# Sleeping with children



## Chumphreys (Oct 1, 2011)

Hi we are due to get our new edition in 7 weeks.Our 10 year old daughter really wants the puppy to sleep in her room,would anyone recommend this or is it a bad idea?
XClare


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Personally I'd say it's a bad idea but I'm quite strict with Saffi. The puppy will invariably howl and cry on the first night and you won't be there to make sure your daughter takes the puppy out of its crate. Also, in the early days I think it makes sense to keep the crate in the same place all the time so they quickly recognise that it's their safe haven - if the puppy slept with your daughter you'd have to have two crates, one upstairs and one downstairs. 

Also, long-term your daughter won't always live at home (I know she's only ten at the moment but your puppy will hopefully live to 13-15!) and it could be unsettling for your dog in the future. 

Sorry to sound so negative - I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts!


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## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

We don't allow Dexter upstairs due to the amount of Lego & other small toys around. He's always slept in his crate in the kitchen. 

I'm not sure that I would have a dog in a child's bedroom if not crated. I do not allow the dog to be with my children unsupervised (mine are 5,7 and11) or I at least stay in ear shot. 


Sent from my iPhone 
Lisa - mum of 3 boys, Dexter Cockapoo & 4 hens !


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Hi there
I agree with Turi - in 8 years time your daughter will probably be heading off to Uni. Are you intending on crate training your puppy? If so you can probably expect a few nights of crying so that could be a good reason to give to your daughter initially. Then why don't you see how it goes. We started with Lolly in her crate in the living room (determined that I didn't want her upstairs at night) but since we got rid of her crate when she was about 7 months and fully trained and trusted not to chew stuff she now sleeps in our bedroom in her bed! My big rule is that she isn't allowed on the beds.
The puppy is likely to bond mostly with you as you are the one around most of the time so it will probably want to be as near to you as possible and would probably choose to sleep near you rather than your daughter.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Well I disagree! My dogs sleep happily in our bedroom or my daughter's and my parents always had their spaniels in their bedroom. They never disturb us as they are happy as long as they are near us. My daughter was quite grown up when she was 10 and it wouldn't have bothered me at all. Your puppy can be crated until it is house trained. Bonnie sleeps on our bed, Dexter sleeps on our floor or wherever he likes around the house. It's a personal choice and you should do whatever suits your family.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

If you think it suites you. I'd just take into account some people's early days accounts of puppy nights, more the fact that it could disturb your daughters sleep ,on the other hand her being there could have a settling effect.
My husband caught my son carrying Wilf upstairs last night ...."what are you doing ?" "taking Wilf to bed" .... I'm sure a real life teddy is a much better deal xx 
Maybe compromise ..... When your puppy is older and toilet trained or out of the crate xx


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

We had our pup mainly for our 15 year old son and we have said that once pup is house trained then he will be allowed to sleep upstairs in our sons bedroom. He is still in his crate at the moment in our kitchen and he will stay in there until we feel sure he is housetrained.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

It's totally your choice. I allow Obi upstairs but prefer he doesn't go on the beds, just my preference. My kids however have a different idea and quite often try to sneak him up there when they think I'm not watching


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

I don't have issues with dogs in bedrooms or beds (Olive is sleeping next to me in bed right now), but i don't leave Olive alone with my children so she wouldn't be allowed to sleep with them. Olive isn't aggressive, but i don't trust any dog with my kids completely. It's totally a personal choice and 10 is a lot older than mine who are 3 and 6. It's a huge responsibility though and i think it would be best that the dog not sleep with your daughter until it was house trained and sleeping through the night.


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Beau sleeps with either me or my daughter. The first night we got her we didn't have a crate as I thought the kitchen would be fine but found her shivering next to the door in the morning so the next night I put her in my small ensuite as warm and tiled - she cried for half an hour - Madeleine (17 years old at the time) cried too then marched into my ensuite picked Beau up and they both came into my bed which was fine except Madeleine conveniently didn't hear Beau when she needed to go out so maybe it might be a better idea if your daughter has the puppy in her bedroom once housetrained although you could give it a couple of nights and see how it goes as she may decide that being woken up at silly o'clock is not such a good idea! I would still have a crate just in case as we didn't for Beau and although we wouldn't have used it at night it would have been good to have somewhere to put her that was safe when we went out


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## Lozzie (Apr 1, 2012)

I love having dogs asleep with me on my bed, there's something very special about it. However, I apparently 'ruined' my parent's/my childhood dog by allowing her to sleep with me- she is now pushing 16, I have moved out with my boyfriend and mum and dad have ended up having her sleep in their room, as an older dog she has health problems and disturbs them frequently in the night. We got Tessa (cocker spaniel) when I was 10, I'm now 26 so not too dissimilar to your position. My boyfriend has set strict ground rules and wont let me bring Willow to bed but he will let me have her up for a cuddle in the morning- I'd love to have her with me all night though. It's a tricky choice!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

We started with crate training and Millie slept downstairs quite happily. However, once she was toilet trained it changed. Firstly, Millie has always been allowed upstairs and especially was allowed on my sons bed during the day time (to be with him, he was unwell). Having said that he was 19 years old.

Over time, Millie would join me in my bedroom as she always viewed me as her mum. She would sleep on my bed blanket, which when not in use sits on the floor. 

When it came to getting rid of the crate I suddenly didn't want Millie sleeping on her own downstairs, so tried her on the blanket outside my bedroom door. It worked a treat. So I put her bed there. It works well, but now things have evolved over the past year and Millie is allowed in the bedrooms and on our beds at night. When we first go to bed we tell her 'bedtime' and she trots off to her own bed  But during the night she may well sneak in for a quick hello, sleeps for a while with us and then heads off back to her own bed.

Its amazing how much space Millie seems to take up on the bed, she tends to sleep sideways between us . I'm glad she doesn't spend all night with us, think I'd struggle to sleep.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Mine both sleep downstairs at night quite happily but I do two night shifts a week and they sleep on the bed with me during the day ....got a queen size bed but can still end up with a stretched out cockapoo down each side


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Mine sleep downstairs but mainly because I know she would be such a fidget bum if I let her sleep on my bed...however I let them up on the bed in the morning and I have to say this is the most special time of the day for me with my dogs.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Oh yes cockapoo cuddles in bed is the best!


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## calli.h (Aug 29, 2011)

Arthur slept downstairs in his crate for about 4 months until we went to the in laws over xmas last year when he had to sleep in the same room as us as he would not settle in his crate in a strange place away from us and howled the house down! He was so good out of his crate that when we returned home he never went back in in again and now sleeps on our bedroom floor/top of the stairs - he doesnt sleep on the bed tho as i think he gets too hot for him and to be honest I prefer it that he doesnt sleep on the beds. Its your choice, Arthur doesnt sleep with my daughters (3 & 6) he always comes with us as someone else rightly pointed out you pup will most probably follow you and want to bond with you initially.


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

Both mine sleep on my bed now but I waited until I could be sure(as much as you can be) that there wouldn't be any accidents. Until toilet trained they slept in a crate beside my bed. We all sleep much better together and as I have dogs for company I don't see the point in shutting them away. You know how mature your daughter is but I would perhaps have pup in your room or on the landing with the bedroom doors open for the first few nights at least until you see how he settles as they are all different and the impact of a new puppy is not to be underestimated.


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