Question: Is it true that sleeping with your dog is not a good idea?
Answer: I'm not sure where the notion came from that sleeping with your dog is bad, but I know there is a faction that advises against sleeping with your pet for health reasons. In other words, running the risk of contracting a zoonotic illness from your dog. And there is such a thing as catching a bug from sleeping with your pet, but the data indicates chances are somewhat remote, and it's riskier to sleep with a cat than a dog. Cat scratch disease being the biggest potential threat.
Nonetheless, according to a recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 62 percent of the 165 million dogs and cats in this country sleep in the bed with humans, with women more likely than men to allow their dog in the bed. (There's a joke there somewhere, I'm sure.)
The reasons people sleep with their dog are well documented. Studies have shown that pets may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels and decrease feelings of loneliness. And touching or physical contact, human or otherwise, raises levels of oxytocin in the body, creating feelings of contentment. And, of course, the comfort that an unconditionally loving animal provides in bed, creates emotional solace, especially for the depressed, lonely or anxious. And I personally think if all kids could grow up having a relationship with a dog, and sleeping with that dog, our prisons would possibly be half empty.
Not everybody feels that way about sleeping with their pooch though, and that's fine. I understand. If your dog is huge, I can see where it might be a drag sharing your sack with a 90-pounder, but fundamentally, the principle of sleeping with a dog is perfectly OK as long as the rest of your relationship is healthy and balanced. And that is the big question, because if your dog doesn't respect you, the same problems you have with him during waking hours will carry over to beddy-bye.
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, sleeping with you could exacerbate his problem and undermine his need to develop a certain degree of independence. Additionally, edgy, high-strung dogs have been known to nip their owners if they're startled awake in bed. If your dog isn't disciplined, you might be asking for headaches letting him in the bed. As the leader, you should be able to definitively decide where in the bed he will sleep, too, and if you want him to move or scoot over, he should do it without a hassle.
An undisciplined dog will have a problem with those details. I don't suggest sleeping with a little puppy, either. A pup should sleep in a crate. Starting him off sleeping in your bed as a little guy may convey to him that you are merely pack mates and undermine your leadership. That could cause problems in the future. And you don't want your dog to grow up thinking he must always sleep in the bed with you. You may not always want your dog in the sack for one reason or another. Sleeping arrangements are always left to the discretion of the pack leader, because the pack leader makes all the decisions. A dog who thinks your bed is his bed can be very problematic, so it's important your dog knows the ground rules, (and that you set them). If I tell my dog to go get in her bed or "get off" (my bed), she may not dig it, but she'll do it, because she understands the implications of my leadership.
Ultimately, if your dog is clean, disciplined and fairly compliant, sleeping with him is probably a good thing — for both of you.