JFF Do You Let Your Dogs onto the Furniture?

Updated on June 29, 2011
E.D. asks from Olympia, WA
39 answers

Before having a child, our dogs slept on our (small!) bed. Then, with pregnancy, they were booted. Recently, my aging hound had an injury. We let her onto the bed to comfort her. I realized, I actually don't mind if our (now) one dog sleep at the foot.

On the other hand, she's a dog.

Curious what the rules are in your house...

Hope you are having a good night!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

No because they take over! We have a 10lb dog and a 75lb dog & they both want to sleep in the same spot.... next to my head with their stinky dog butts in my face! So they sleep together ( they like to cuddle) in a kennel in the dining room. Lol if they would sleep at the end and stay there I wouldnt mind

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

We have a 8 lb mini dachshund and she's allowed everywhere. Bed, couch, chairs. She's so adorable I can't help it. I can't stand to ban her when I know all she wants is to be close to us!

2 moms found this helpful

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

No dogs on the bed ever. They roll in stuff you don't know about when they are off the leash. Mine only had a bath once when he got into a skunk just before 4th of July. Actually it's a series of baths he had.
I keep lavender in his bed and he never has fleas. Still he has his own bed.
When we had two dogs one was on my husband's side of the bed on the floor and the other on my side on the floor.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.E.

answers from Denver on

Our pets are part of the family. I don't get people that have an animal (especially a pack animal like a dog) and never let them in with the house, why have a dog. And don't even get me started on the irresponsible people that let their cats outside. As you can see we love our animals. They are allowed on the furniture and our pups get brushed and cleaned regularly. They learn the word off so they get down on command. In fact our Sammie before she passed would look at us from the floor and sigh until we would tell her to come up with us. As for sleeping on the bed, when I don't have chewers nothing is better than a pup at the feet. For awhile my girls would sandwich me. Currently my new puppy is kenneled for the night, but hopefully I will be able to let her out as she gets older (she still sleeps by my bed in her crate)
Another funny story was my parents rules for the dogs, when I was little no dogs on furniture and at dinner time they were down the hall away from the dinner room. 10 years latter they were on the couch and at the doorway to the dinning room. 5 years latter, beds and couches and under the table. I left home and now the dog gets to sit on laps at the table after dinner and during happy hour. :-)
Our pets are not just dogs or cats, they are family and friends. Our dogs are pack animals that thrive on our interaction with them. In return they keep us alerted to those nasty birds on our lawn :-) and the occasional person on the sidewalk ( a potential tummy scratcher)
Enjoy your old girl and have a wonderful day!

7 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Absolutely.

Couch is washed once a month (all the covers zip off, as do the down wrappers around the cushions, although I was the down wrappers every 3-6mo). Sheets are washed once a week. Dog is bathed once a week. So maybe $5 and a month and a single extra load of laundry in cleaning.

Best friend curled up with my son every night; priceless.

6 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

They have a big leather couch by the window.

They have been my security system for years and deserve a comfy spot.

5 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.G.

answers from Des Moines on

Dogs have always been in my life. My dogs have always been my children/best friends/protectors and my feeling is that I can't do enough to thank them. And a dog will always repay your love a 100 times over. They always get the best food, regular baths, and treated as well as any human in my house. It may require a little extra cleaning on my part, but I wouldn't change anything.
When the children were young, the rule was they couldn't cross the threshhold of the kitchen during the meal to prevent "food passing". But afterwards they helped with clean up. :)
I welcome my dog in the bed and on the furniture and she loves to jump in the shower with me.
Everyone in my family brings their dogs to outings and family dinners and we love our furry nieces and nephews. They love the time they get to play with their furry cousins as well!

5 moms found this helpful

C.W.

answers from Lynchburg on

Hi ephie-

Dogs ON the furniture?? They ARE the furniture...lol

We have a large 'labradoodle'...and a lab/border collie mix...they ARE my 'foot' rests!!

