Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Marilyn

When can my daughter's baby boy Rueben start to sleep with her and her husband at night. They both work during the day and Rueben is in a crate with someone coming home at lunch time (usually me) to let him out and play with him. They really hate to keep him in the crate at nite but he's not housebroken completely. He's 41/2 months old. My question is, will he not move to the end of the bed to do his business and then go back up to where he sleeps (by their head on the pillows) or will he totally not make where they all sleep? He loves to go into their bed after he has been taken out in the early morning, snuggles up and goes back to sleep for a couple hours. Please any advise would help. Even though he seems to like his crate, I know how much these babies want to be with us all day and nite. My maltese "Baby" who is 9 goes everywhere with us, I just can't remember when she started sleeping with us. Thanks!

DISCUSSION:

Marilyn, Though I hate to admit this so publicatlly, I have to tell you that Lucy slept in my bed from the first night I brought her home at 12 wk. I took her out before bedtime and she never pooped during the night. That was pretty much on the schedule for after meals. Anyhow, I figured I could wash sheets, matress cover, etc if need be. What happened in fact was that she would start to whimper when she needed to go out. For the first couple of weeks or so, we got up and went out into the cold winter nights several times before dawn. But only once did she actually pee in the bed--and she did do it at the foot, far from both of us. I washed all the bedding and used some Natures Miracle on the mattress (though the pee actually hadn't soaked through). Maybe this isn't something everyone could handle, but when my son was little, he would crawl out of his crib at night, get into bed with me, snuggle up, and immediately pee the bed. I just didn't see any difference with Lucy doing that. If your children's dog is 99% potty trained, it is probably safe enough to give it a shot. My main worry about Luce was not using the bed for a bathroom, but that I would somehow roll over and squash her to death in the night. Lucy must have been smart enough to worry about this too, because her "place" was curled up around my head on the pillow--something she still does frequently.
-cathy brown

tony has been sleeping next to me almost since the first month he was with us. he sleeps next to me and has never wet or soiled the bed. my main problem is that he takes my place if i get up or elbows me if i don't leave him enough room. he often goes back to sleep after his first walk if he feels i got up too early. my husband refuses to allow him on his side of the bed. it's worked out so far.
-JAN

Prissy has slept with us since we brought her home at 4 months. I think that is why she trained so quickly. Then Buffy decided that she could jump and climb in the bed, so she joined us. She was not completely trained but trained quickly also. Now Charlee, the baby can jump in the bed, so she is there too. So far no slips in the bed. I just don't think they want to go where they sleep, and they want in the bed so badly. This might be a good way to potty train. After the other 3 can get on the bed I am going to give it to them and sleep in the guest room.
-Marsha A.

I love it. I have 10 dogs and they all sleep on our bed. My husband even made stairs for the little ones to get up and down. All 9 are small then we have a 70 lbd golden and thank god he sleeps on the bed. It also seems they all sleep on my side and leave my husband alone. But I love them even if I end of half off the bed. dawn
-dawn

I have always brought puppies into bed with me (babies too for that matter). It just seems easier that way. If they have needs, they will cry and it is so much easier to respond to them when they are so close by. I think housebreaking goes better when the puppy sleeps in the bed. My bed is so high that Herald was too scared to jump off and would always cry to go out. I had a toy poodle who did the same. Niether of them ever had an accident in the bed even though I got both of them when they were just 7-8 weeks old.
-Ruth

I thought I was the only one that gave into my maltese. Freckles has been sleeping in my bed since he first stepped foot into my house. I don't like that crate idea, it's seems like I'm taking his freedom from him. Freckles is pretty good about holding his pee and poop until the morning. I'm concerned about his behavior though. Freckles (5 months) loves to bark and bite my socks, is this behavior a result of sleeping with me?
-Karen & Freckles

hi just to throw in my 2 cents about your pup sleeping with you, as soon as i brought my sweet dolly home at 3 1/2 yrs. old, she was raised at a breeders (she's about 9 lbs) and had always sleep in a crate, well she seemed to love the bed & has "her" pillow & "her" side of the bed (it's just the two of us). if my leg wanders over on her side of the bed at night, she'll growl at it! i usually say "oops, sorry" and then when i really start to wake up..."HEY!" :) but she won't get down from the bed until i do & sometimes in the morning will try to wake me up to play, and i'll just put the covers over my head & tell her that it's not time to get up yet. what i've figured out is that if she really needs to go out, she'll start trying to wake me, pace the bed, but the real key is that she'll start panting alot, then i know i had better get up! (fortunately that only happens about once a month) good luck with your pup!
-patty