I’m always amazed when I meet someone who is a dog owner and who allows their dog to sleep on their bed. Not only is it an incredibly dirty habit, it’s not healthy either. I grew up in a family where cleanliness was next to…. (well, not godliness…as we’re atheists but you get the idea), so to allow our dogs to sleep on the bed, well, we just never would. As much as you love your dogs, they’re honestly not that clean. So why you’d allow them on your bed. Yuck. I dread to think.
Dirty Paws and Dirty Mouths – Think about it. When you let your dog out of the house, no matter where you live, he’s already stepping in dirt. On an average 30 minute walk outside the house, your dog will step in other dog’s poop, in puddles, old food, mud – you name it, his paws are in it. Then, when you let him back in the house and he heads straight for your bed, all that disgusting dirt and the germs that come with it and are now stuck to his paws, instantly get transferred to your bedspread, your sheets and your pillows.
Add onto that, every dog is constantly scratching and licking themselves. Tongues up their butts, on their balls and god knows where else. Then, Fido comes and jumps on the bed where you’re enjoying a nightcap and a good book before bed, licks you with that mouth full of germs, then lies down on the quilt, tongue lolling and licking nicely and goes to sleep. Lying next to a heaving mound of germs and muck would give me the heebie jeebies. I can’t believe it wouldn’t you too.
In fact, regardless of the old wives’ tail dogs have antiseptic mouths, honestly, they really don’t. They’re heaving with bacteria and germs and that’s not going on my bed.
Dog Hair – Every dog sheds. Even the short-haired, short-legged, short-tempered kind. They all shed hair and that hair gets all over your comforter, pillows and sheets. It can cause you to have breathing problems, give you an allergy and, with being covered in bugs as some dogs are, I dread to think what’s crawling out of it and onto your bed.
Sleeping next to an animal covered in hair that you’re breathing in – seriously, not healthy.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Somewhere Else If You Want Romance – Having a dog in your bed if you’re involved in a serious relationship could be a deal breaker. I once had a friend who would choose her dog being in the bed over her husband. Needless to say, that relationship lasted about three minutes and he moved out. (The husband, not the dog).
If you’re in any kind of relationship, most partners will not want to share your bed with you and Fido. Put the dog in his basket, preferably in another room, and then maybe your love life will blossom.
It’s Not Healthy For The Dog – Dogs who sleep with their owners are usually even more attached than dogs who don’t. That means, if you suddenly have to go away somewhere and can’t take him with you, his sleep pattern can be upset for days if not weeks. Making him a very unhealthy dog.
Separation is a good thing. Sure, spend plenty of time with man’s best friend during the day, but when it’s time for bed, he should know he has his bed and you have yours and never the twain shall meet.
If you have a dog and you haven’t allowed him to sleep on or in your bed yet – don’t. If you have a dog who’s already sleeping on your bed, try to wean him off it. It’s healthier in the long run for both of you and a darn sight cleaner.