Is It Harmful to Sleep With Our Dog?

All of us lucky enough to share our life with a dog ask ourselves the same question at bedtime. We wonder whether it's a good idea or not, and what we should consider before letting the dog sleep in our bed with us — in other words, letting our dog sleep with us.

Who wouldn't want to? It's without a doubt an extraordinary feeling, something that strengthens the emotional bond on a whole other level. But it can also be dangerous, since it can negatively affect our health if we don't take the right precautions.

Let's look in detail at everything we need to know before letting the dog sleep in our bed, next to us. And of course, we'll also look at the problems and benefits of letting it sleep near our bed, in the same room.

Sleeping With My Dog: Does It Carry a Risk?

Letting our four-legged furry friend cuddle up next to us in bed obviously has many benefits, but also many risks. So, to fully enjoy this situation, it's best to minimize the risks as much as possible, something we can easily do.

That said, even if the risks are minimal, it's always possible it could pose a risk to our health. If we notice that after starting to sleep with our dog, we begin experiencing allergies, skin irritation, or even asthma...

It's possible either our dog's fur, or the mites it carries, could have a lot to do with it, and we should change this habit. To do this, we should choose an anti-mite mattress, like Hypnia mattresses, which are naturally anti-mite and hypoallergenic, and haven't been chemically treated, making them an ideal option if you're considering sleeping with the house's furry friend.

Similarly, if our dog doesn't have all its vaccines up to date, it could carry an illness and pass it to us. This is something we can prevent by keeping our dog's vaccines renewed every year, as vets recommend.

That said, we all know dogs love sleeping next to humans. It's an ancestral way of showing affection — they love sleeping alongside the rest of the pack, since it makes them feel more protected and loved, a primal instinct. Let's look at the benefits and possible drawbacks of sleeping with my dog in the same bed.

Benefits of Sleeping With My Dog

Did you know there are many benefits to sleeping with a dog? Here are just a few, to give you an idea:

• The sense of peace and calm sleeping next to our dog brings is unique.
• The emotional bond between dog and human grows, reaching a whole new level.
• In winter, they're an excellent source of natural warmth — the best heater in the world.
• Being woken up by your dog playing with you is one of the best ways to wake up there is.
• Your love for your dog will grow — sleeping next to it means strengthening your emotional bond even more.
• The feeling of happiness you get seeing your dog sleep curled up next to you is priceless.
• If it's your child sleeping with the dog, they won't just feel more protected — they'll feel much happier too.

Drawbacks of Sleeping With My Dog

But it's not all advantages — there are some risks we need to accept if we let our dog sleep next to us. Here are a few of them:

• It can leave the whole bed covered in fur and dirt picked up during its walks or play outside.
• Sleeping with a dog means it could pass on parasites like fleas, ticks, or certain mites.
• It might keep us from sleeping if it wakes up several times during the night, especially when it's a puppy.
• Sleeping next to our dog means accepting the risk that it might pee on the bed someday, mainly if it's a puppy.
• If our dog is very small, we risk accidentally crushing or hurting it while we sleep.
• Sometimes it increases its territorial behavior, so we need to properly train our puppy or adult dog to get off the bed when asked.
• Sleeping with our dog sometimes means we don't get the privacy we want, if we have a partner, for example.

Tips for Sleeping With Our Dog Comfortably and Without Risk

Zero risk doesn't exist, so knowing this, what we need to do is minimize potential problems as much as possible, so we can enjoy our dog's company while we sleep.

Our dog's hygiene is essential — a dog brushed daily and protected against fleas and ticks, plus fully up to date on its vaccines, poses very little risk when it comes to sleeping next to us.

We should also bathe our dog at least once a month, more often if it tends to get dirty playing outside or at the park. We all know some dogs are more curious than others, while others don't mind getting covered in mud up to their eyebrows. Either way, they're adorable.

Setting rules is completely necessary to prevent our dog from getting the wrong idea and becoming more territorial. We need to teach it to get off the bed when asked, and to be sociable when there are more people in bed, like our partner or kids.

Keeping patient is essential when our dog doesn't give us the company we expect — it can also have a rough night, wake us up often, or toss and turn a lot... we need to be patient with it and accept we won't always sleep peacefully.

Being consistent is essential to avoid getting the whole bed dirty with fur or paw grime, for example by using a blanket and getting our dog used to sleeping on it. Similarly, we should be more diligent about washing our sheets frequently.

Is It Good to Sleep in the Same Room as My Dog?

There are also people who, although they don't sleep with their dog in the same bed, do so in the same room. Setting up an extra bed for our dog next to ours will make it extremely happy. Knowing it can sleep near us is a huge source of comfort for it.

We should keep in mind that, even if it doesn't sleep in the same bed as us, it can still pass on parasites or illnesses. So, keeping it clean and vaccinated is essential.

Another aspect to consider is room ventilation — remember two living beings need more oxygen than just one, and the smell both of you give off will mix together... in other words, it's highly recommended to have a well-ventilated room, even leaving the door open so unpleasant smells don't build up (dogs fart too).

Conclusions

Sleeping with my dog is the best experience I've had when it comes to building an emotional bond — it's even helped me be happier. Waking up alongside your beloved dog, or from its licks because it wants to play, is something every human should experience.

It's false to say it's completely safe and risk-free. But if we follow the tips above, we can minimize them — it's genuinely worth the risk. Is there anything in life completely free of risk, after all?

Common sense will be our best ally — good hygiene and healthy handling will make cohabitation wonderful. We need to respect our dog, and also teach it to respect and obey us.

So... what are you waiting for to try the experience of sleeping with your dog?