My Boxer Blogz

Dixie and Addy sleeping together

This has been a topic of debate for as long as I can remember. As you can tell by the pictures I posted on here, we do let our boxers sleep in bed with us and we have since day one. (Just look at the main banner picture at the top of this page.  It’s Mickey and Dixie in our bed!)  I always had boxers growing up and they always slept in bed with us. They became an extension of us, to the point that I couldn’t sleep unless I had a dog in bed with me.

Many people argue that sleeping with a dog in bed with you is one of the worst things you can do. Several studies have tried to prove that having a dog in bed with you makes the dog feel like they are one the same level as their master, that they (the dog) is in charge. Or they at least feel like your equal. These studies try to show that in nature the alpha dog usually sleeps higher up, or in the prime sleeping spot to show dominance. If you allow your dog to sleep in your prime sleeping spot (the bed), then you are showing them that they are also an alpha dog in your family.

Then, of course, there’s the problem of the wear and tear on the bedding (not to mention the hair). I find myself doing our bedding laundry a lot more than usual due to our two boxers. Whenever we go to look for new bedding, I find myself passing up some beautiful comforters due to the fact that the colors are too light (they’ll show the dog hair) or that the fabric is too delicate (the dogs will tear it with their claws when they jump up), but I also find that I’m OK with that.

Let me share with you my thoughts and feelings on the subject and perhaps it will allow you to make up your own mind about the matter. As I stated before, we let our dogs sleep with us and have since we brought them home from the breeders. As far as the whole “dogs feeling like they are the alpha dog if they sleep with us” theory, I think its pure baloney! We have always disciplined our dogs and they are wonderful, respectful, and well rounded dogs. If your boxers understand their role in your house, sleeping on the bed with you will not change this. For example, my husband usually goes to bed first. He won’t be asleep right away (he’s usually tinkering away on his laptop till I come to join him). While he is in bed, both the dogs jump up and join him right away as well. Mickey, the oldest, automatically lays down right where I lay (one of the prime sleeping spots in his view). This is fine with me until I decide that it’s time for me to go to bed. I’ll walk right up to the bed, look down at him, point to the bottom of the bed and snap my fingers. I don’t have to even say a word anymore. He automatically knows that he can stay on the bed, but he has to move from the prime spot.

Our dogs sleeping habits have also changed over the years. They used to both sleep with us every night. Getting into bed was like a game of Tetris. You had to mold you body into a shape to fit around the dogs because, as any boxer owner knows, once your dog is out for the night, they’re not moving! Lately, though, they have started doing their own thing. Dixie (our smallest) usually starts out on the floor and works her way up halfway through the night. Mickey is just the opposite. Sometimes he starts sleeping with us on the bed, and eventually jumps off later, or he might even spend the whole night on the couch. It just depends on his mood.

Dogs are smart enough to make their own decision. We never forced them onto or off of our bed. They do whatever is comfortable for them. So, in conclusion here’s how to decide what is best for your dog. If you dog already knows their place in your house and has gone through some sort of obedience training, be it at home or with a professional, and you are comfortable with a big lump of dog in your bed, go for it! As long as you don’t mind a few extra hairs on the bedding, and not being able to move for most of the night, you (and your beloved boxer) will be fine.