Partner A wants dog to sleep in the bed. Wet-blanket Partner B says no can(ine) do. Kid says he needs to bunk with his buddy. Parent says his bedroom is a No Pup Zone.
Where the dog beds down for the night is a frequent source of disagreement between those who feel that there is nothing sweeter than a warm, furry pooch snuggled in the blankets and those who think there should be a limit to human-canine closeness.
In the interest of maintaining a peaceable kingdom, often a housemate will go along with one or the other policies, even if grudgingly. In fact, the majority of people surveyed by the AKC welcome the dog in their bed: 45%.
Crates are used in many situations (and crate-training is a proven housebreaking technique), and 20% of respondents crate their dog at bedtime.
At 17%, the third most popular sleeping spot in our poll is a dog bed. A small number of owners—4%—use an outdoor shelter. We would advise all dog owners to be mindful about letting your dog sleep outside, and to take in a number of factors before doing so, such as temperature and weather conditions; security of the area; risk of other animals, and more.
A broad and somewhat vague “various places indoors” was the response of 14% of the dog owners. It would be interesting to know if the dog or the owner chooses those locations, or if they are a mutually satisfactory decision. It may be the case that dog and owner are more in sync than Partners A and B or Kid and Parent.
