Dog sleeping in bedroom

[Moe]

We are getting a puppy soon and I've been reading a bunch of dog / puppy training books. So far they have all suggested having the dog sleep in the bedroom. I understand the philosophy behind it but I just don't want the dog in the bedrooms even if it is in a crate. I have never had a dog before and I don't want to sound mean or anything but I didn't even let my kids sleep in my room when they were little. I'm honestly trying to do my homework and do things right from the beginning, so far I'm on board with all the positive training methods and crate training but I just can't seem to get over this aspect of owning a dog.

Does anyone have their dog sleep in the living room or kitchen? Did anyone have the puppy in the room with them and when it got a bit older moved it to a common area of the home? Is this possible? (Am I nuts?)

[deepnite10]

i might be the exception..but, all the dogs sleep in our beds..the wife with her saluki..and me with Toby and the little mini-pin..

but, now the wife has been staying overnight helping with the twins..the saluki sleeps on the couch downstairs waiting for the wife..

my mini-pin is like join d at my hip..he follows me everywhere and cuddles under the covers when in bed..now Toby..he must be real hot blooded..he ll start in bed..and when he warms up he goes and lay s down on the tile floor in the bathroom..and when the floor below him warm s up he wanders downstairs and lays on the tile floor infront of the front door..on some warmer nights he ll even go lay out in the backyard..

[browndog]

When we first brought Katey home, she slept in her crate in the livingroom. She cried and had to get up multiple times a night to pee, so I slept on the couch beside her crate. Then after 2 weeks, we moved her crate to the kitchen and she has slept there ever since. I must admit I do wish she could sleep in our bedroom but my husband has allergies so we keep her out of the bedroom so he at least has one room that is always clean! She is so cute, she sometimes just sits in the bedroom doorway watching me tidy up or make the bed. She knows she's not allowed in there. Every now and then, when I'm not looking she dashes in there hunting for socks! She has done fine sleeping in the kitchen. I'm sure your dog will do just fine without sleeping in the bedroom. Why not just camp out for the first couple weeks in the livingroom with the puppy, then gradually move yourself back into the bedroom and leave the puppy in the livingroom.

[Julie B.]

Our puppy, nearly 6 months, still sleeps in her crate in the family room. I'm sure she'd be fine there indefinitely but, in the next few months, we'll try and transition her to our room- on her own bed. IMO dogs are generally fine with what they're used to. I slept in the family room 1 night after we got our puppy- after that I was back in my own bed! I did get up earlier for about a month to let her out.

[lindamarie]

I have the reverse problem.
Bogart goes where he wants to go.
I have had a horrible flu with temps almost 104. Bogart, knowing there is something wrong, has been jumping in bed awhile and then stays next to me on the floor.

My trainer got it all wrong. As a Service Dog, I want him there, yet the trainer said we can't let him on the bed.Now he feels uncomfortable an won't stay long.
So.....get a trainer who doesn't allow hin bed and you might get your wish, whereas. I am disappointed.

[Daisy'sMom]

I don't think you're nuts, I think you can make work what you want as long as you put your mind to it and train your dog what he/she can and can't do. When we crate trained Daisy she slept in her crate in our den on the main floor of our home, our bedrooms are all upstairs. The slept in her crate for the entire first year of her life. When she turned 1 year old, we bought her a dog bed and put it in our bedroom on our floor. She now sleeps in that. We do let her on our bed if we are in bed watching TV or reading, but as soon as the lights go out she gets in her own bed. We don't even have to tell her to get down, as soon as the TV goes off or lights are out she jumps down and gets in her own bed. I believe your dog can be trained to do what you want!

[jodysh]

Malcolm slept in his crate in the bedroom for the first 2 months or so that I had him. Then I started leaving the door open for the crate and letting him sleep in the bed with me if he wants to. Sometimes he does sometimes he goes to his crate. Sometimes he switches 3 or 4 times in one night. Oh and sometimes he goes into the bathroom and sleeps on the AC vent

My dogs have always slept with me. Malcolm is smallish, but he likes to snuggle up against me. Which I don't mind.

I guess it's all in how you want your dog to be trained as Daisy's mom says. Good luck!

[Moe]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice and stories about your dogs. My husband has allergies also and sleeping in our room is just not going to work. I'm glad to know others have had success having their dogs sleep downstairs.

I was planning in sleeping on the couch for the first few nights when she still needs to get up during the night and until she is used to the house. We are getting her the first week in Nov. Thanks for the support, I'm sure I'll have tons of questions.

