wanted to spend with momma while I was on the computer

One of my favourite things to do with Finley is cuddle up in bed and sleep. I never got used to sleeping alone after my old dog died. He used to sleep curled up at my feet most nights and let me tell you, stuffed animals just aren’t the same.  

It was only natural that I see if Finley would like to sleep on my bed too. I did try getting her to sleep in her crate though starting the first night she was with us. I even left the light on so that she could see me. She was very clingy those first few days and would get very nervous when she couldn’t see me. She whined a lot of though and woke up every time I shifted in bed.  It almost broke my heart but I was strong – that night. My resolved lasted all of two or three nights. Now she won’t sleep anywhere else and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

I had read that if the dog sleeps on the bed with you, it could make training them harder or impossible. I never really noticed any real problems when training her or working on some of her behaviour issues, other than the barking one but that will be something that takes time and lots of patience. So I came up with a compromise, I’m teaching her that she has to be invited onto the bed before she can be on it, and that is whether or not it’s time to go to bed.

I removed the crate from my room and put a nice doggie bed in its place, so when it’s time to go to bed, she has to sit or lie there until I tell her it’s alright to come snuggle up. This behaviour did take a while to stick since she didn’t know how to stay so we worked on stay and since then it’s gotten better.

If she comes into the bed before I’m ready for her, I get up and put her back on her doggie bed. It gets pretty annoying when she won’t listen and I have to do this 4 or 5 times, especially when I want to go to sleep. Some nights, she thinks it’s a game and wants to play instead of going to sleep, though usually she can be pacified with her hippo (a stuff animal that she loves).

Recently, she’s taken a liking to snuggling under blankets. I don’t let her in between the sheets with me since I have some minor issues with dirt and germs, so instead she snuggled between the two blankets on my bed or under her blanket. It’s really cute to watch her arrange the blanket so that it’s perfectly comfortable.

Readers, is it a good or bad idea to let your pets sleep in your bed, and do you let them (if you have any)?