"Allowing your dog to sleep in your bed will make of him a terrible monster. He will think he is the leader of the pack and, then, you will have to be his servant."
That's what, according to the alpha dog theory, would happen if you let your dog to sleep with you (Ok, I exaggerated a bit, but that's just because I want to be a drama writer when I grow up.)
Is the alpha dog theory right? Will your dog become a nightmare creature, almost as scary as Freddy Krueger? Not really. In fact most people let their dogs to sleep in bed and nothing wrong happens. Besides, where do you think dogs sleep when they live in a real dog pack? You're right! They sleep together with other dogs, including those we like to call "alpha."
However, allowing your dog to sleep in your bed could lead to some real problems. These potential problems are:
- If your dog is too small and you roll over too much while asleep, he may get hurt because of your movement (you may roll over your little puppy!)
- Your dog may fall down from bed because of your movement. He may get hurt if he is small enough.
- If your dog is not potty trained and he can't go down (perhaps he is too small to go down the bed), he may pee or poop on your bed. That's a really scary thing if you're asleep.
- Your pajamas and bedclothes will need more frequent cleaning to remove dog hair (unless your dog is bold, of course).
From a pessimistic point of view, we may find other potential problems like:
- You may get fleas
- You have adopted Cujo and he eats you while you're sleeping
Since you keep your dog clean, it's not likely that you get fleas from him. The other problem, the Cujo thing, would be a real trouble but at least you would be in the next Spielberg's movie.
Ok, now speaking seriously, if your dog is well educated, the only concerns you may have are: hurting your dog if he is too small and pee/poop on your bed.
Of course, if you haven't potty trained your dog, pee and poop could become a big issue.
On the other hand, if your dog acts aggressively towards you (growling, nipping, etc.) when you try to move him or when you want to go to bed, then you have a real issue. But that's not a "pack leader" problem. Instead, it could be a "reinforcing the bad behavior" problem or a problem related to your dog's health. If you're in such a situation, take your dog to the vet and ask a professional trainer for help. Please avoid those trainers who claim that your dog is becoming the alpha, because they worsen the problem.
Please also keep in mind that dogs should never be alone with small children. Therefore, while allowing your dog to sleep in your bed is not dangerous, don't let him to sleep with a small child if you can't supervise both of them.
As I said before, most people sleep with their dogs and nothing wrong happens. So, if you want to allow your dog to sleep in your bed and you take this advice... go ahead! He won't become "the leader of the pack" or any other fictitious creature.
Just be sure to give him a proper education so he won't pee on your bed.
Oops, I almost forget. Teach your dog to get off the bed on command. This command will be very useful when you want the bed for you and your partner to... well, to do your things.
Good night, have a nice dream.
Dog Training - Important Reasons To Train Your Dog
On the surface, dog training may look like a waste of time.
Why train your dog to learn tricks? What good are they? Your
dog already knows the basics, so why should you do more
than that? Oh, sure, Joe's dog can play dead and roll over. So,
obviously Joe has far too much time on his hands. Why
bother? Well, primarily training beyond the basics has three
very good advantages; socialization, safety, and bonding.
Socializing your dog is simply the act of making him a pleasure
to be around for people and other dogs alike. Who wants to
be around a dog - especially a large one - who jumps on
everyone with whom he comes in contact? If you have a dog
that jumps, you may feel forced to resign him to the backyard
when company visits, which may in turn make an annoying
barker out of him as he feels left out of social gatherings. But
if you treat the problem by training him not to jump, you will
enable him to enjoy the company of others when they come
for a visit. You will be able to do things with him like go to the
park and walk in areas where there are other people and
dogs.
A trained dog is a safer dog. One of a pet owner's biggest
fears is that their beloved animal will one day get away from
during a walk and be hit by a car. Some very basic training can
give you a safety net in just such a situation. For instance,
imagine that your dog runs out the front door one morning
and you lose track of him. When you find him, he is on the
other side of a busy street, and his first impulse may be to
bound happily toward you at first sight. But if he is well-
trained, you can signal for him to sit and wait for you to come
and leash him. Disaster averted.
