If you're not sure if your dog should be sleeping with you in the same bed, this trainer may help you make up your mind. Sure, there's a debate whether it's okay or not, but what is best for your dog? If your pooch has anxiety allowing him to sleep with you may help him feel better.
This dog trainer makes some good points. Your puppy can sleep with you in the same bed!
I recently had one the best night’s sleep of my life with Indy, an 8-week-old Australian Shepherd puppy. He is a client’s dog and future service animal.
So, why did I let Indy spend the night in my bed, when conventional methods recommend crate training from an early age?
Taking them away from their mother and littermates is traumatic. When it’s time to sleep, the puppy of course looks for a warm body to snuggle with, and if they are locked in a crate all alone, with no warm littermates and no mother’s heartbeat, it feels cold and quiet and scary.
And the timing of this is typically during a critical period of a puppy’s life: the ages of 8 to 11 weeks, when fear can have damaging and long-lasting effects, including separation anxiety, barking to get attention, sensitivity to noises and confinement, and house training issues.
You can take the top off the crate, putting cushy blankets in so you can reach the puppy when they awaken in the night, touching them quietly while soothing them back to sleep. You can make a bed for you and your puppy on the floor, snuggling together before moving back to your bed when it’s time.
You can keep the puppy close, creating a safe and secure environment that will result in a happy puppy and well-balanced dog.
When your pup knows their new home and that they are loved and feel safe, you can make the transfer to whatever sleeping situation you would like, a crate, a dog bed, whatever works for you.
A safe and happy puppy allows him to grow up with a better sense of security. This dog trainer knows that your pup will benefit from a good night's sleep with you by his side.
For more information on new puppies and whether they should sleep with you, visit Dogster.
