As I explained last week, a friend and I were discussing a recent scene from one of our favorite PBS series on Masterpiece—Van der Valk—in which a dog actor on the show was lying next to his humans in bed, on his back, comfortably relaxed. I wondered if other dog guardians I know related to that sight. I thought I’d ask.
“Where does your dog sleep?” I inquired of online friends. “For fun, and because I’m curious,” I added.
I detailed my questions. “You have more than one dog? Tell us about them all and where each one sleeps … and why! Was it the dog’s choice or yours? I’d love to hear where each dog sleeps at night when you sleep and where each dog sleeps during the day when you’re awake. Also, when you’re not home, does the dog make a different choice … or do you?”
They answered, from across the globe. What would your answer be?
Gwen Jones (California) One is faithfully on our bed at our feet, every night, another sleeps on the bed or in her crate as she wishes, the other one always in a crate (on his own), or on the floor next to our bed. Two dog beds in the room are just there for show.
Michaela Kelso (Washington) I’ve got two dogs and four cats. The “little” one, a girl named Blue, sleeps in our bed at night, unless the cats encroach on her space. She weighs about 80 pounds, so takes up a significant amount of bed. We got her as a puppy, and she’s been sleeping there since the beginning. She demands that either my husband or I—but mostly my husband—join her in bed for an afternoon nap. But we also have several dog beds throughout the house, and she uses all of them, along with the couch, the dog couch (yes, one just for her), or anywhere she can be underfoot. The big guy, Dave, occasionally jumps in our bed during the day, but he gets too hot with people around. Also, he respects that it is Blue’s space, unlike those darn cats. At night he often sleeps in front of the front door, or on the sofa, or outside. He is a livestock guardian dog and loves to be outside. We got Dave from the Spokane Humane Society, and he was quite traumatized in the beginning. Now he will sleep on any of the dog beds, the couch (but not the dog couch!), or in any passage that he can block. Blue is the black dog, Dave is the “blonde” on our couch, sometime last year. Yes, that is a three-seater, with room for up to four reasonably sized adults—or two large dogs.
Photo by Michaela Kelso
Clair Eccles (United Kingdom) Wherever they choose. There’s multiple armchairs, sofas, their own beds, rugs, marble, porcelain, my bed (they normally get off, sleep until 5 a.m. and then come back for the last hour or so). My Caucasian likes to lie outside when it’s not gale-force windy; having the door open 24/7 in the winter is too cold, so she taps when she is ready to come in. Otherwise the door is open and she lies on the gravel.
Tony Cruse (United Kingdom) My dog used to sleep in his tiny puppy crate. I took the door off it and somehow he always manages to climb in and out.
Olwen Turns (United Kingdom) Anywhere but in my elderly mother’s bedroom. The doors to the kitchen and lounge are usually shut as well. I have four dogs; they have dog beds in my bedroom and in the hallway, but one tends to sleep on the bathroom floor, one at the top of the stairs, and the other two (mother and daughter) where they find space.
Karla Smele (United Kingdom) Both in my bed mostly; one will sometimes sleep in her dog bed. Usually the Doberman is curled up next to my head, between the pillows (super king size bed), and the pug usually sleeps by the side of me, or sometimes under the duvet at the back of my knees!
Linda Lukens (Mexico) They sleep in bed with us from the time they are eight weeks old. They all have slept through the night and not gotten us up early because they have to go out and are lonely in their crate and daylight woke them up. Never had an accident in the bed. Now my female sleeps on the bed with us, and my male gets off the bed when I come up to bed. My husband goes to bed much earlier than me, and I just ask Dharma to go to bed and he lies on a dog bed on the floor. Even a king size bed is not big enough with two standard poodles in it. Dharma is very good about getting off, and I never formally taught him. During the day they sleep wherever they want.
