Untitled.pages4 out of 5 pet owners admit that they share their beds with their pets. Most of us think nothing of it – after all, isn’t this a member of the family? But both medical doctors and veterinarians warn us there are plenty of disadvantages to these sleeping arrangements.

Problems when you bunk in together

Your quality of sleep is probably disturbed when you sleep with a dog in the bed, especially a tiny bundle like a Morkie.

Questions may run through the back of your mind: “Am I going to roll over and squish him like a big mother sow and her piglets?” “Am I going to kick her by accident?”

“Is my dog going to jump down or even fall out in the night, and hurt himself?”

If you’re constantly worried about hurting your dog, you won’t get a good night’s sleep.

Too soon for the dog is another problem.  If he’s not fully potty-trained, sleeping in bed with you can lead to accidents and/or downright confusion!

Wait till your Morkie is fully potty trained before letting him hop up.

Once you say yes, that’s it! I’ve found that it’s very, very difficult, if not downright impossible, to change your mind and suggest your fur bundle sleep on a nice DOG BED! You’ll get the look like, really? You want me to sleep THERE.  No thanks!

There ARE things you can catch from your dog when you sleep in the same bed.

Then there’s zoonosis. They’re the infectious diseases that animals carry, that can actually pass on to humans. There aren’t a ton of them, but some are quite worrisome. Like the plague!!  That’s extremely rare of course, but there are some Others are more common and include horrible things like LOTS of worms:

  • ringworm
  • roundworm
  • hookworms
  • tapeworms

Plus you could catch:

  • Giardia, a nasty little one-cell organism that causes diarrhea
  • Salmonella – most often carried by pets like turtles

Ultimately it comes down to you and your and your comfort level with the dog in the bed.

But when all  is said and done….

Fans of the “Alpha Dog” school of training (Cesar Millan and followers) believe that your dog should NEVER be allowed on your bed; you should never get down on the ground and play with your Morkie; and always eat your food before your Morkie gets any…. To my way of thinking, Morkies are too small and life’s too short!

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Q: Does your dog sleep in your bed?

 

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