A key part of working on behaviour cases is taking a full history from the owner about their dog, their relationship and their lifestyle. I’ve lost count of the number of times that somewhere near the end of our conversation, an owner will sheepishly admit “… and I know I shouldn’t, but I let them sleep on the bed with me.”
Shock, horror… Surely that is the first step on a canine quest for world domination? No wonder the dog has all these behaviour problems!
Actually, no.
Dogs generally love to sleep on the bed because it means they can be closer to their beloved owner, it’s really comfortable, and sleeping together feels safe. In most cases, there’s nothing more to it than this and it is completely natural canine behaviour. If you watch companionable dogs in multi canine households, they often share a bed and curl up together. It’s the very embodiment of harmony and contentment – it’s hard to fall asleep with someone you don’t trust.
The relief on many owners’ faces when I tell them that their dog sleeping on their bed is not going to cause behaviour issues or be part of their problem (unless of course the dog isn’t letting the owner into the bed, the owner can’t safely remove the dog from the bed, or the dog wakes up very grumpy!) is always rather heart-warming – as is their gratitude towards me for not banning this often joyous part of dog owning.
