Why does my dog want to sleep with me all of a sudden?

Although most dog owners, trainers, and vets are against sleeping with pet dogs, increasingly more dog parents are happily sharing their beds with their dogs.

Sleeping with dogs does raise health concerns especially asthma and allergies, but according to those in favor of this idea, it’s a great way to bond with your dog.

However, those who decided that the dog should sleep in his own bed in a separate room, they can get confused when the dog is trying to sleep with them.

Dogs don’t generally change their routine unless there is something either good or bad, so it’s natural if you’ve trained your dog to sleep alone to be asking why does my dog wants to sleep with me all of a sudden?

Why does my dog want to sleep with me all of a sudden?

There are multiple reasons why your dog would suddenly want to sleep with you, he could be just seeking your attention, feeling a bit down, or is not getting enough interaction with you, but it can also be behavioral or health issues.

Your dog is testing you

Dogs even trained ones do like to test our boundaries from time to time to see if they can get more attention.

They are affectionate pets and they like being with their owners, especially those that are too attached to one person in particular.

All you have to do is to stand your ground reminding your dog that he needs to sleep in his own bed and you can use some treats to reward him when he does.

Such behavior you can expect with pretty much anything, not only sleeping, dogs are not quitters and they’ll continuously try to get more attention.

Separation anxiety

A dog that is trained to sleep alone in his bed that suddenly wants to sleep with his owner could be an early sign of separation anxiety.

Dogs are not born with separation anxiety but it’s rather developed over time, so one should be aware of his dog is showing some symptoms.

If your dog does not want to be left alone and getting too attached to you and is becoming aggressive or showing destructive behavior when you leave, you need to take action as soon as possible.

Overprotective behavior

Some dogs can be overly protective of their owners, and this is also an acquired behavior and it can get worst if not dealt with.

Just like separation anxiety, protective behavior does show in other symptoms that you can detect early on.

If your dog is constantly attached to you and wants to be with you all the time, or doesn’t like it when someone else or other pets are around you, then he’s getting too attached.

Overprotective dogs will often place themselves between you and other people and even growl at them when they get too close.

This behavior can get worst and a sudden change in behavior can be a sign like when the dog suddenly wants to sleep with you.

Something’s wrong with his bed

Sometimes the obvious can be overlooked when trying to understand sudden changes in dogs’ behavior.

Your dog can no longer want to sleep in his bed and wants to sleep with you simply because something is wrong with his bed.

The first thing you should do when you notice any sudden change is to expect the bed and the room your dog sleeps in.

Perhaps the crate or the bed is no longer as comfortable as it used to be, moving the crate too often can damage it and cause some sharp edges.

Sometimes something as simple as a bad smell can cause the dog to suddenly hate his crate or bed, inspect noises, airflow, or any other reasons that could be the cause behind this sudden change.

Fearfulness

Fear might be the reason why your dog suddenly wants to sleep with you, a scared dog will turn to his owner for protection and reassurance.

There could be many reasons why a dog to be fearful at night, maybe it’s getting too noisy or other animals are around, and sometimes something as simple as thunder could be the reason.

You want to look for signs of fear in your dog like shaking when left alone at night, too much movement, tail shaking, and howling.

In extreme situations, a dog could even become aggressive if forced to stay alone and would do anything to stay close to you.

Encouraging such behavior

Sometimes we are the reason behind sudden behavior change and we don’t even notice it, we can encourage such behavior and not be aware of it.

If your dog is getting more attention and quality time when in your room, it’s normal for him to associate it with good feelings and want to be in there for as long as possible.

Letting the puppy nap with you in your bed can encourage him to push himself on you at night, and that’s totally normal.

You need to make sure your dog gets the best experience when in his room or bed, quality time is always associated with places for dogs, so make sure his crate is the best possible spot in the house.

If you do let your dog sleep in bed with you during the day he would want to make it a habit and sleep with you at night.

