Bed Hogs

My dogs are piled on my bed this morning, they love sleeping with us. They typically do not sleep with us throughout the night but join us in the early morning. None of them are really fond of being kicked and pushed around so they know where to and not to sleep on the bed. Tilley is probably the worst for hogging the bed and not moving if she is in the way. Even when she knows you are going to move her she is a dead weight, she is completely trusting so just waits to see where you are going to move her to.

Luke has his "spot" on the bed, the end left corner (left if you are looking at him from my bed). This is and always has been his perch, he occupies this spot whenever he is on the bed and we are not. He really likes it now since we moved because he can see me on the computer from this position. He will lie there if we are in bed as well but if there are feet in the way, he'll adjust his position to a feetless spot.

And then there is Jessie, the burrowing hog dog. Her favorite spot is under the covers and she'll push her way under like a bulldozer. Its actually pretty annoying if you are trying to sleep, she tries to lift the edge of the covers so that she can get under and then proceeds to push until she is at her perfect destination. In the colder months she wants to be at the bottom where I truly wonder how she can breath at all with all the heavy blankets covering her.

Jessie is pretty good about being stepped on when she is burrowed deep in the covers, it happens quite a bit. She is a small girl, only 15 lbs so once she is under the covers you really can't see that there is a dog under the blankets. Every once in a while if one of the other dogs steps on her, you'll hear a low growl. The dog who stepped on her acts immediately startled by the sound coming deep within the bed. Both of my poodles do not like when Jessie is under the covers, it freaks them out.
If Jessie starts moving around under the covers Luke won't even stay on the bed, I think it is the fact that he can't see her that bothers him.

All of my dogs will vacate the bed immediatley when asked. This is the one rule about being on the bed, if anyone objects to getting off, they are not allowed on. The bed is one place you have to be very careful about clear ownership. It is of course the most comfortable and desirable spot in the house, it is also up high so you have to be sure that your dog knows who owns the bed. Many people tell me that their dog will growl if they try to move or remove them from the bed. This is a clear reason to remove them immediately. These types of dogs can only get on the bed if you say so and only if they will then get off when you say so, otherwise they stay off.

When I ask guardians if their dog sleeps in their bed I can always tell before they answer, their eyes shift downward as if in shame. Immediately I tell them "my dogs sleep in my bed" to reassure them. For some reason people seem to think dogs should not be in the people bed and that if they do it is best kept a secret. So for those of you who are closet "allow your dog on the bed" people, establish "the rule." Once the rule is followed you can freely admit to others that yes in fact your dog does sleep on the bed.