Dawn Elberson Goehring (Hawaii) Four to five in bed with us. Two go undercover towards our feet and the other two or three sleep by the pillow and like to be spooned. We have several dog beds on the floor but they choose the bed. My oldest sleeps on the floor in his bed because he is blind and deaf and we worry about him falling off. When we are home they are usually hanging with us on the couch or on the floor in front of the couch. We have dog beds and two other chairs that two of them like to use, but the others are always with us or on us. When we go out, they choose the couch or chairs. Only the two small older dogs choose the beds, only because they cannot get up on the couch anymore. And as much as I hate to admit it, they all love the stone coffee table! There is always a dog or two on it. Likely because it’s cool. But they get choice, and we are happy with that.
Photo by Dawn Elberson Goehring
Cheri A. Moore (Nevada) Our precious dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few years back. Sugar, our springer spaniel/red heeler mix, always slept on our daughter’s twin bed with her and our cat.
Don Hanson (Maine) In her crate by the bed. It is her fortress of solace.
Christine Blakeney (Vermont) On my bed, in her bed. If I don’t have her bed on mine then she’s a bed hog!
Aimee Gertsch (Utah) In bed with us.
Lynn Ungar (Washington) Two Aussies on the bed.
Janet Velenovsky (Virginia) In his round fluffy bed (which is on our bed).
Photo by Janet Velenovsky
Sandee Strobel Szabo (Virginia) Each of our three dogs has their own different location to sleep in. Thaddeus, our youngest, prefers to sleep in his crate next to our bed. Ursula, our only female, likes to sleep in the bed with us. Mr. Wilson, our oldest, loved to sleep in the bed with us until Ursula joined us. After a few months, Mr. Wilson felt it was getting too crowded with him and Ursula plus Andy and myself in the bed, so then he chose to sleep on one of the three couches in the living room. He let us know his decision when he just refused to come back into the bedroom with us. We tried to encourage him and lifted him onto the bed but he would jump off and just scratch the door telling us he wanted to go back out to the living room so we allowed him to make his own decision. He did, for a while, like to sleep with our foreign exchange son, Tom, but the bed is very tall and hard for him to get on and off. So, once again, he let us know that he prefers our living room couches.
Mandy Collins (United Kingdom) Wherever he wants. At night he usually swaps between the floor, his bed, and my bed.
Karen Reardon Taylor (California) Wherever they want.
Deb Hunt (Washington) We are family … everyone sleeps in the bed. Babysits, too. I love cuddles and we all make adjustments for others.
Sheri McEachran (Washington) I have one large dog with mobility issues and a smaller active dog, Eddie, who occasionally shares a dog bed with Poki. He also has a favorite sofa and chair and goes to our bed before us. When we come to bed, Eddie grumbles. (cross between a growl and mumble) and grumpily moves over a bit for us. For a smaller dog he takes up a LOT of space. Eddie also naps in his favorite chair!
Photo by Sheri McEachran
Jules Weber (Virginia) Wherever we are. If we are in the bedroom, they sleep in there. My service dog sleeps on the bed, our Swissy sleeps on an extra large Purple Pet Bed (man, I wish they still made those!). But if I can’t sleep and I’m in the sunroom or on my computer, my service dog will sleep under my desk, on one of the dog beds in that room, or he’ll sleep on the bed and wait for me. Our Swissy has a dog bed there, too, but he tends to crash wherever we are after his dinner, and sleep through most everything in that spot. But that’s also because he is on Kappra (among other medications for a few health reasons) for seizures and that knocks him out. We lovingly call it his “Kappra coma” because he’s out.
Donna Furneaux (Ontario) On my bed.
David Bozak (New York) All our dogs are allowed in bed … our first dog came to bed and once she felt we had fallen asleep, she got off the bed and sprawled out on the floor. Then she’d get back on the bed when she figured it was about the time we’d get up so she could pretend she was there all night. One other dog refused to come to bed but rather had to crawl under the bed (where he could hardly fit) and was happy only there. Go figure.
Where does your dog sleep? There don’t seem to be any “wrong” answers to that question, according to our friends who’ve commented—as long as the dog and the humans are all contented with their choices. Sleep well, dogs and dog guardians!
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