Aside from those two very practical reasons to train your dog,
however, there is a third benefit that busy people sometimes
overlook. Time spent training your dog is time the two of you
will spend together. If you've ever built a model with your kid
or fixed a computer or baked a cake with a friend, you know
that accomplishing a goal with a loved one can be a valuable
bonding experience. Dogs are not immune to this. If you
spend just a few minutes each day training your dog, it will
give both of you a sense of accomplishment and bring you
closer together.
Certainly, a few nifty party tricks aren't out of the question. Go
ahead - see how far you can take the training once you have
the basics covered. Let your dog show you and everyone else
exactly how smart he is. Remember to use plenty of praise
and reward, as well as having lots of patience.
David Anthony provides research and excellent tips on a number of dog breeds at http://www.onlinedogbreeds.com . You can find a great source and collection of articles on dog behavior, health, and finding the right pet for you and your family.
Rewriting Cat Psychology from Scratch
Rewriting Cat Psychology from Scratchby Brian QuassOuch! Bad kitty! Oh, bad kitty cat!Oh, there you are, reader. Meet Jinx, my sister-in-law's kitty cat.But stay back: she's in one of her moods. Speaking of which, can youtell me something? What is wrong with cats? You pet them for fiveminutes, and suddenly, for no reason at all, they reach out andscratch you! (It's like: purr, purr, purr, purr -- Scccccratch!) Isit just the cats that I personally pet who are psychotic like this,or is the whole feline tribe fundamentally flawed? Because if it'sthe latter, it's a well-kept secret to judge by the sanitizedaccounts we read of sweet little kitty cats in nursery rhymes and thelike: "Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?" ("I've just beento Alexandria, Virginia, to inexplicably scratch webmaster Brian,that's where I've been! Do you have a problem with that?!")Not that I'm a cat hater by temperament: I spent my entire childhoodsurrounded by those furry enigmas, toward whom I've alwaysentertained feelings of the highest regard. Did Puss-n-Boots seemlonely as she snoozed away in the middle of my unmade bed at 3:00 inthe afternoon? Never fear, yours truly would rush over and give thatsable overcoat of hers a gentle stroke, whereupon the already closedeyes of the creature would close even tighter, as if in subconsciousecstasy, as she tilted her head toward me as who should say, "Be sogood as to tickle me under my left ear now. There's a dear." But ifone wanted to leave with fond memories of such run-ins with the familypet, you'd have to stop doting over her before her purring becamepronounced, or else OUCH! She'd scratch your hand in the very midstof her apparent happiness.Say what you will about dogs, they're generally consistent in theirlevel of regard. Not that Fido doesn't occasionally lash outunexpectedly (an animal is an animal is an animal), but that'scertainly not their default option for responding to prolongedattention (unlike some other family pets I know). Your greatest fearwhen coddling a lap-bound doggy is merely that he or she will fallasleep, thus forcing you to either continue your attentionsindefinitely, or to unceremoniously deposit the beast on the floor,leaving you subject to a pang of conscience as the confused andhang-dog animal slinks away (often eyeing you reproachfully over itsshoulder as it goes). Even when they do attack a nearby well-wisher,there's usually a good explanation from the dog's point of view: nodoubt it was acting on a survival instinct, perhaps guarding an openwound that you've unintentionally irritated or warding off a handthat's provided a too-unexpected caress.But heaven alone knows what cats are thinking when they lash out.Isn't that right, Jinxy, you bad cat? That's right, my dear, I'mtalking to you!Say, reader, if you can explain this phenomenon (of cat scratching, Imean, not of me talking to Jinx), let me know, please? Now, excuse mewhile I set kitty down, very easy like -- on account of she seems socontent now, I'm sure she's about to scratch me!About the Author (webmaster bylines):Brian Quass is webmaster and essayist at quass.com, featuring offbeatsocial commentary for literate readers. Article titles include "OneFlu Shot over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Quoth the Raven: Never You Mind!"and "Zombies in the Stairwell." http://www.quass.com'Professor' Brian QuassAlexandria, Virginia, January 2002