Michele/cat

4 moms found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Nope. Not allowed on the furniture, and especially not our beds. I read early on that where you sleep carries the heaviest amount of your scent. It is scent overload--almost like letting your dog get high on your scent--to let them get into your bed.

We stick with that. No beds. No furniture. She has her own beds (one in our room and one in the family room). She has always slept at night in our bedROOM. Just on her own bedding (or in a crate early on) on the floor beside the bed. She is quite content with this arrangement and so are we.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.P.

answers from Seattle on

Nope! No way. I hate that they get hair everywhere, and they drool all over. Gross lol. I dont mind them being in the house, but they have their areas.
Our dogs were always outside all day, and then inside at night time.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.!.

answers from Los Angeles on

Nope... never have liked it. When my mom comes to visit she is always encouraging our dog to get up on our couch. I remind her that we do not allow it and don't want to have to go through the process of re training the dog to stay off the furniture. So frustrating

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Shreveport on

I have to laugh about this. Our basset isn't allowed on the couches or beds. But our mastiff and Great Dane are. I know sounds odd but the basset is so short and I worry over her back so she isn't allowed. When we take her places with us she isn't even allowed to jump in or out of the truck or car. We pick her up and put her in or out. Normally I have blankets on the areas the bigger dogs are allowed on. I say normally cause my two legged kids like to move those blankets..lol

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.F.

answers from Pocatello on

When I was growing up my parents were adamant that dogs should NEVER be on the furniture. But now I do let my dog on the couch and she sometimes gets on the bed, but she doesn't sleep there all night. The only thing I can't stand is when I see cats walking all over kitchen counters, it grosses me out! But then again I'm not a cat person. When you think about it, kids are pretty filthy creatures and we let them on the furniture (my toddler even climbs onto the counter!) and we are more likely to catch an illness from a child than a pet! I love my children to pieces and they are the best, but they actually make tons more messes than the dog and have ruined more clothes and furniture than the dog ever has! Maybe I’ll make a rule that they can’t get on the couch LOL!

2 moms found this helpful

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

our dog isn't allowed on the furniture...yes we love her, but she is still a dog and any creature that leaves behind fur is not welcome to sit where i sit lol. i have a hard enough time looking nice for work without showing up with my butt covered in dog hair...ew!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.R.

answers from Tulsa on

I'm a dog behaviorist...so my professional opinion...keep your dogs off the furniture. I have come across SO MANY families that could curbs several of their dogs unwanted behaviors by just getting them off the furniture.

I don't even want to read the other's responses cause this is such an ongoing issue in all my training families, and it's one I have a very hard time relating to. Even before I became a behaviorist, I didn't allow my dogs on the furniture. I pay too much for it to have it worn out by the dogs.

2 moms found this helpful

M.H.

answers from Raleigh on

We have one older couch by the window he is allowed on. He "guards" the house from there. He knows that is the only furniture for him though...God help him if he gets on anything else!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.B.

answers from Lancaster on

I wish the dog was not allowed on the furniture. We were one of those couples who treated the dog like a baby before kids and didn't want to upset his routine after we had kids. Despite being a smallish dog, he's a total bed hog and insists on sleeping pressed up against me. Man, would I love to give him the boot. I do put sheets over the "nice" furniture so I don't have to deal with vacuuming off the dog hair constantly.

2 moms found this helpful

A.C.

answers from Jacksonville on

We have an 85lb American Bulldog. She is allowed on the couch and bed with permission. She will lay her head on either one and "ask". Depending on whats going on, I make the decision.

She has her own bed, a crib mattress, on the floor in our bedroom to sleep on at night. She also has a memory foam dog bed on the floor in the living room. She basically refuses to sit on the hard wood floors. Bulldogs are known to have hip problems so I try to keep her comfortable.

