This may be...
 

a stupid question but i have to ask. for all of you that shows your dog...do you allow them to sleep in your bed before they win their title? or must that not so they won't show signs of being submissive? reason why i am asking is last night my financee was asking why hasn't MeiLing been able to sleep with us? and i was like well because i am hoping to show her one day and don't want to take away any chance she may have to win her title. but then i don't know if that is right or not. any help will be greatly appreciated. i feel bad since we bought her home she was able to sleep with us...now she can't.

I have allowed every show dog & prospect I've ever had sleep in my bed with me until I got married:) I finished 2 of them all the while they were sleeping with me in my bed. However, I have a little show prospect now and the ONLY reason she doesn't sleep with us now is for potty training purposes and she could jump off the king size bed and hurt herself. You have to do what works for you though.

thank you...i just thought i read somewhere you should not spoil them cuz that may affect them in the show ring...i could be mistaken....any other opinions on that? anyone?

I used to let all my dogs sleep with us (my husband and I). But 3 dogs and 2 cats, and the 2 of us became a tad crowded. I placed my retired/neutered show male with a lady from my moms work and he now sleeps in her bed under the covers with his head on a pillow. LOL The two ladies I have left stay in an xpen at night, for their safety. I'm always afraid they will eat something or get into cords or whatever at night while I am not watching. I'm paraniod I guess. Now the affect it has in the ring... I havn't had any problems with either way. The dog shows how it shows. Some days are off some days are on. Just depends. :)

Roni

thanks...i just didn't want her to seem so spoiled...although i just started handling class..they were saying something like don't like your dog seem so submissive...maybe i am thinking too much...i dunno...

Allowing your dog to sleep in your bed is a personal choice not necessiarly correlated to the show world. Many show dogs are allowed to sleep on beds.

My personal opinion is it can be dangerous. There is so much that can happen during the night; they could get kicked, rolled over on, squished, fall or roll off the bed and the list goes on and on. Instead I allow my boys to sleep in their beds next to my bed--this way everyone stays safe and they don't feel seperated from me.

In the morning, Diesel will wake up and stretch on the side of the bed with the sweetest "pick me up" face and since I am awake I oblige--we still get our 20mins of cuddling but this way there is no risk he will get hurt.
:)

that is a good idea...i am always so worried when MeiLing is on my bed...although i have a platform bed but the mattress is a pillowtop and it is fairly high...she constantly has to be watch or she will jump...she doesn't care...so it scares me that she will break her little legs or get really hurt...thanks.

I always have my dogs in the bed LOL..I alternate between who sleeps on the bed because I can't have 7 in the bed with me and hubby on just a queen size bed LOL....even my show dogs sleep in the bed. I guess I've always been lucky that once it's night night time they sleep through the night and that's been all my dogs over the years....never had to worry about them getting into things. I have wee wee pads on the floor in case they just absolutely have to potty but most of the time they sleep through the night. My dogs are pets first then show dogs :)

Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

I personally don't have Captain or Heaven sleep in bed with me...not b/c they are show dogs but b/c they just sleep better in their own crates. My two pet yorkies do sleep in bed with me and have since they were little, so they do sleep on the bed in their own beds. But when I got Captain I was told to have him sleep in a crate so he will be used to it for the show days/weekends. When he did finish his Championship back in September, I put him in bed with me but that didn't last but 30 mins as he thought it was play time and didn't want to settle down. So he sleeps in his crate and loves it...they consider it their bed and don't complain about it. I have two wire crates that are in my room across from my bed so they can see me but are in the comfy spots at night. This has worked well for us...but like I said this is a personally choice not b/c they are show dogs.

I have found that show dogs can be spoiled to a point...Captain is spoiled rotten but does know when to behave when in the ring evironment. I think the most important thing is for the dog to know their commands and when it is time to listen and when it is time to play. I have taught ever dog I have show that once I put the lead around their neck, it is time to work and when it is off, it is time to play!! This all comes with lots of time/bonding and training together!!

yes that is the thing...MeiLing will jump off the bed if she has to go...and that worries me...hehe...i need to get a bed stair for her...i know target has 1 for around $15 but i haven't seen it in store...i am still looking for a decent price one that looks like it is sturdy and not so awkward...hehe

i was thinking about that also...to get crates and put in my room for them so they are still near me...hehe

I really think having crates is the best thing for a show dog b/c you will travel so much that no matter where you are (in a hotel or somewhere else) they will have their place that they know and all their usually blankets/beds. We travel out of town and are constantly at new hotels and it makes it so nice not to have to worry about how well the dogs are going to sleep, they know their crates and are ready to go in when it is time for bed.

Kristen I bet wishes I'd leave my dogs in the crates at night when we travel together and at least I do with Molly but the others oh well they sleep in the bed and quite well if I say so myself! LOL...well with the exception of one night when Krissy wouldn't shut up with people out in the hall remember Kristen? LOL...
But my dogs are spoiled and sleep with me. Poor Radar I'm sure he'd rather travel with me so he can sleep in the bed but since he's with Tonia he doesn't get as spoiled rotten LOL

thanks for your advice...

My babies are in bed with me too!

I have heard people claim that if you sleep with them or even live with them that they will not be good show dogs. Personally I feel the more bonded they are to their handler, the more apt they are to want to work for you and please you. My girls sleep with me...right now I have 4 in bed with me...3 of my girls and one of moms! LOL

I do have steps and they have access to food/water/piddle pads all night long. They are always happy to go to bed and all snuggle up with me at night. See there is just no room for a hubby! ROFL

hehe...i have a king size bed...with me and my fiancee...so we actually have plenty of room for these little boogers...hehe....and the fiancee is owned by MeiLing...hehe...he was like well if she can't sleep in the bed with us then you can't show her because everything you teach her i am going to teach her the opposite...its kinda cute and funny to hear him like that....haha

I have ceramic tile in the kitchen, dog room and sun room and carpet throughout the rest of the house. Carpet is hard on a coat that drags the ground so the dogs that I am showing stay on tile. Retired dogs and puppies have run of the house and sleep in the bed. We put the others on the bed to play and snuggle. I will usually put Deuce in Caleb's bed every morning to wake him up and, if Marty gets up before me, he puts all the dogs in the bed with me. Puppy kisses are much nicer than the alarm clock.