Drift the GSD, Caterina a Malinois, and Tyra a Chocolate Lab all choose to sleep on the bed at night. Toni the other Malinois chooses to sleep on the "dog ottoman" at the foot of the bed. They are all welcome on the bed and have earned it - when I read at night they will often all be on the bed with me, but when I turn out the light, Toni jumps down to the ottoman. Toni is the one that is usually on guard duty at night, so I think that's why she sleeps on the ottoman -it's closer to the door.

They all have open crates that they will snooze in while Paul and I watch TV or do whatever in the evening.

New dogs in my home always begin life sleeping in a crate until they know the ropes and can be trusted. The crate is their "place" and they can learn to be there at night.

My big farm dog sleeps in the garage in summer and in the mudroom in winter when it's really cold.

My small farm dog sleeps on a chair in the livingroom, except if my husband is away. Then I have him sleep on my bed.

In the crate so I may control every single aspect of my dogs life. You know, because I am the boss of my house. -.-

Tanner is a low drive pet and also 9 years old. I've had young energetic dogs in the past that have slept in crates due to the whole wanting to play at 3am thing. Any dog with aggression issues would be a long term crate resident.

I actually had a loft bed when I first got Tanner so there wasn't even an option of sleeping on my bed. He slept underneath it on some thick comforters and also had the option of an open dog crate. He preferred those over even a nice dog bed. He stretches out when he sleeps so the crate wasn't as comfortable to him. He can take up a whole full size mattress when he sleeps sometimes. When I switched to my sofa bed in the living room he seemed to just understand that he wasn't allowed to get up on there with me unless invited. He's allowed up there all day but he waits for my okay to get up there with me. He's a very easy going boy and quite happy to have a pack structure.

I can't stand sleeping with a dog in the bed so now he gets invited up at the beginning of the night to spend some time under the covers or just chilling with me. When I'm ready to go to sleep I tell him "go to your bed" and he goes to the chaise to sleep for the rest of the night. If I'm staying up too late in his opinion he'll put himself to bed on the chaise.

Both my GSDs are outside dogs.

In good weather they both sleep on the covered patio. There is a ceiling fan for in the hot weather.

The past couple of weeks Thunder, almost 11, has been going into his dog house in side the garage.

Trooper is still outside and probably wont use the dog house until it gets below freezing on a regular basis.

Even then he'll spend most of the day in the yard.

The dog houses are reached by going through a dog door in the side of the garage. Garage is insulated as are the two dog houses. They are double walled with foam in between the walls and there is also a half bale of hay tossed in each house a couple of times a yr after a good clean out. That was done last week.

 Quote: Brianah Maloney

In the crate so I may control every single aspect of my dogs life. You know, because I am the boss of my house. -.-

Some advice: you can be young, sarcastic, or a know-it-all; pick one. Any one of these traits is forgivable. But they make a very unattractive combination.

Well, I guess Tracy summed it all up very succinctly.

Indeed.

And now, for a change, we'll carry on with a good thread without inserting snarkiness.


Hey, Richard, welcome, by the way! You may like to do an intro in this section: http://leerburg.com/webboard/topiclist.php?forum_id=146

(A picture or two can be posted there as well.)

Logan sleeps in his kennel outside or in his crate inside if its too cold. He is not to be trusted loose while I am asleep...I made that mistake once while camping, waking to the sound of him shredding my foam pad.

My little chow mix slept on my bed or on her bed in the floor next to mine. She was always good.

There is so much that speaks (as always) to this point ... "It depends on the dog."



Richard, what is Molly's reaction to the change in beds? There isn't a lot of detail in the O.P., but I was wondering if her familiar bed was in the new open crate?