Dog Psychological Problems: Sleeping in the Bed

A dilemma that dog owners often struggle with is whether to let a dog sleep in the bed. There are arguments on both sides of the issue. However, allowing a dog to sleep in your bed can cause psychological issues for the dog or magnify a psychological problem that may already exist. To avoid these psychological problems, puppies should be trained from early on that they cannot sleep in the bed.

  1. Hierarchy

    • Allowing a dog to sleep in your bed can cause psychological problems for him because it undermines the hierarchy of your relationship. The biggest problem is that it can negatively impact the owner's leadership role in the household. The dog may feel as if he is on an equal playing field with you and this could lead him to challenge your authority. He may no longer feel as if you are above him in the hierarchy; therefore when you command him to do something, he may not respond. This may cause even more problems psychologically for the dog if there is another dog in the household. If one dog is allowed to sleep on the bed and another isn't, this can create tension between the dogs. The dog that is allowed on the bed may feel superior, while the one that isn't may question his role in the household. This can cause problems "between the pack."

    Separation Anxiety

    • Separation anxiety is another psychological problem experienced by dogs that are allowed to sleep in the bed. Sleeping together may fuel a codependence issue. The dog may have anxiety when you are not home and this can result in behavior such as marking his territory, barking or chewing. Psychologically, the dog who may now feel like the "leader" in the household may have anxiety because he feels that he needs to protect his owner, yet they are not home. He may sit at the door waiting for his owner to return home or scratch at the door trying to escape to find his owner.

    Confusion

    • Sleeping in the bed may create confusion for the dog. He may not understand why he can sleep in one bed in the home yet not allowed to sleep on another bed, such as a child's. Dogs may not be able to distinguish between furniture and a bed and might not understand why it is appropriate to sleep on one and not the other. Confusion may create anxiety or magnify an anxiety issue and lead to undesirable behavior.

    Habitual

    • Seeping on the bed becomes habitual for a dog. The bed becomes his area of comfort and retreat. If the owner ever decides that the dog can not sleep there for whatever reason, this can create problems psychologically for the dog. He may feel inferior or not important. He may wonder why his role has changed and this can cause anxiety for him.

    Solution

    • To avoid some of these psychological problems, it is best to train a dog not to sleep on the bed. Offer him a soft bed of his own. It can be next to the bed or at the foot of the bed. He will be comfortable and close to his owner, but not at the same level.