Is it healthy to allow your dogs to sleep with you?

Dogs are social animals and they tend to get clingy. They love to be with us at all times - sometimes even to the bathroom. So it's not surprising that they want to sleep with us too. Some furparents tolerate this behaviour, others don't. 

After a hard day's work, you just want to flop on the bed and sleep but you can't because your dog is sprawled in there already. You have to wrestle him for some space and it's becoming a bother.

What to do about it then?

First, ask yourself these following questions:

1. Do you want to sleep with your dog?

- co-sleeping with dogs is not for everyone. You might be a light sleeper and sudden movement such as scratching and face licking wakes you up easily. 

2. Is it interfering with your health (asthma, rhinitis etc)

- when dogs are outside, they are exposed to dust and pollens which may worsen your allergies

3. Are you comfortable? Is it still your space or his?

Honestly, can you lie properly on the bed? Some dogs even gets angry when you co-sleep with them thinking it's their space and tends to be defensive.

There are advantages and disadvantages when you sleep with your dog, you just have to weigh which is beneficial to both of you.

Some owners co-sleep with their dogs by having them inside the room but not on the bed.

1. Dog crates 

- He's comfortably confined and you won't need to worry he's going to jump on you when he stirs in the middle of the night. Crate is also useful for dogs who aren't potty trained yet. They naturally want to keep their sleeping area clean so accidents are unlikely to happen.

2. Dog Bed

- He can really stretch his legs out and switch places around the room but be wary - you'll wake up with him beside you on the bed at times.

It really depends on you. If you've answered the questions above, weigh the pros and cons, you can decide then. Goodluck!