Like Christine J said, she is my security system and she deserves to be comfy. She was our first baby and she is def a ranking member of the family. :) Fun question!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Washington DC on

That's one of the reasons we don't have a dog (can't have cats, my daughter is allergic to them). Hubby thinks I'm kidding when I say no animals on the furniture.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from Seattle on

My dog has slept in my bed since she was about 9 months old (crated at night due to her chewing habit before that). She is 34 pounds, and a cattle dog. She also gets on the furniture (couches, chairs). However, when my kids are awake she mostly stays under the kitchen table or in her crate. Not because she has to, but she is not real keen on the toddler stage (loves older kids and the baby). Toddler goes down for nap/bedtime and she comes out and socializes with us. As she (the toddler) gets older, the dog is slowly increasing her interaction.

I have to say that while my kids don't shed, they are far more destructive on the furniture. The dog has never thrown up on, jumped up and down on, urinated on, chewed on, or pulled stuffing out of any of my furniture. The kids have.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.V.

answers from New York on

We have an 80-pound lab, and no, we do not allow her on the furniture at all - she has 2 dog beds and is perfectly comfortable on them. We have also trained our cat not to jump on the furniture, either. They both shed so much that if I allowed it, I would have to vacuum twice a day. Plus, both my kids are mildly allergic, so my mission in life is to keep the pet hair to a minimum!

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

Oh heck no! My dog is not even allowed in the house! Our cat is allowed on the toddler chair that we have but not on our couches but he does sleep with us.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B..

answers from Dallas on

Our dogs are family members. They are allowed everywhere. If we don't want them on the furniture at a specific time, we tell them to get down...and they lay on their dog beds.

2 moms found this helpful

J.G.

answers from St. Louis on

I don't have dogs now but used to have two Golden Retrievers. They were not allowed on any furniture. I was the trainer so my rules were followed. It amused me to no end when my now ex would try to get them to sleep on the bed or sit by him on the sofa. They would just stare at him and walk away.

At least to me when you have dogs the size of humans they have no place taking my place. That and the fur gave me the sneezes.

2 moms found this helpful

C.S.

answers from Medford on

no dogs on the furniture at our house. :)

We did let the cat sleep at the foot of our bed though cause he was sneeky and would slip in after we were asleep.

2 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

Dogs are allowed on the furniture, bed etc. I normally shoo them away at night time though. But we have a 65 lb husky and a 35 lb Shiba Inu (yes that is a real dog) and they get hot when they sleep in the bed with us. Our husky can pant so hard that she shakes the bed, and not in a whoohoo free vibrating bed sort of way. But if we aren't using it she is free to.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

We had a cat before kids and she was allowed everywhere, counters, furniture, tables. Now my kids are 7 and 4 and we just got a puppy a few months ago. He is not allowed on the furniture. It's so hard since he sees the cat on them. So far though he is fine staying off. He sleeps in our room in a dog bed on the floor. He usually takes naps on our rug in the living room or goes in his kennel.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.T.

answers from New York on

I am so glad Hubby is not a part of this site....

I SOOOO let her on the furniture and in the bed - usually when Daddy isn't home! (I like the comfort of having her close to me at night and if she startles, I want to know and get up and invetigate too...)

As soon as she hears him coming she jumps off immediately! If Daddy is around, the furniture is off limits.

LOL.
~C.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.K.

answers from Houston on

My dog is not even allowed in the house!
On the bed? no way...

1 mom found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Charlotte on

My dog is allowed on the beds, but not on the chairs or couch unless someone is holding him. He used to be allowed on the couches and seats, but they were old and he has a habit of digging before settling down as well as licking the cushions. I don't really like sharing a bed with him since he always sleeps right on top of me.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Seattle on

I have a yellow lab..that is a house dog.. As my dad would say.. The dog is such a part of the family he plays with the kids lol they even dress him up. The dog has a finding nemo blanket that he sleeps on in my oldest room. But to be honest if I can't sleep and my husband is working late then I will snuggle with the dog in my bed.
L.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.U.

