Sleeping with your pets happens, that’s just the truth. So often owners have the best intentions of not allowing their pets on the bed, but for one reason or another, the bed is usually where they end up sleeping.
So how do you decide if bed privileges are the right choice for your canine pal? There are a number of things to take into consideration.
The Bed is your Domain
Everything else aside, if you, OR YOUR PARTNER, doesn’t want the pet to be on the bed, they should be sleeping on the floor. This is an important decision that shouldn’t be made in a rushed manner, keep in mind that pets don’t NEED to sleep on the bed. They may be attached to you, but they still don’t need to sleep on a bed. You may need to work on both the dog and your partner if there’s a disagreement, so be ready for that conversation/work.
Why do you let them in the Bedroom to Start?
For many owners, having the pet in the bedroom is out of the question altogether, and this is fine too! If you’re worried about dander or allergies, keeping a pet outside the bedroom is a great idea. If your worry is more about noise and getting a full night’s sleep, but you feel bad about having your pet outside the bedroom, try a white noise machine or an air cleanser to reduce both noise and dander. There are always alternatives!
Prevent them from Acting Up
Pets can be annoying, especially in the bedroom. If you’re running into behaviors like chewing or constant movement throughout the night, try crating your dog. This will help them learn house manners.
If you run into aggressive behaviors in or around your bedroom, it’s important to knock your pet down a few pegs. When pets get aggressive it’s often a dominance issue, which means you need to do some behavior control work. The first step in this process is reducing how often your pet is allowed both on the bed, as well as anywhere that’s high enough for them to look down upon you.
It’s important to remember that removing a dog from your bedroom is the end-all-be-all in behavior modification. This step really only stops the dog from practicing dominant or aggressive behavior. Some owners are fine with management alone, while others are committed to modifying the behavior in the hopes of reinstating the dog’s bed privileges.
Revoking Bed Privileges & Changing their Behaviors
Had enough? If it reaches this point, and be ready for it to reach this point, sometimes you’ll have to move your pet from your bed to his crate can present its own challenges. Crating an animal, no matter size, breed, or gender is tough, even tougher if you haven’t done so before.
It’s smart to use toys or treats to get your pet into the crating routine at night, but for the day, try leaving them in there for as long as possible to teach them.
During this whole process, keep in-mind whose house it is and don’t let your animal dominate the roost. It’s not healthy for you, and it’s certainly not healthy for them!
For more information, reach out to us at aidanm@restwell.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Founded in 1990, Restwell sells its product line through National Retail & Independent Dealers in North America. Restwell also has a Hospitality Sales Division which services corporate accounts across Canada. Restwell manufactures all bedding, at its state-of-the-art facility in Surrey B.C., to order through “just in time” production techniques which serves its dealers and customers more efficiently. Most bedding orders are scheduled, produced and shipped within 3 days of receipt with fast, friendly and reliable service on our dedicated trucking fleet.
