If you ask any person that has a dog or a cat, if they let their pet in bed for the night, the answer in most cases will be yes. There are no single opinions or strict rules this is good or not. However, there are advantages and disadvantages that you need to know.
Is it OK to Let Your Australian Shepherd to Sleep in My Bed?
There are opinions that sleeping with a dog can interfere with sleep or even transmit diseases, but if you want to share your sleeping place with your Australian Shepherd, some researchers say that there are far more benefits than risks. And doing so can even improve your health!
7 Reasons Why Sleeping With Your Australian Shepherd Can Keep You Healthy:
- Increases the feeling of security and satisfaction. The physical presence of a pet near you is also a source of comfort. The rhythmic breathing, soft coat, and warm body of your dog contribute to this calming effect.
A dog‘s hearing is much better than a human‘s, so vigilant animal will wake us up to hear even the slightest sound we would not respond to ourselves. There is no need to even teach the dog vigilance, it is enough not to suppress his natural instinct to encircle strangers who have visited our territory.
- Helps to relax. Sharing your bed with a dog also has a positive effect on the quality of sleep, so you can rest more easily.
- Can help overcome sleep disorders.
- Can help to fight with depression. People with depression often have sleep disorders, but sleeping with a dog can help relieve feelings of stress, loneliness, and anxiety.
It‘s very nice to sleep with someone, so you especially appreciate sleeping with a pet who both hugs and puts a paw on his neck or arm. Some people believe that sleeping with a dog improves mutual understanding between the owner and the animal. Thus, a dog is ideal for those who do not like to sleep alone, and sometimes must do so. Clearly, a dog will not change a person, but it can brighten loneliness, because it is a living, warm creature.
- Warmth and comfort. Your pet‘s heat can act as a hot water bubble at night. This is especially true for those who are constantly freezing.
The dog is warm and especially in autumn and winter it is nice to cuddle to him. if your hands or feet are freezing, it is enough to touch your Aussie and you warm up immediately.
- Increased relaxation. Close contact with the pet stimulates the production of the hormone oxytocin. Then your heart rate decreases, you become calmer and happier.
- Economy. If the dog is sleeping in bed, there is no need to buy him a bed, so you can save some money. Clearly, this statement makes you smile because whoever has a dog doesn‘t count the cost. And here in a small apartment it is really convenient when the dog sleeps in bed, because there is no need allocate him space, which is not much anyway.
Why You Shouldn‘t Let Your Australian Shepherd Sleep in Your Bed?
As we can see, sleeping with your pet has a lot of advantages, ranging from better interconnection to even better health! However, there are also less positive consequences of sleeping in the same bed with dogs.
Here are 4 examples:
- The bed becomes cramped. Even a small puppy is able to sit in the bed so comfortably that you have to push it to the edge of the bed to fall asleep. An imagine Australian Shepherd lying comfy in the bed. The dog lies on the pillow, so curled up on the blanket that we don‘t have it left. Or lies on our feet, and we wake up from the weight of the animal.
If we want to sleep with a dog, we should get used him to sleeping in some corner of the bed.
- You have to wash the bedding more often. No matter how clean you Australian Shepherd is, it still brings dirt to the bed, because he or she walks without shoes or slippers. Dogs are less likely to bathe because they do not need and it is not advisable to bath them very often(every day).
Although the dog does not sweat and does not smell bad, you probably noticed that sometimes he really likes to jump in to the mud, when he is playing outside and sometimes it can be difficult to keep him very clean.
And of course, the dog doesn‘t use toilet paper and dog coat sheds sometimes. So if you want to sleep with your Aussie, you have to accept that the bed will not be perfectly clean. Also, some Aussies love to lick – they lick their owners, a pillows, bedding, so there could be wet spots in the bed.
- Awakens. Although it is said that when sleeping with a dog, the quality of sleep itself is inferior because the animal awakens the owner by changing sleep positions several times a night, which is probably debatable issue.
There are people who can‘t fall asleep until the animal has gathered nearby, others say they can‘t fall asleep until the dog gets out of bed. So its up to you, how you accept that the animal several times at night will spin, grind or push you.
- Diseases, bacteria and other evils. This is probably the most important thing to consider if thats a good idea to sleep together.
there is a risk of getting infected from a dog, because it is less clean than a human who take more showers and so on. However, many owners sleep with their pets and do not get sick. If a dog receives anthelmintics, is vaccinated and cared for – the chances of getting infected with something are reduced and become the same as the chances of getting infected from people with unwashed hands and poor hygiene.
What Are The Dangers of Sleeping With Your Dog?
As we talked about above, a dog sleeping in your bed can have both pros and cons. One of the more dangerous aspects is also the dog‘s desire to dominate. As we already know, sometimes it is not good to let the dog relax completely and forget the rules of the house. Therefore, some dog trainers encourage dog owners not to let their pets jump into bed at any time, unless they invite them to do so.
It would be better to choose a certain part of the bed where your Aussie can sleep in bed. This will reduce the dog‘s desire to dominate and help solve territorial problems. Another potential risk would be if you have asthma or have certain allergies. People who are allergic are advised not to let animals into the bedroom. As well, it is recommended to purchase a high-efficiency particulate air filter for at least the bedroom and, preferably, the entire home.
Why Does Your Dog Doesn‘t Like Sleeping With You?
If you notice that your Australian Shepherd don‘t want to sleep with you – don‘t be afraid, there is nothing strange here. Personal space is very important for a dog. Some dogs want to be more independent, so lying in bed together all night may be not for them. Also, some dogs prefer to sleep on the ground, because it can be too hot to sleep with you in the bed, especially during summer or warm weather.
Of course, if your dog has always slept with you and suddenly something happened – then it‘s worth thinking about. In this case, pay more attention on his behavior during the day. If during the day time everything is the same as before, then your Aussie are probably just getting older and sometimes want more personal space.
Final Thoughts
The question, good or not to sleep with a dog, is subtle. Because every dog character is different. Some dogs may be reluctant to dominate, they will sleep in the bed, be good, listen to their owners, and you will have no problems.
However, if he begins to treat the bed as his own place, or is allowed to lie down, sleep in the living room on the couch – he begins to defend that space. Not necessarily from the main owner, but for example, starts growl or bark on the children running around and so on. But it is your house, your rules and only you know your dog best, so decision is yours!