If your puppy doesn’t sleep unless they are next to you and you aren’t sure if you should turn a blind eye to the habit or train your dog against it, you’re at the right place!
While it is adorable if your puppy wants to sleep with you once in a while, it can be unpleasant if they develop a habit. Moreover, even if your puppy wanting to sleep next to you is welcome, there might be some bad aspects of reinforcing this habit on your pup.
In this post, we’ll explore 12 reasons why your puppy only sleeps next to you, followed by 9 ways you can make your puppy sleep somewhere else. We will also discuss if or not you should let your puppy sleep next to you and understand whether your pup sleeping next to you strengthens their bond with them. Let’s begin!
Why Does My Puppy only Sleep Next to Me?
They’re lonely
If your dog doesn’t leave you alone and insists on sleeping on the same bed as you, they might simply be lonely, especially if you are out to work all day and there is no one at home to cater to their needs and play with. They might want to spend more and more time with you and make up for the time lost.
Dogs get cold sometimes
The crate or sleeping area for your pooch is cold, and a nice bed with a human heater is too good of an offer to pass. So rather than sleeping on their dog bed alone, they might want to lay by their human. Your bed is cozier and warmer for them, and who would want to sleep on a cold bed when there is a perfectly warm bed accessible to them?
Your dog is being protective
Next, if your precious pooch always sleeps beside you, they’re probably overprotective of their human buddies. Their intention might be to protect you while you sleep all by yourself. Usually, if there are guests over in the house, dogs tend to sleep beside their human friends to protect them. It is most common for breeds that are overly protective of their owners.
They feel more secure
If your pooch is timid and afraid of everyone else, sleeping next to you will make it feel safer. If there are loud noises and disturbances outside, pups feel secure and more at ease sleeping beside their owners. Being close to their owners makes them feel like they belong.
They are being affectionate
Your pooch could also just be showing how much you mean to them by sleeping next to you. If you tend to rub and pat your pooch before going to bed, they might just be reciprocating the feeling by sleeping next to you. It is more common among dogs that spend a lot of their time with their owners and are rarely separated.
Separation anxiety
If your dog is lonely and all by itself all day, this behavior shows it wants to be alerted when you leave. If your pooch becomes anxious whenever you leave, it is more likely that they are suffering from separation anxiety. If your doggo has been overly clingy lately and whines and cries whenever they see you returning from outside, you might want to get in touch with a professional.
The big bed smells good
Sometimes it could simply be the fragrance of your bed that’s alluring the little pup. Everyone loves the pleasant fragrance of freshly laundered bedsheets, and your pooch is not an exception. The reason might also be that your bed smell like you, and your dog wants to be closer to you.
Dogs love to stretch out
Have you considered the size of their crate or bed? As dogs are active animals and love playing and hopping around, the circular bed designed for dogs doesn’t cut it. Especially for larger breeds, the congested mattress and crate will get in the way of quality sleep; hence they prefer your mattress with plenty of room to stretch out.
They feel left out
If you live with your partner and other family members, your pooch might just be jealous of the time you spend with them. As dogs don’t understand that the cuddles on the bed are not for them, it is understandable why your dog might want to be a part of it. Dogs want to be loved and give love all the time, so they might barge into your room even when they are not supposed to.
Lack of proper training
Have you ever tried to ask your pooch or tell them it is bad to sleep on your bed? Sometimes lack of proper training could also be a problem for your pooch’s behaviors. If you treat them like royalty, they will not likely be demoted to animals; often, these problems could be solved once you start training them.
Your bedsheet feels good
The bed sheet of your dog might be crude and not comfortable as your bed. Dogs, like humans, love good linens and want to be comfortable while sleeping. Especially pups with short fur on their body are often discomforted by the cover of their beds and will seek out luxury; hence they’ll insist on sleeping beside you.
Genes
Sometimes your little pooch might not be able to help themselves, as sleeping with their human buddies as it is in their genes. As soon as they are born, they sleep in their family dog piles for warmth and comfort, and this behavior is further reinforced as they grow up. Dogs, like wolves, think of their owners as parts of their pack and will always stick next to you while sleeping as they have done so for centuries for survival.
Should I Let My Puppy Sleep Next to Me?
Although it is very tempting to sleep with your little pooch next to you and almost hard to resist, you mustn’t let the habit develop. Some concerns should be addressed, such as if your dog is developing separation anxiety or if or not they are properly potty trained. Likewise, in case you sadly ever develop allergic reactions to your dog, it will take a toll on your dog to separate from you if the habit goes unchecked. Finally, there might be an increased risk of disease transfer between you and your dog despite maintaining optimal hygiene.
