In this blog post, we answer the following question: Should I let my Chihuahua sleep with me? We talk about the possible consequences of your dog sleeping in the same bed as you, both for you, and your pet.
Should I let my Chihuahua sleep with me?
Whether you should let your Chihuahua sleep with you or not is a personal choice. Dogs, in general, are very affectionate and like to be very close to their owners, but if rules are established as soon as they arrive, it will be much easier for them to adapt to their new home.
That is, it is not worth pampering the Chihuahua too much and allowing it everything during the first days if later you are going to prohibit what you are letting the dog do today. The only thing that is achieved in this way is to confuse your poor Chihuahua.
The most important thing is that both the dog and the rest of the family are comfortable and satisfied with the choice of place. For this, the idea is that you have thought about it before their arrival in your house (and your bed).
Tips for choosing where your dog should sleep
- If the apartment is small, find a corner for it. Dogs also need to have their moments of privacy and sometimes like to retreat where no one will disturb them. You must consider whether you want this place to be in a family member’s room or in a common area. Once you decide, do not change it because it is with the changes that the problems begin.
- In the case of a very small puppy, it can be kept close for the first nights, but as soon as it grows a little it is best to find a space for it.
- If the first days or weeks your Chihuahua cries at night, it is totally normal and you will have to be strong not to succumb. In this way, they will get used to the fact that everyone has their own space.
- Choose a bed for your dog based on its size. If it is a puppy, try to avoid materials that the dog can chew on and destroy.
- If the house has a garden, in good weather you can install a doghouse, this will give the dog independence and security. Try to keep it clean, with a comfortable dog bed, a blanket, and a toy.
The cons of having your Chihuahua sleep with you
These are our tips, but if your dilemma really lies in deciding whether to let your dog into the room to sleep, you should bear in mind that there may be some factors that cause you to wake up during the night:
- The dog may snore very loudly, have flatulence or suffer from incontinence.
- You may get up several times throughout the night for walks around the house or to drink.
- There may simply be nights that you don’t feel like sharing your room with your dog.
- Chihuahuas are very small and you can hurt them unintentionally.
Is it safe to let my Chihuahua sleep with me?
While many Chihuahua owners consider it perfectly safe to sleep with their dogs in the same bed, many other people consider that it is not hygienic and that it cannot be good for our health. So who is right? And most importantly: does it pose any kind of danger to people?
According to a recent small study carried out by experts from the Mayo Clinic, those people who do not want to let man’s best friends go to bed could be right, and apparently, it is not the best idea that they sleep in the same room.
The team of researchers – made up of pulmonologists, psychologists, and statisticians – analyzed the habits of 40 healthy adults without sleep disorders who had the habit of sleeping with their dogs in bed or somewhere in the room. The evaluation period lasted five months and one of the weeks both they and their dogs had to wear devices to monitor sleeping habits.
The results showed that sleeping with dogs, regardless of whether they were in bed or just in the room, made people’s rest worse and caused many to get up several times during the night. One of the things that affected the most was the posture in which the dog slept.
Although the quality of sleep turned out to be lower than that of a person who does not sleep with animals in the room, the data is not alarming or a reason to dismiss our pets from the bed. The results explain that the people who slept with the dogs in the bed achieved 80% sleep efficiency, those who slept with the animals in the room 83%.
According to the experts, a normal efficiency is one that is between 85 and 89%, and once it has exceeded 90%, we would be talking about a very efficient sleep.
Another previous survey, also conducted by the Mayo Clinic, already pointed to this problem. In 2002, the director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, John Shepard, published the results of a questionnaire administered to 152 patients who kept animals and allowed them to sleep in their beds. Half of them said that their pets woke them up every night, and 21% of dog owners and 7% of people with cats complained that their pets snored.
Similar data comes from Australia. Research carried out by CQ University concluded that people who sleep with animals take longer to get to sleep than those who do not allow them to sleep in a bed. They also point out that the noises of dogs when barking or snoring disturb the rest hours of their owners.
However, there were no major differences in terms of the number of times people who let their animals stay overnight in their beds compared to those who did not, nor in the number of hours of sleep or how tired they were the next day.
Beyond the quality of sleep, some experts say that the main problem is when the owners have some type of allergy or respiratory problem: “People with allergies to animals or asthma should not sleep with their pets or allow them to enter the room, ”Dr. Derek Damin explains to WebMD.
“If you are not allergic, there really is no problem with letting the dog sleep in the bed,” adds the expert, although he clarifies that in case it bothers the hours of sleep we should not let them sleep with us.
The pros of having your Chihuahua sleep with you
For some people, as Lisa Shives, director of Chicago’s Northshore Sleep Medicine, explains, it can even be beneficial: “Some people feel more secure and calm when their pet sleeps with them.”
It is not bad that they sleep with us, the question is how we teach them and what we allow them to do.
Practically depending on how it is taught, it will present some aggressive behaviors and other behavior that triggers dogs that sleep in a bed, such as protecting the person they sleep with or the person with whom they have a better relationship in case of sleeping with the couple. When these behaviors occur it is important to suppress them immediately as they are characteristic of a dominant dog.
We must bear in mind that the dog is our companion and not our enemy, so if you want to sleep with him, why not? After all, it is an individual decision.
The dog must have good behavior in the bed, if we are talking about adolescent or adult dogs, it is important to allow them their space but letting them know that they must maintain adequate behavior when they are in bed.
It is necessary to avoid that the dog digs in the pillow or the mattress or on some occasions chew the pillows, in case the dog breaks these rules it is necessary to be very authoritarian and to make known that the privilege of being able to sleep in the bed is lost.
If you have just adopted an adult or adolescent dog, it is necessary to wait a few weeks before allowing him to climb into the bed, even though he shows good behavior, since he is arriving in a new environment and you have to allow him to adapt to it.
A stable relationship must be created between the dog and the owner before allowing any benefit at home such as getting on the bed or even the sofa.
Final recommendations
Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recall the importance of keeping pets healthy. This implies taking them to the vet regularly, vaccinating them, deworming them, and keeping them clean since, although it is extremely rare, they can infect us with diseases.
In short, the possible damages that sleeping with a pet may cause us are not really that serious unless we have a disease that contraindicates them or the animal does not receive the care it needs.
Do you let your Chihuahua sleep with you?
FAQ on Should I let my Chihuahua sleep with me?
Why are Chihuahuas so needy?
Chihuahuas may be needy and clingy because they like (and are used to) being coddled and pampered by their owners. When you stop giving them so much attention, they seem too needy.
Why do Chihuahuas have separation anxiety?
Chihuahuas have separation anxiety if they are not properly trained or do not have a routine. Some other reasons include neglect, changes in pet parents, hereditary issues, or boredom.
Are Chihuahuas easy to train?
Chihuahuas are easy to train, but you need a lot of patience, as they are known to be quite disobedient. Of course, you have to keep in mind that each dog has its own character and uniqueness.
Is a Chihuahua a good dog?
A chihuahua is a very good dog, especially for active people. Although they are known to react aggressively when feeling threatened, Chihuahuas can also be great family pets.
References
Petsworld.in
Animalwised.com
Mayoclinic.org
