Sleep With Your Pet?

My dog sleeps with me.

He isn't a little dog, either. He's a great big 70-pound Standard Poodle. But he was still a puppy when I decided he could probably go the night in my room. And so since he was a little one, he's slept on my bed.

This doesn't always go smoothly. He's usually ready for bed before I am--it amazes me how his natural clock just takes over. He sleeps at about 9 or 10 at night, and is up for the day at about 6 or 7. Sometimes it makes me wish I worked that way. He'll curl up when he's ready to sleep, and if he gets to the bed before me, that usually means either right in the middle of it or with his head on my pillow.

Otherwise, when I climb in bed, his first reaction is to climb up and put his paws right on my chest and look me strait in the eye with his Poodle stare. 

And this is why I love having him on my bed at night. 

I pet him. He snuggles up right against me. He often puts his head on my legs. He's there so I can pet him and talk to him if I start getting the motor mind so many of us do at night that keeps us up.

He helps me sleep, and we bond. 

Is it okay to sleep with your pet, though? This was a question I Googled during those first puppy days--and I found some interesting information. 

• About half of dogs sleep with their owners in this country, and more than half of American cats

• The habit could be good or bad for your sleep. If Fido is hogging the covers and kicking, it could have a negative impact on your quality of sleep. But if you find having a pet there soothing, it could aid your sleep. Weigh the pros and cons for your situation.

• Closeness and touch have all sorts of positive benefits--for both of you.

• If you have allergies, sleeping with your pet in your bed could make your situation worse.

• Exposure to pets during childhood can actually give individuals lower rates of allergies and communicable disease during your lifetime. 

• An incontinent pet really shouldn't share your bed. Separate sleeping arrangements will probably make you both happier.

• Some studies have indicated some concern about the practice increasing the spread of disease between pets and their owners.

The conclusion? Weigh the pros and cons for you. Sleeping arrangements are just one more part of having a happy life with your pet.