[Lucky Me]

My 3 big dogs sleep in the bedroom. Our youngest, a 1yr. old, on the bed squished against my husband.(tried training her to get down, but my hubby said it was okay....so any complaints, it's his fault...LOL)
We have beds placed around our bed....the other 2 may jump up for a very short while to get attention, but sleep on their beds or on the tile if overheated.
Our little mini-pin has to sleep in a crate now as she is old and starting to "leak". She is quite a little watchdog and sleeps by the front door area, where she has always preferred.
I have heard in the past, that a dog should be crated in an area by your front door as a pup, to learn to protect you at night.
Actually...I don't care where they sleep, as long as they LET me sleep! LOL

[mdrichey]

Clementine has slept in her crate in the downstairs bath/laundry/furnace room since we got her. (Our bedroom is upstairs.) I would set my alarm for 2:30 AM every night to let her out until she was 4 months old, and she has slept through the night ever since. She has never once soiled her crate.

She would cry a lot the first couple of weeks but never makes a peep now. She started out in a smaller enclosed crate but is now in a bigger wire crate.

[Moe]

Originally Posted by mdrichey

Clementine has slept in her crate in the downstairs bath/laundry/furnace room since we got her. (Our bedroom is upstairs.) I would set my alarm for 2:30 AM every night to let her out until she was 4 months old, and she has slept through the night ever since. She has never once soiled her crate.

She would cry a lot the first couple of weeks but never makes a peep now. She started out in a smaller enclosed crate but is now in a bigger wire crate.

In the beginning when your puppy was crying did you do anything? How do you know if the puppy needs to go out (potty) or if it just wants company. Do you just let them cry it out? I did that with my kids, they called it the Ferber Method. It worked for human babies, I would assume it would work for puppies. Right? Not sure how the first few nights are going to go. I want to crate train the puppy to sleep in the kitchen from the start. We are getting the puppy in 5 days!

[browndog]

Be prepared for some heart-wrenching crying. It was REALLY HARD for us as she had the loudest, saddest cry. It broke my heart those first few nights. I let her out every 1.5 to 2 hours all night long for the first week. Yes, I was VERY tired at work during the day, but it was worth it in the end. I would let her out and see that she peed, then put her back in and if she cried, then I knew it was just for company and not wanting to pee as she had just went out. Usually the crying would subside after about 45 minutes or an hour and there would be silence for about half an hour and then crying again. This time, I knew it was that she had to pee as it had been about 2 hours so it was time, so back to taking her out, then put her back in the crate, let her cry, wait 2 hours, repeat! Gradually they will go longer and longer without crying and you will sleep longer and longer. It is like having a baby...it is a baby - a baby dog! Here's what helped:

covering the crate with a sheet so it is darker
putting music on right above the crate - clock radio works
putting in an old smelly shirt of yours
ear plugs

Some puppies adjust faster than others. Ours took 2 weeks!
This too shall pass....

[Moe]

Originally Posted by browndog

Be prepared for some heart-wrenching crying. It was REALLY HARD for us as she had the loudest, saddest cry. It broke my heart those first few nights. I let her out every 1.5 to 2 hours all night long for the first week. Yes, I was VERY tired at work during the day, but it was worth it in the end. I would let her out and see that she peed, then put her back in and if she cried, then I knew it was just for company and not wanting to pee as she had just went out. Usually the crying would subside after about 45 minutes or an hour and there would be silence for about half an hour and then crying again. This time, I knew it was that she had to pee as it had been about 2 hours so it was time, so back to taking her out, then put her back in the crate, let her cry, wait 2 hours, repeat! Gradually they will go longer and longer without crying and you will sleep longer and longer. It is like having a baby...it is a baby - a baby dog! Here's what helped:

covering the crate with a sheet so it is darker
putting music on right above the crate - clock radio works
putting in an old smelly shirt of yours
ear plugs

Some puppies adjust faster than others. Ours took 2 weeks!
This too shall pass....

OMG what have I gotten myself into???

[Julie B.]

Moe- don't worry- I really think it just depends on the puppy. I honestly never heard my puppy cry at night. (And we'd be able to hear from our room.) Occasionally, she'd get upset when we put her in the crate during the day but when she knew we weren't around she was fine. Like browndog said- it's a company thing. I think if the dog is let out 1x during the night for a bit then that's plenty.

[mdrichey]

Originally Posted by Moe

In the beginning when your puppy was crying did you do anything? How do you know if the puppy needs to go out (potty) or if it just wants company. Do you just let them cry it out? I did that with my kids, they called it the Ferber Method. It worked for human babies, I would assume it would work for puppies. Right? Not sure how the first few nights are going to go. I want to crate train the puppy to sleep in the kitchen from the start. We are getting the puppy in 5 days!

We just made sure she peed right before going in for the night, and always let her out around 2:30 to pee, and otherwise we just let her cry it out. It was painful to hear her crying, but she stopped after a couple weeks, and she never messed her crate.