Where do your Bostons sleep?

So, does your dog(s) sleep in bed with you?  Have you ever even ask yourself why? 

A reason that I can totally understand is that  some elderly dogs may find it soothing to be with their human parents when they are starting to feel vulnerable or frail.

If you and your dog are healthy and your dog does not develop any particular behavioral problems, there is little harm in letting him sleep with you in bed. That’s why one informal pole recently, stated 56 percent of dog owners report sleeping next to their dogs.

If instead, you have some concerns, you can easily find a compromise and let your pampered Boston sleep in his own bed right next to yours.

Conventional wisdom tells us that letting your dog sleep in your bed with you can cause them to believe they’re the alpha, giving them the illusion they’re in control because in bed, they (large dogs at least) are taller than you. The reality is much different. While some aggressive behaviors could be exacerbated by letting your dog sleep in your bed, the reality is, it’s really more of an opportunity for training for most dogs.

One of the more common aggressive behaviors, like guarding the wife by growling when the husband enters the bed.

Pat Miller, certified professional dog trainer and the training editor for the Whole Dog Journal, says, “keep in mind that removing the dog from the bed doesn’t modify the bed-guarding behavior; it only prevents the dog from having an opportunity to practice the behavior.”

There are some who argue that allowing your pet to sleep in the same room (or at least close to you) during the night is a comfort to many pets who spend six to eight hours a day at home alone. There’s no reason to make them feel as though they aren’t part of the family.

Exploring ideas and methods for both humans and their pets to get a peaceful night's sleep.

The advantages and disadvantages of sleeping with your dog, plus tips for getting a peaceful night’s sleep together.

Disadvantages: Having a dog in bed can affect your sleep

Letting your dog sleep in your bed may actually be bad for you. Many dogs have sleep habits that can interrupt your sleep cycle, which can cause you to be cranky the next morning, lower your immune responses and impact your health in other ways.

 Having your pet's sleeping area located at the foot of your bed may be most conducive for deep sleep. But if your pet has taken on the job of cuddle buddy or if he is more dependent on you and needs close physical proximity, you can move his sleeping area closer to the head of the bed, where he can easily receive the valued reinforcement of petting and close contact for staying in his designated sleeping zone.

There are other contributing factors, such as the number of people and pets, pet size, and bed size. No matter where you let your pooch snooze, it is important to be consistent about where your dog can lounge; he needs to understand that he is allowed to sleep in your bed only as long as he stays in his own clearly marked zone, wherever that may be. With a clearly marked and heavily rewarded pet sleeping zone, you can safely and comfortably share the sheets with your pet -- and get a good night's sleep

Does your precious  Pug  or French Bulldog have strange habits include digging' a bed each night? Is this on top of or under the covers and turns and turns then starts pawing before finally plopping down? 

One explanation for this has been:  Before dogs were domesticated some 100 years back, they dug shallow beds to keep them a bit warmer than simply snoozing on the ground’s surface. The bedtime ritual might also be linked to a dog’s instinct to mark his or her territory. Dogs mark the area that they consider theirs by scratching the ground with the smell that comes from the sweat glands in their paws.

If your dogs shred whatever they can get their paws on. Try this, get your dog a bed of her own with a lose fill such as cedar chips. (Dogs are more likely to adapt to a bed placed in spots they already consider their territory.) Maybe comfort is the issue. 

Or, is that the dog is attempting to dig a den to hide in. In the wild, circling would result in flattening tall grass, both to form a comfortable surface and to conceal the animal's position. This behavior is, of course, futile when practiced on a firm, flat surface such as a modern dog bed

Scratching could also be an attempt to achieve a more appealing temperature zone, either warmer (by removing snow) or cooler (by reaching a cooler stratum of earth). Dogs often dig such holes outdoors, and may repeat the behavior vestigially indoors.

Coping As long as the dog scratches only at his bed, there's no problem. However, if he starts seriously digging, it's time to step in. Give him a rug or a blanket in his favorite spots so he can rearrange the bedding to suit himself.

Teach him to use his bed(s) and no other areas for sleeping. Confine him to a floor he can't hurt -- with his bedding, of course.

In the case of the whelping bitch, make her a nesting box full of clean rags, newspaper and other soft, disposable materials early on in her pregnancy and encourage her to nest there.

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