If you are wondering whether or not you should let your Rottweiler sleep with you, this post will help you decide.
So, can my Rottweiler sleep with me? Research has shown it is not problematic provided that the dog is healthy and without behavioral issues. However, if it does have some behavioral issues such as aggression, resource guarding or separation anxiety then it might make them more pronounced.
When deciding on whether or not you should let your Rottweiler sleep with you there are a number of things to consider.
Reasons that letting your Rottweiler sleep with you might not be a good idea
Below are some possible reasons why it might not be a good idea to let it sleep with you.
It might contribute to separation anxiety
If your Rottweiler currently has behavioral issues such as separation anxiety, it would help to take measures to correct the issues before letting it sleep with you. This is because letting it sleep with you might contribute to the behavioral issues.
For example, if it has separation anxiety, letting it sleep with you will mean that it will be with you all the time which might make it become even more anxious when you are not around.
It might make it harder for you to sleep
Another reason why it might not be a good idea to let it sleep with you is that it might make it harder for you to fall asleep. This is because your Rottweiler will move around during the night and this could bother you.
With that being said, you could try letting it sleep with you for a few nights and seeing if it makes it harder to fall asleep or not.
It can aggravate your own allergies and transmit diseases
It is possible that letting your Rottweiler sleep with you will aggravate allergies and there is a risk of transmitted diseases. However, this is a very rare occurrence (source) but it is something to be aware of.
It might increase resource guarding
If your Rottweiler currently has resource guarding issues, letting it sleep with you also might not be a good idea. The reason for this is that it might start trying to guard its spot on the bed.
It might be difficult to get it to stop if you change your mind
Another reason why it might not be a good idea is that it might be difficult to get it to stop sleeping with you if you let it do it for more than a couple of nights.
Reasons why it is not such a bad idea
Below are some reasons why it might be ok to let your Rottweiler sleep with you.
It improves feelings of companionship
Letting your Rottweiler sleep with you could be a good thing since it might improve your bond with your Rottweiler. They were bred to work alongside their owners and they are usually a lot more comfortable when they can be around their owner as and when they please.
It might make you feel safer
Another possible benefit is that it might make you feel safer having your Rottweiler around you. This could help you to fall asleep more easily.
Research has concluded that it’s not so bad to let it sleep with you
People used to say that people shouldn’t let their dog sleep with them for reasons such as it causing the dog to feel like the owner is no longer its leader.
However, recent research has concluded that the pros can outweigh the cons when letting your Rottweiler sleep with you. It also found that there is not a significant issue with doing it if your relationship with your Rottweiler is a healthy one.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider before letting your Rottweiler sleep with you.
Whether or not it has behavioral issues
If your Rottweiler currently has behavioral issues such as resource guarding or separation anxiety, it would be important to correct the issues before letting it sleep with you.
How old it is
It would also help to consider the age of your Rottweiler. If it is still a puppy, it might cause it to be more likely to get separation anxiety when it is older since it will be around you all the time if it sleeps with you.
If you do notice that it begins to become anxious when you are leaving, it would be important to start taking measures to reduce its separation anxiety right away.
You could get it to sleep on the floor beside the bed instead
Another thing to consider is that you could let it sleep on the floor beside the bed instead of on the bed. By doing so you will be able to benefit from many of the benefits such as feeling safer while also minimizing how much it contributes to behavioral issues.