Jealousy

Jealousy can also be the reason why your dog wants to sleep with you all of a sudden, having a new pet or baby in the house especially if he’s sleeping with you can make your older dog jealous.

Dogs love attention and don’t like it when someone else steals the spotlight from them, that’s why it’s always recommended to prepare the dog for the new coming.

When bringing in a new dog you have to have him sleep in your room for a couple of months until old enough, and this could make the older dog want the same.

It’s important to make sure your dog is getting the attention he needs not to get jealous, especially that jealousy can turn into aggression.

Dog is ill

When ill dogs do need more attention and affection, and what’s better than sleeping with their favorite person in the world.

If your dog is ill it’s ok to let him sleep in your room for a while, but you have to make sure he goes back to his bed when feeling better.

Sudden change in sleeping patterns can be a sign of a sick dog, so if you notice any changes in sleep or behavior you may want to check with your vet.

Carefully check your dog’s eating, pooping, and peeing habits if you notice any changes in that too your dog might be ill.

Why does my dog want to sleep with me?

We went over the potential reasons why a dog would suddenly change his habit of sleeping alone and want to sleep with you.

However, most dogs will sleep with their owners if allowed, why is that? What do dogs get from sleeping with us?

Surprisingly, many benefits at least for the dog, it is not recommended to sleep with your dog, for health concerns and behavioral issues when they’re old enough.

Sleeping with humans can help the dog bond with his owner, he gets the attention he craves and feels special.

Dogs also dream and sometimes they can get fearful and do need the reassurance of being closer to you.

Dogs feel the need to protect their owners all the time and having you closer at night gives them the contentment of keeping you protected.

Another opinion is that you represent the alpha of the house and sleeping with you is some kind of prestige and dominance especially if there are other dogs in the house.

Do dogs like sleeping with their owners?

Absolutely, all dogs like sleeping with their owners, unless they’ve been trained not to, and it’s a sign of affection, connection, and safety for them.

If you have two dogs or more in your house and let one sleep with you, you can be sure that the others will get jealous and will try and push themselves on you.

Most dogs are touchy-feely with their owners and they love physical connection, that’s why a simple belly rub can mean more than treats.

If you’ve ever noticed after a dog gives birth, newborn puppies huddle together soon after they’re born it’s in their nature to sleep in a puppy pile.

Grown-up dogs will always try and replicate that feeling of warmth and coziness with you.

Why does my dog want to sleep in my room?

Some dogs don’t really want to jump in your bed, but they do like to hang around in the same room.

It is a kind of middle ground between total independence and being overly attached, and many dog owners prefer this setup for their dogs.

You can have your dog in a crate and install it in your bedroom but if they sleep in an open bed it can be disturbing at night.

Dogs sleep in cycles and will wake up a couple of times at night while you’re asleep and they can get noisy and move around a lot, this can impact your quality of sleep.

If your dog is crate trained then you should keep the crate closed at night if you want it in your room.

Most dogs will feel better for just sharing the same room when sleeping and don’t need to actually be on your bed.

They can get the reassurance of being near you and at the same time enjoy their personal and intimate space.

Why does my dog sleep on my bed when I’m not there?

You might have noticed a few times that your dog jumps on your bed when you’re not there, and prefers to sleep in it rather than in his own bed.

This is normal behavior for dogs especially those attached to their owners, they need to feel their scent close to them to give them reassurance and affection.

You can train your dog to sleep alone but he won’t miss the chance of sleeping in your bed when possible.

Conclusion

Dogs are affectionate pets and they’re always craving attention, so it’s not unusual for them to be constantly testing our boundaries trying to get closer and more into the center of our days and nights.

It is normal that your dog wants to sleep with you, however, in the case of a sudden change in sleeping habits you might want to check if your dog is ok and not having any issues with sleeping alone.

When you make sure your dog is fine you should have him sleeping in his own bed to avoid any health concerns and behavioral issues.