...
Old male cat: I have no idea where he sleeps. I don't think I've ever even seen him sleeping, seriously. He disappears somewhere and then returns when he's hungry.
My older dog (10 pounds) sleeps in bed with us, but not under the covers -- he wants to in the winter, but I worry about him suffocating. My younger dog (5 pounds) sleeps his crate next to the bed, though. He's too small to jump on the bed by himself, and the last thing I want to deal with in the middle of the night is a whining Chihuahua who wants to be picked up after going downstairs for a drink.
My dog is 90 pounds. If he slept in the bed, my husband or I would have to sleep on the floor. Interestingly, he doesn't seem to like dog beds...he likes the cold bare floor.
Our Jack Russell used to sleep in a carrier crate in our room, but we hated the look of it. Our solution was a built-in "cubby" for him in the bedroom, which matches with the look of the house, and gives him a secure little nest. He likes it so much, we didn't even need to put a door on it:
Dog Cubby Pics
I have 3 cats and their allowed to sleep wherever they please. Most of the time my male cat sleeps on HIS body pillow above my head, Bandit (seinor girl cat) sleeps at my feet (or under the blankets) and holly (baby girl cat) sleeps on my second bed (the futon).