If you have a dog, it might be nice to have her as a bunkmate every night. Then again, you may be devoid of any legroom (somehow small dogs seem like they take up a lot). While sleeping with your dog might be something we all enjoy, she may need her own pet bed anyway.
We’ll be taking a look at four reasons why that is. Your dog is your best friend and a member of your family. You’ll want her to get a good night’s rest like you, right? But you’d be surprised by what benefits you may deprive her of if she doesn’t have her own bed to sleep on.
But not to worry, your not a bad dog mom or dad for doing this. However, you can make life easier for both you and the dog. Plus, it’s more legroom for you (nothing wrong with that).
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the reasons why a dog should have its own bed:
- They want their own space
Think about it for a moment. We all want to be the masters of our own domain. As puppies, they find comfort in the confines of their playpen.
As they grow up, they will find comfort in their own bed. They have a space all to themselves. You don’t want to make them feel like they are not an important part of their family.
After all, your home is theirs too. But they also need a place where they can be by themselves if they feel like it. All that love you’ve been giving them along with the treats and playtime, they can find a place to rest after all of that.
This will also keep your furniture clean and in good condition. Especially if you don’t want dogs on your furniture, to begin with. Find a dog bed that is ideal for her breed and then set aside a space that is suitable for her.
- Sleeping on the floor = no good
Here’s the thing about sleeping on the floor. As most dogs tend to do it a lot, what they may not realize is that it does them more harm than good. Common health issues for dogs like hip dysplasia and arthritis have been linked to sleeping on the floor without the aid of a dog bed.
There are special dog beds known as orthopedic beds that will come in handy (especially for senior dogs). Dogs ages seven and up will be more prone to structural conditions, so sleeping on the floor at this point will be out of the question.
- Keeps things clean
Circling back to reason number one, we mentioned about keeping furniture clean and damage-free. Shouldn’t you limit cleaning up after your pet to one small area of the house? Absolutely.
So when your dog has their own bed in their little space that’s in one of the corners of your house, then it will keep everything else nice and clean. Not to mention, it should at least lessen the risk of hair and dander (which can trigger some allergies). Even better news: most dog beds will be easy to clean.
Remember to check the tag before cleaning it. That’s because there might be special cleaning instructions that you have to follow so the bed isn’t ruined. Some may need to be washed and air-dried while others can be washed and dried in a regular washer and dryer.
- It gives them a chance to rest on their own time
Dogs sleep about 12 hours a day. So it would be wise for them to get a bed so they are comfortable, well-rested, and ready to take on another day with you. Humans and dogs need their beauty rest, that’s for sure.
Plus, whenever they feel tired they can just lay down and doze off at their own time. You don’t need to tell them to go to bed. They’ll do it on their own time (unless they are causing a ruckus late at night).
It also gives them a place to relax and be lazy. Yes, even dogs can have lazy days when they don’t feel like doing anything. Can we blame them?
Final Thoughts
Your dog will need her own bed for the four reasons listed above. You love them well enough to give them more comfort, their own space, and the lesser chance of developing structural health issues as they get older.
Not to mention, it saves you a lot of time and frustration from having to constantly clean up after them. Keep it all to a minimum just by giving them their own space. Yes, it may not be the best thing for you both since you two like being bunkmates.
But in the end, you’re doing both of yourselves a favor. At least you’re both giving each other more space to sprawl out.
