Puppy sleeping in the bedroom: pros and cons?

My dog has always slept in my bedroom.

I don't see it as unhygienic or a sign of weakness. He has his bed, I have mine. He can go downstairs to sleep if he wants to.

Evening everyone!

For my part, my dog sleeps in my bedroom but it’s not out of necessity or some kind of emotional clinginess. He sleeps with us because I decided it that way and I’ve put rules in place that I felt were necessary to make sure everything goes smoothly.

In the evening, as soon as I’m going to bed, I say "bedtime Miko" and he heads upstairs and goes to his dog bed. I leave him his Kong in case he wants a chew and, since we go for a walk right before bed, he stays well-behaved without whining or jumping on my bed (as my bed is strictly off-limits and he knows it). He waits until I get out of bed, and if I have a sick child sleeping with me, I simply have to tell him "basket" and he goes downstairs and settles down without making a sound or getting into any mischief. So, I don’t think having a dog sleep in your room is a problem; you just have to make sure you show them the ropes and teach them the rules of the bedroom. It’s a bit tough at the start, but I think it’s up to every owner to do what works for them. That’s just my opinion and how I do things, though I know it’s not for everyone.

I just wanted to show that it’s perfectly possible.

Have a lovely evening, everyone! 👋

Hi Jador,

It's simply to encourage owners to link proper walks—which are vital for puppy socialisation—with house training. Out of laziness, too many people just rely on the garden, and that’s not a good thing.

Hi Véro,

Trainer and behaviourist... those two don't really go together. But that’s a whole other debate.

That makes no sense regarding a puppy's natural learning process, as I explained before. Especially since getting a puppy used to sleeping in the bedroom only to make them sleep elsewhere later isn't very consistent. First, you're reinforcing a behaviour, and then you're essentially punishing them for it. It's nonsensical.

"Had to" seems a bit much.

Of course, a puppy will do everything they can to stay close to a key source of emotional comfort. By giving in, you aren’t necessarily doing her any favours.

I’m not saying it’s easy—far from it. However, I believe it's necessary to respect canine learning principles, and letting a puppy sleep right next to you isn't part of that.

+1 Humeur-de-chien (hardly a surprise there!)

Mind you, why rule out the garden for house-training? It’s really easy (and handy) to show a puppy that the toilet routine we’re teaching them leads straight through the patio doors. I do agree though that it shouldn't be confused with going for a proper walk.

Hi there,

In my opinion, it’s a really bad idea.

When owners let their dog sleep in their bedroom, or even right next to them, they’re mostly satisfying a selfish need to fill an emotional void. In doing so, they don’t always realise they’re going completely against a puppy’s natural learning process.

When a mother dog begins the detachment process with her puppies, she’s triggering a biological process that’s essential for their psychological development. This involves various behaviours, including no longer allowing them to sleep right next to her.

This helps the puppies become more independent and prepares them for life as an adult dog.

So, there’s absolutely no reason to break this process—unless, as I suggested earlier, you’re looking to please yourself before thinking about what’s best for the dog.

Unfortunately, and this happens all the time, owners tend to infantilise their dogs rather than guiding them towards independence and an adult dog mindset.

Domestic dogs will always be very dependent on humans. That said, not only is there no need to add to that, but you also run the risk of making them psychologically fragile.

For all these reasons, I’m totally against letting your dog sleep in the bedroom.

As for house-training, there isn’t really a secret to it.

A puppy needs to be taken out very often throughout the day, roughly every 2 to 3 hours. You should be looking at 8 to 10 outings a day for a 2-month-old puppy, lasting about fifteen minutes each. From 3 months onwards, you can slightly reduce the number of walks and make them a bit longer.

A few rules to follow:

- The garden shouldn’t be used for house-training or as a substitute for proper walks.

- Always give them plenty of praise as soon as they’ve finished doing their business while out on a walk.

- Don’t clean up in front of them if they’ve had an accident in the house.

- Don’t get angry, don’t tell them off, and definitely don’t use any form of physical punishment.

- Take them out systematically: first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and after every meal or drink.

- For those first few walks, try to stick to the same route. This allows the puppy to get used to their surroundings more quickly, making them feel relaxed enough to go to the toilet.

- Don’t expect them to be fully house-trained before they’re 4 months old.

- Thoroughly get rid of any odours in the spots where they’ve had an indoor accident.