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Q: Where is the most appropriate place for a dog to sleep within the home? If the pet owner wants them to sleep in bed with them, is that healthy?

A dog can sleep anywhere the owner wants them to. There's no "one size fits all" rule. It's an individual decision based on the owners and dogs lifestyle, as well as on the dog's personality. We do however, need to understand that for us to sleep with a dog is about cuddling, but for them to sleep with us can hold other meanings. If we will look at the way by which wolves establish their pecking order, one of the ways is by the fact that the Alpha wolf always gets to sleep in the highest and most comfortable spot, as it gives him the vantage point to survey the territory as well as his pack. The leader can also remove another pack member from its resting place and reclaim it as his own, a behavior that people who sleep with their dogs often experience. They end up with a handkerchief size space while their dog is all spread out on the bed. Not every dog starts out wanting to be the leader, but they are certainly opportunistic creatures.

That said, one of my dogs sleeps on my bed, but he has a towel that I put for him there and he knows not to get off it, so I am able to stretch out. If you want your pet to sleep in bed with you, there must be boundaries that you enforce every night. If done correctly, your dog can make a perfect bedtime companion!

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