Dogs are a part of our families. For a lot of dog owners, these furry family members are just as loved and spoiled as any other loved one. And for some pet parents, that can mean allowing your dog to sleep in your bed. But not every pet parent is okay with their dog co-sleeping with them.
In fact, it might surprise you to learn that out of 1000 pet parents surveyed by Veterinariarns.org, 24 percent of dog owners do not allow their pup in the bed at night. But why don't these pet parents want their dog in bed with them?
For some pet parents, the reasons why their dog may not be allowed in the bed at night is as simple as their dog doesn't actually fit in the bed with you. Considering the size of certain breeds of dog, including the Newfoundland and the Great Dane, this makes perfect sense. But what are some of the other reasons that a dog owner might say no to co-sleeping?
Here are some reasons that pet parents have given for not allowing their dog to sleep in the bed with them
- 45 percent of pet parents say that they are concerned about their dog being clean or bringing germs into their bed.
- Another 40 percent of dog owners are worried about their dogs having fleas or ticks on them and bringing that to bed as well. (This feels like it would align with cleanliness, but it does make sense that it is a separate concern.)
- 29 percent of dog owners point out that their dog moves around too much in their sleep and that could potentially disturb their own rest.
- 21 percent of pet parents are concerned with allergies, which in turn makes it important that their dog not be in the same bed with them at night.
- Finally, 18 percent of dog owners are worried about their dog having an accident in the bed.
Of course, these are just five of the top reasons why dog owners are saying no to co-sleeping with their pets. Some other reasons include the dog not fitting in the bed, the noises that our dogs make in their sleep, a dog not wanting to sleep in the bed and preferring their own beds, and even being worried about smaller dogs getting hurt because of the height they would have to jump or if they fell off the bed.
Honestly, any reason that a person has for a dog not being allowed in the bed is valid and makes sense. And of course, if your dog is not interested in sleeping in your bed, there is nothing wrong with that either.
There are so many reasons why one might not have their dog in the bed with them at night, and not all of them are because of any guidelines imposed by the humans in the house.
Are you someone who allows the dog in the bed? If not, why doesn't your dog get to sleep in the bed with you at night?