answers from Detroit on

We have 2 pugs (9 years old and 14 years old)...they do not sleep in bed with us, but they are up on the sofa with us. Being small cuddly type dogs, it would be pretty much impossible to keep them off of the couch completely, especially when we are sitting there too. And why would we want to? :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.B.

answers from Sacramento on

Yep dogs allowed in the house!! :)
Part of the family.
Hey.....they've never hurt me, let me down, left me. :)
Much to my husband's chagrin they come in pretty high on the totem pole.
Actually when I met him, his dog slept in his room by his bed so he can't say too much.
Here's the thing:
I vacuum a lot!
They are not allowed to sleep w/us (don't think I'd get much sleep)
They get to sleep on the couch so I bought vinyl couches (you can get leather).
The alert me of unannounced visitors and protect us.
Especially if your hubby isn't around.
If he's had an injury....let him sleep in the house at the very least.
I guarantee you that will be the most loyal friend/love/protecter you will ever have.
Do it!!!! Contact me....I'll give you 1,000 more reasons!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.K.

answers from San Antonio on

My dogs are allowed on all the furniture, except the beds. They have their own beds (large kennels with soft padding and blankets) in our room, and sleep in there at night. Otherwise they can go where they like.

Our previous dog slept on the bed with our son when she wanted to. Her spot was at the foot of the bed, and if there were feet in the way she would wiggle and shove until feet were moved. But she usually preferred to sleep on the floor, even though she also had a large pillow bed of her own.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, our 80lb. furry friend snuggles with us in the couch and on the bed when we are lounging around. He sleeps in his doggie bed in our bedroom of course. I have to vacuum the couch often but it is totally worth it.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I can't stand the dog on furniture, and I have some trouble with him being inside at all. My husband is much more soft-hearted than I am, and he's always letting the dog inside. The dog then sneaks himself onto the furniture (like I'm not going to see a great golden lab trying to look invisible on our best chair). No way, not ever never on the bed. I was brought up on a farm with muddy doggies who were not allowed inside, and I can't shake it! My sister on the other hand lets her dog everywhere and treats it like a child. We have actually seen her driving around town with the dog on her lap (yes I know, incredibly dangerous and irresponsible). She denies this ever happened!

1 mom found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

oooh hubby and I were just talking about this last night....

Our old dog, Obi, was NEVER allowed on the furniture - he was a HUGE shedder....before we "grew up" (we had a futon couch in the living room because we could NOT find the furniture WE WANTED for in there until 2008!! and we've lived in the house since 1997!!!)

Any way - Obi was allowed on the futon - that was it - not in our bedrooms, kitchen, etc...fast forward to 2010 and we adopt Grady...damn dog is soooo cute (not that Obi wasn't he was!!) he's EVERYWHERE!!! he's not allowed to sleep in my/our bed when hubby is home...a baby gate is set up to keep him out...(boo hoo for mommy!!) but he sleeps with our boys and is everywhere!! He doesn't shed like Obi and isn't as big as Obi - Obi was a German Shepard mix and was 75lbs....Grady is a Boxer/Pit Bull mix and is MAYBE 50 lbs....

1 mom found this helpful

⊱.✿.

answers from Spokane on

When Daisy was a pup she slept at my feet on the bed and she had one chair she was allowed in. She is now a 90+ lb. yellow lab and has 3 of her own doggy beds ~ one in the l.r. by the fireplace and the other on the floor at the foot of the bed in my room and one on the front porch.
When Dad's not home she'll occasionally sneek up onto the couch with the boys and I :) they think it's hilarious and the 3 y/o will often times throw her under the bus and tell hubby!
She is very much a part of our lives and our daily routine. We love her dearly and plan vacations to only places that are pet friendly. She protects us and keeps us safe ~ and gives us a sense of security esp. when hubby is working nights.
During the summer I can't get her to come inside at night. She loves to sleep on the porch in the cool summer breeze.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.K.

answers from New York on

They always sleep with us!!! If you are a dog lover, you do not mind!!!!!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions