In recent studies it has been found that over 50% of dog owners let them sleep on their bed at night time, is this a good or a bad thing? From a dog’s perspective they rely on their sense of smell to help them understand the world, anything which has a familiar smell of their owners is a comfort. Therefore, being on your bed will be a favoured place for your canine friend. Below we have shown some pros and cons of sharing your bed with a dog.
- They keep you warm – Dogs body temperatures are on average 3-6 degrees warmer than humans, they are therefore nice and warm to snuggle up with at night time. This however is not so pleasant in the warmer summer months.
- Safety – Having a dog in the bedroom gives us that extra feeling of being protected, we can relax a bit more knowing we are not alone and there is someone else present, dogs will bark at any unfamiliar noises so we can sleep deeper and longer knowing we will be alerted by our four-legged friends.
- Physical benefits – Having dogs on the bed is said to reduce stress and anxiety for both you and your pet, cuddling with your pet releases oxytocin’s which help create bonds, lowers blood pressure and relieve stress.
- Allergies – Even if you are not allergic to dogs they can still be a cause of allergies. As they spend a lot of time outside they can become exposed to many allergens which can then be carried back to the human by either becoming trapped in the fur or on their paws.
- Sleep Disturbance – Dogs sleep for shorter periods of time than humans do, therefore they can become restless in the night disrupting our sleep pattern.
