I dont have a Gun dog. Huskies are terrible retreivers; but she doenst sleep in the bed, she comes up to say goodnight then gets back down... My wife would LOVE it if she slept there, but no dice. She has her own little bed! But the Couch, well might as well be hers!

As long as the dog knows its limits then I don't see a problem. My dog will lay in our bed in the evening, if we open the door to let her in, until we come to bed then she jumps down and heads to her bed or the couch. In the morning, especially if we sleep in, she comes back to join us. I've never had much of a problem with space, she's a 40-45 pound dog, but she curls up or gets out of the way if I move around much. As soon as the window is open she's staring out it, waiting to go outside and terrorize anything hanging out in our backyard (rabbits, birds at the feeder, deer) she's not picky. If I get up and get ready to go hunting, she seems to know which pants mean business, she is ready to go and pretty depressed if I don't take her. I don't think it's softened her.

Due to a nervous condition I have to sleep almost every night on the couch. Our lab Pearl (65 lbs) will usually ask permission to sleep with me once I get hunkered down. First, she comes and pokes me in the face gently with her nose. Maybe a little lick. If I don't say anything, she'll go down to my feet and lay her chin on them, sometimes for several minutes. If I don't say anything, she'll gently step over me one foot at a time to curl up in the spot behind my legs (I sleep in fetal position). Her chin usually rests on my thigh. If Opal (55 lbs) happens to beat her to the spot, Pearl will usually sit with her nose in front of my face and cry quietly. Really pathetic! I guess she expects me to kick Opal off. After a while she'll go back to my feet and do the same chin rest routine, eventually slipping up and forcing her way in. Sometimes Opal will give up and move out. If not, I usually send them both off to their bed. I'm still having a lot of trouble with grief and the dogs are a great comfort especially at night. I know it can't be very comfortable for Pearl. She just wants to be near me.

I have to lock mine up or the male feels that he needs to wake me up by leaving a few nuggets on the floor by the bed. Not even a cup of Folders will weake you up faster than the smell of dog crap.

RichardF--I'll take your word for it on that one. -D

mine has a kennel in the kitchen sleeps there every night

I love my dogs but hate dander, no dogs in the bed. some times they get to sleep on the bedroom floor,but not often

Dogs sleeping with their masters brings to mind a historical photo I saw some years ago during my PhD studies. Sheffield, England has been the hub of knife-making for centuries. Back in the days when it involved manual labor, "knife grinding" was a deadly vocation. Most men never lasted twenty years on the job. It was so deadly that many knife grinders refused take a safer position in the plant because they knew their sons would replace them at the grinding wheel. Anyway, Scheffield was not entirely immune to the wave of health reforms that swept England at the end of the 19th century. Many surmised that the lung problems the grinders suffered from were due largely to being bent over all the time and the pressure they put on their chests when forcing the metal to the grinding wheels. The dust particles that filled the air might have had something to do with it but grinding was dusty so what can you do about that? Well, some half-ways well-meaning industrialists figured that if they got the men out of their scrunched over position it might make them healthier. So the men were made to lay on the floor and work with the grinding wheels straight out in front of them. This also helped reduce the hazard of grinding stones and blades flying apart. This remedy really didn't help the men's lung problems, of course. Instead, it gave them a new ailment to worry about, rheumatism. To counter this, management brought in dogs to lay on the grinders legs and keep them warm while they were working. The photo showed a row of grinders with their dogs curled up on the backs of their legs. Talk about dedication! The high-pitched noise must have just about drove the poor mutts crazy (until it made them deaf) and they almost certainly also coughed their lungs out in short order. Think of those poor dogs the next time you pick up a fine antique Scheffield knife.

I also recall an early 19th century tavern/lodging house fare sheet with the house rules. Only one dog per person, livestock (pigs & chickens) to stay outside, no fighting, price of a pint, etc. At the bottom of the list was "No knife grinders allowed". Hmmm. Grinders were some of the highest paid industrial laborers, why wouldn't the tavern owner want their business? Because the symptoms exhibited by dying knife grinders was remarkably similar to tuberculosis which was known to be highly contageous.

Contrary to popular opinion, business history isn't all dull and boring.

That was interesting Ontario ..thanks

There is only room for one old dog in my bed and that old dog would be me. Besides the money I spent on those bid %&0 dog beds they had better use them or else....

My wife has a Italian Greyhound that weighs 12 pounds and a body temp of 106 on average that sleeps in the bed. My lab wieghs 70 lbs. I let him on the couch about a month ago and he fell asleep on his back layed out on top of some blankets and me. It took two weeks to get him to stay off the leather couch after that. Everytime I come home he B-lines it for his kennel and acts like he wasnt on the couch. For now there isnt enough room in the bed. Never allowed labs on the bed growing up in my family. Wife and I are discussing it if we get a bigger bed. He's got a bed next to ours.

Now that's spoiled!

Gracie sheds and that white hair sure shows up on the wife's dark clothes. She stays off the furniture unless the Grandkids show up then I'll have to get after her. Sure is nice for her to get past the chewing and getting into stuff like the garbage and kitchen counter. But I can't break her from sniffing out and chewing up the cough drops!!

I have a Great Dane and he used to sleep in my bed, until he reached 145 lbs and began chasing birds in his dreams. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to a Dane growling in your face and kicking you.

My Dog does not sleep in Bed with us..They sleep in the living quarters or dining room on their own rugs..They are not allowed into our bedrooms..They go out to do their necessary business in the back of our yard!!!

No retrievers in the bed, Period. They have their beds and we have ours.

Dave,

That is one priceless photo above.

WMH

No way. No dogs in my bed, or on any of my furniture for that matter. My dogs are my children and I love them dearly, but they have their own nice warm beds on my bedroom floor.

No dogs in our bed here in NY.Nothing worse than planing the trip of a lifetime only to get to your accommodations and find no dogs allowed in the rooms.Worse yet to get booted from the place because of a pet that was up all night barking or wining and cant hunt because he or she had no sleep.I keep the crate door open in the kitchen to give him a place to get away from it all when it gets busy here his safe spot.Its the same crate used to transport some thing familiar to him and if away something to sleep in.There is also a large soft dog bed in the family room that he also uses.

Sugar last package of venison from archery season.Black beans,white beans,red beans,green pepper,tomatoes,onions,
sauce,chili power,and the last package of gold.Chunky not
too many beans but oh so good!Great on a cold day pulling
salmon and lakers threw the ice.

Yes they do. I wouldn't call Heidi a gun dog, since she can't handle more than a .22. But after their last run outside, they collapse on the bed just like the humans.

We don't have the problem some of you have, though, since they're both small-game runners.

As for bothering me, just the opposite. A 21-pound warm, furry, 102-degree body snuggled against me puts me to sleep within minutes.

my dog does and dad says the dog gives him a dirtyer look when he wakes me up for school tank gets most of the bed to oh yeah he is a bulldog to

As I write my dog his using my pillow to sleep waiting for me to move him. To just have him sneak back up while I'm a sleep.

Tuck was a kennel pup. Crate trained and happy. On a backpacking trip in the pocket wilderness we got stuck in a cold front, snow came, we set up camp. I curled up in my sleeping bag with tuck in the vestibule. An hour into sleep the tent started shaking.

I opened up the door and saw him curled up shaking. I decided to let him in for warmth and as soon as I did he rushed into my down bag right to my feet. I opened the side vent and let him stick his nose out. Since then he has become the most effective foot warmer I have ever had.

Yep, dont dare move our jack russel when shes sleeping, or expect bloody fingers. Prowler(beagle) aint bad though.