Dear Frances: Can my Dog Sleep With my Child?
Dear Frances,
Where is the best place a dog to sleep at night? Any thoughts on a dog and a kid sharing a room? My daughter would love to share her room with Oakley. And I generally think it would be fine but I do wonder if she should be in the kennel so she relaxes more. Our kennel is in the common area of the house so not the most quiet space at night though. WWFD? Kennel in the living room or just on a dog bed in the bedroom?
Dear Reader,
The absolute best place for a dog to sleep at night is in their crate. It gives them a safe den-like area to nest down in, and a respite from the world. I coach my clients to think of the crate as a “bedroom,” not as a confinement or punishment. We find that with consistency, most dogs love their crates and seek them out on their own.
While I have no doubts you have extremely high trust in your dog (and your kid), every dog can be a bite risk, and every kid is precious. If your dog ever has an injury that you don’t know about, or develops an illness, she may become much less tolerable to normal kid stuff (like tossing and turning in bed) during the night. Plus as your daughter get older and has sleepovers, you are exposing kids who may not be as savvy to your dog.
In short, the cons are far too many and the pros are far too few. I have seen too many cases of dog bites on kids, and in the vast majority, the dog was a friendly family dog. Even though the risk is minimal, when it comes to kids, even minimal risk is worth avoiding. You’ve done the right thing by setting your dog up with a crate routine from the beginning, and I highly recommend using it throughout your dog’s lifespan.
If your dog has trouble relaxing at night due to street sounds, sometimes covering the kennel with a blanket can help. You can also explore white noise machines, etc.
I hope this helps!
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