For some the clear response is “downstairs, in their basket, in a closed room, and definitely not in my bedroom.” And they have reasoning, health, and good parenting on their side.
Yet for others, the only response is, “in my bedroom, as an important member of the family”.
And they too have much to applaud their position: care, issue, empathy.
Some go even more and permit their furry friend to sleep on the bed.
Their view is that it reveals trust, approval and can help to recover the injury that, unfortunately, a number of our hounds have actually suffered.
Me? Well, my head remains in camp one. Dogs are great by themselves in your house if they are warm, worked out, watered, and understand that you are simply a number of spaces away.
But my heart? Well, it is a less severe organ than its cerebral cousin, and I see that enabling the hound to share my bed room is the kind thing to do.
She had a tough childhood and has actually experienced terrible treatment from other human beings, and I wish to redress the balance.
The hound naturally doesn’t truly appreciate any of these arguments and leaps straight to camp 3. I have a huge bed and frequently sleep alone.
So, while I start the night with the shipping projection and the hound carefully snoring on her bed on the flooring, I frequently wake to discover she has actually climbed on the bed and is slowly pressing me to the very edge.
Much like when the teens who reside in my house rent-free were young children and chose they needed to sleep with the adults, the hound’s capability to extend and broaden as the night establishes is exceptional, extending my perseverance and periodically the laws of physics. A starfish hound.
The response? Well, each to their own, you understand what’s finest for your dog. Just ensure they don’t have the controls for the electrical blanket.