Our Harley puppy is growing and now takes up a fair amount of space on the bed. Our pattern has always been that Harley has about an hour cuddle time on the bed at night and about an hour in the morning. And Harley LOVES the bed so much. Even if she sneaks in while we are in another part of the house you will find her on the bed. She doesn't get on the couches or chairs and is very good about not trying her luck there but the bed is most desired. What used to happen is that she would have her night time wee and then spend time on the bed, and off to her pen to sleep for the night. She would wake up at about 05:00 and go out again and then on the bed for an hour before we all get up. Clever puppy, however, figured out that if she asks to go out at 03:30 mom and dad are too sleepy to notice the time and she gets extra morning bed time. That is an easy enough behaviour to curb but I have noticed that we are all a bit cramped in the morning hour. We have DH and I, Pook and Harley. I have woken up with a sore back a few mornings running. Both Pook and Harley sleep like rocks and are very difficult to move. Does anyone have any ingenious ways to extend bed space so that Harley can still be with us on the bed but bar us buying a brand new bed, we can have a little more space?
Pah, a teeny tiny Labrador and a teeny tiny cat?! That's nothing! Try three Labradors plus the two of us in a regular double bed. Willow down the bottom of the bed, Shadow between us and Luna on the pillows. Yup, I know about that bad back all too well We've committed to buying a super king. It's the only way
We had a similar issue with Ella. Ella usually sleeps on our bed until we go to bed then she stays in the lounge/kitchen/laundry rooms which are separated from the rest of the house (single storey) by a couple of baby gates. The kid usually wakes about 6.30am so we'd grab him from his cot, let Ella out and the four of us would climb back into our bed and we'd put some TV on for the kid while the rest of us (OH, Ella and I) would try to snooze for a little longer. Unfortunately Ella started to wake earlier and earlier and started whinging to be let out to come to our bed. We just can't manage to sleep all night in bed with Ella (I do when the OH is away or on nightshift) as she takes up too much space and we don't have room for a bigger bed. So we stopped it all. Cold turkey. Ella doesn't get to sleep on our bed in the evenings and when Nathan wakes in the morning we all get up and go into the lounge. It sounds mean and Ella did whinge for the first few mornings but she's fine now and it solved our issues. Now we've even been able to invite Ella into our room on some occasions again. Sorry, not quite a sleeping arrangement solution that involves Harley sleeping in your bed but it probably would work. The only other thing I've thought of is having a king size doona (the covers - whatever you call them) on a queen size bed.
Just buy a bigger bed. It's the only sensible way to go. Charlie seems enormous in bed, but that's because his place is on the pillows, so he is - literally - in our faces. And he's not the smallest dog ever anyway. Betsy is such a titch, she curls up somewhere about the bed and we don't notice her at all.
We bought a King size extra length for this reason! But Snowie actually prefers sleeping on the floor or on his cushion or outside on the balcony - guess it's too hot to be on the bed all night. He gets on around 5am, altho he usually wakes me up to ask permission!!!!! Grrr wish he'd just jump on. You could build up a bed at the foot of yours. Maybe an ottoman or a big piece of foam level with your bed? Kinda extending your bed.
Sleep on the floor and give the bed over to the animals? Otherwise it sounds like new bed or @MF 's idea of an ottoman/bench at the end of the bed.
David was very reluctant to have our dogs even in our bedroom let alone on the bed the meany, but I bought a raised dog bed with a piece of vetbed put on top so it's super comfy so Hattie now sleeps in our room and only sleeps on the bed when David is away. Charlie is a pain to have in our room as he's up and down pacing around all the time, a very light sleeper so he sleeps in his own bed downstairs where he is happiest, unless I kick David out for snoring which is a lot he goes into one of the spare rooms and Charlie sleeps on the bed with him, however he does wake David up at 5.30 am for a walk x
Bailey started life on his bed at the side of our bed, now he starts off the night at the foot of the bed on my side, either across my legs or snuggled into the back of my legs if I'm laying on my side, head propped up, then during the night he somehow manages to get in between myself and OH ending up with his head on our pillows too - quite comical when the first sight to greet you is a snoring dog! We have a king size bed - OH is well over 6ft tall and takes up loads of space and with Bailey on there now too I end up balancing on the edge with only half of me covered with the duvet - roll on summer I say!
That is a very good idea MF, DH is very handy, it can be a project. Our bedroom is airconditioned so it is very comfortable for everyone...maybe too comfortable Lol, Harley would rather cuddle with dad. Pook is stuck to me like a barnacle, he is such a mommy's boy.
Love reading everyone's set up for sleeping. I insisted that Harley would only ever sleep in her crate and never upstairs..........that lasted all of 3 weeks! We have had to buy a king size bed as a normal double meant I was squashed. She starts off curled up at the bottom of the bed, but creeps up during the night, often either spooning me or head on me and led sideways across the bed kicking OH off
I'm loving this thread. DH grew up with dogs and was horrified I would not let them sleep in the bed before they were toilet trained overnight. Fast forward a few weeks and he was away on business when we had a few really cold and rainy nights, and I felt bad, so let Biscuit sleep with me. DH returned to find she'd taken over his bed, and was most put out to find he wanted to share! And after the first night he complained about how much she snores and her puppy dreams, and banished her from the bedroom. Being a bright pup she just went to sleep with my son, and returns to me whenever DH is away. I must admit, having shared my bed with two children and the dog over the years, so far the dog is the most pleasant company.
We're squashed up. Coco invited himself onto the bed one night when we were too tired to kick him off - there he has remained. It's only a double bed - the bedroom is too small for anything larger. It has a foot board so no option for extending on to the ottoman. We have learned to scrunch up and live with the discomfort. As long as Coco is comfy. Makes me smile if I get up in the night and see him, stretched out on his back with his legs in the air - so sweet.
My OH who did not grow up with dogs was adamant that Bailey would sleep on his own bed, never ever on ours....ha that lasted only as long as Bailey was too small to get up on his own
This was Bailey and my OH two mornings ago....someone was comfortable (I had been up a while and had gone up to wake them both up!)