Allowing your little dog to sleep next to you during the early days of their puppyhood will discourage independence and confidence. Sleeping with puppies during the early days could trigger anxiety at being alone, and little pooch cannot develop resistance, leading to separation anxiety later. Moreover, puppies don’t have enough capacity to hold their potty for a long time, and your pup sleeping with you could also lead to potty accidents.
Little puppies have a very disruptive sleeping habit; getting some rest can be tricky as there will be a little pup making noises all night long. Besides this, there could be some health concerns associated with sleeping with your puppy as both humans and puppies could transfer disease to each other. Given all these reasons, it is always better to train your dog to sleep in their own bed early on.
Is Sleeping with Your Puppy Bonding?
Dogs love having a pack, and sleeping with you on the same bed will strengthen this bond as they will view you as part of their pack. Your pooch will feel comfortable and secure by sleeping with you, so definitely by co-sleeping, you and your pup will get closer. If your dog loves sleeping with you, take it as a compliment unless it is smothering you and has issues whenever you are not around.
Dogs will only sleep beside someone they trust and regard them as part of their pack, which is equivalent to them regarding you as their family. It is quite important for them as they are vulnerable during sleeping, meaning they have all the trust in you. So, sleeping with your pooch is bonding for sure and quite deep at that.
Though it is nice and comfortable having your little pooch sleeping next to you, first, note if you or your dog has any allergies to each other. Moreover, if your dog is behaving strangely and whines and cries every time you leave after sleeping, it probably is developing separation anxiety and is not trained enough. If no evident issue arises, sleeping with your puppy is beneficial for both of you as it will strengthen the bond between you and helps you both feel calm and loved.
How Do I Get My Puppy to Sleep Somewhere Else Besides Next to Me?
Crate training
Crate training is the most direct and sure way of making your pup sleep on their bed or anywhere you want. Choosing a spacious crate and slowly making sure they are in love with it by putting their favorite toys inside is a good way to go. They may protest at first and whine a lot, but sticking to the routine and making sure your pup loves the crate is the key.
Sleep training
If your puppy doesn’t sleep through the night and always searches for you whenever going to bed, it might not be properly sleep trained. As puppies are not that old, they don’t know what time they should go to sleep or where they should sleep. Puppies can easily be sleep trained with the right method; potty, sleeping, and turning off all the lights is a straightforward routine you can create for them.
Consistency
Another thing you must consider is whatever method you may choose; you have to be consistent on it and cannot be lenient over time. Suppose your dog is allowed to sleep in bed for one day and has to sleep in its crate the next day. Your pup will only become more confused, and this will only make your problem difficult to deal with.
Tire them out
If your pup is energetic and wants to play with you, they will follow you to the bedroom and will want to engage with you. Playing and walking with your pup before going to bed could be the remedy your puppy needs as they will be tired and happy. It will probably make them fall asleep on their designated spot.
Potty and sleep trainers
If you are busy and cannot allocate much time for your pooch to train them and set habits personally, you can always get professional help, and they will make your little pooch bed and potty ready in no time. Leaving as they are and not providing them with proper guidance early on will be very hard to rectify later, so going to professionals for help is not a bad idea.
Treat them
Encouraging good habits and giving them treat whenever they sleep on their bed could be another method. Putting treats, they love on the bed will surely make them go to bed and reinforce this strategy for a long time to build their habit. Praising them as a “good boy” will help them understand that they are doing it right, and your pup will sleep on their own bed for treats and praises.
Make the new environment familiar
Adding some of your old clothes to the new bed of your little pooch will help a lot as the familiar scent will make them at ease. Besides your clothes, putting your pup’s favorite toys and chews will also make them more comfortable and the environment more familiar. Doing so will make your little pooch more comfortable and will help with the new bedding and sleeping arrangements.
Patience
The most important of them all is patience; you need to have patience towards your little pooch. As they are not very old and don’t have any sense of right and wrong, you need to be patient with your little fur babies. Teaching them slowly and calmly will help you and your pooch greatly.
Other remedies
Providing your pooch with their favorite chew toy before going to bed could calm their nerves before bedtime. If they don’t have such toys, then buying anti-anxiety chews and giving them to play with will help them fall asleep without any anxiety.
Conclusion
We hope we were able to answer all your queries related to your pooch not sleeping unless next to you in this post. In short, your dog sleeping next to you strengthens your bond with them and makes you both feel loved. However, your puppy is best trained to sleep on its own warm and cozy bed due to reasons such as chances of developing separation anxiety, being both your sleep disrupted, and transferring diseases.