Should I Let My German Shepherd Sleep With Me?

So many GSD owners ask, Should I Let My German Shepherd Sleep With Me? Here’s What to Think About.

The German Shepherd is cute. It comes with the territory of being the fifth most popular purebred dog breed in the United States.

So, when you bring your new German Shepherd puppy or rescue dog home for the first time.

You might be tempted to let the German Shepherd sleep in your bed.

On top of that, German Shepherds are known as “criers,” which is bad.

Your puppy is in a crate and crying, and you’re already awake to hear it.

So you give in and let your German Shepherd sleep with you.

No more crying. You feel better. Your dog feels better. As you slowly fall asleep, you hold each other close. Afterward.

Suddenly you are wide awake again. Your dog isn’t.

Because all at once you realize something that all German Shepherds who have lived a long time know very well. It is well known that German Shepherds snore.

Still, an expectation has been set. When you wake up in the morning, your dog is rested and you are worn out.

When it’s night again, guess who wants to sleep with you in the big bed?

Should you think about the pros and cons? What do professionals say? Let’s look at this issue in more depth now.

Why do German Shepherds want to sleep in the same bed with their owners?

If you went back in time a few hundred (or thousand) years, there might not have even been the idea of separate rooms, let alone separate beds.

Atlas Obscura says that people and their animals often lived under the same roof and often slept in the same bed.

Cows, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, chickens, and people all lived in the same place. This was especially true when it was very hot or very cold outside.

In those days, animals were much more than just a warm-blooded friend.

Depending on how healthy they were, their people might not be able to work or even live from one day to the next.

Even though social norms have changed, we still have the urge to share our lives, our homes, and our beds.

Today, everyone in the family has their own bed, even the dog.

But, unlike modern humans, modern dogs have not yet evolved to see this as a good thing.

In general, dogs always want to be with their people, and German Shepherds want this more than most other breeds.

What Do German Shepherds Sound Like When They Sleep?

If you are thinking about getting a German Shepherd or are just starting to take care of one for the first time, you might not know much about how they sleep.

We said in the beginning that snoring can be a big problem at night, but the German Shepherd doesn’t have that problem.

You are probably going to be the one who has to deal with your German Shepherd sleeping a lot.

Could you stay awake for that? If you just said “no,” you already know that it’s probably not a good idea to let your German Shepherd sleep with you.

Why do German Shepherds snore so much and so loud?

People who snore loudly are often thought to have sleep apnea, but it can also be a sign of other health problems.

How does a German Shepherd fall asleep? Is your dog’s snoring dangerous for them? 

These are questions that every person who owns a German Shepherd should know the answer to.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that German Shepherds snore for the same reason they snuffle and snort: they have very short muzzles.

Modern domestic dogs have three main types of muzzles: long, medium, and short. The type of nose with the shortest length is called “brachycephalic” (pronounced “black-ee-seh-fall-ick”).

The brachycephalic type of muzzle is what gives dogs like Pugs and German Shepherds their cute, squashed-faced look. But it can worsen your health.

The German Shepherd Club of America says that these are the most common health problems that short-muzzled dog breeds have:

• It’s hard to breathe.

• Snoring.

• Hard time holding and chewing food.

• Easy to get too hot.

• Spitting up food or bringing it back up (vomiting) is the same thing.

• He was snorting and wheezing.

• Not being able to swim or fly in planes. Canine sleep apnea.

BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) is a very dangerous health condition.

The German Shepherd has a short muzzle, which means its airways are short and its jaw is too crowded.

German Shepherds have long, normal necks and normal heads for their body size.

This can lead to extra skin and tissue inside the mouth and throat, which can block airflow at night, causing sleep apnea and sometimes death.

Can German Shepherd Snoring Be Cured?

Even though you probably won’t be able to stop your German Shepherd from snoring completely, there are many things you can do to reduce both the amount of snoring and the risk.

The TMJ Therapy and Sleep Centre of Colorado says that keeping your German Shepherd slim and fit can definitely make it easier for him or her to breathe at night.

AKC has some more tips that can help with snoring, even if they don’t solve the problem completely:

• Add a humidifier. Moist air can help people who have trouble breathing.

• Use postural therapy to help your dog sleep in a safer way.

• Plan surgery to open and widen the nasal passages (stenotic nares).

• Check out your dog’s thyroid gland.

• Get rid of allergens in your home.

• Keep the place where you sleep clean and cool.

Some of these cures take a lot more time, cost a lot more money, and hurt a lot more than others.

The best way to figure out what to do first is to make an appointment with your dog’s vet to talk about how bad it is and what options you have.

Should You Let Your dog Sleep With You in the Same bed? Pros and cons What to Consider

Some people who own German Shepherds sleep well.

If this is you, you might not have to worry about your German Shepherd’s snoring keeping you up all night.

Since this is the main “con” for why you shouldn’t let your German Shepherd sleep in your bed, you may be wondering if there’s anything else you need to know to make up your mind.

In this last section, we’ll look at the most important pros and cons of letting your dog sleep with you.

Pros of letting your German Shepherd sleep with you

Researchers at the well-known Mayo Clinic did an interesting study and found that there were no statistically important reasons to keep dogs out of your bed.

People who took part in the study got about the same amount and quality of sleep as people who did not let their dogs sleep with them.

Another study from the Mayo Clinic showed that many people felt better at night when their dog was around.

The study did find, though, that people were less likely to let their dogs sleep with them at night if they snored.

Cons of letting your German Shepherd sleep with you

WebMD for Pets says that almost half of all dogs with owners sleep in the same bed with them at night.

But just because something is often done doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea.

Even though the German Shepherd is a short-haired breed, people with pet allergies may have health problems if they let their dog sleep in bed with them.

The allergies are caused by a protein on the skin, not by hair that has fallen out.

Pets like German Shepherds that snore, move around, get under the covers, kick, and scratch themselves at night can be more annoying.

People and other pets are another reason why you shouldn’t let your dog sleep with you. Many pet owners don’t think about this at first.

Whether your child, your partner, or another family pet wants to sleep with you, your bed can quickly become crowded and a hotly contested territory.

Ultimately, Letting Your German Shepherd Sleep With You Is Your Choice

There’s no doubt that it can be hard to decide whether or not to let your dog sleep with you at night.

This is especially true when your dog is a tiny puppy and just wants to be with you all the time.

But it’s important to remember that it’s easier to deal with behaviour problems if they don’t happen in the first place.

This is especially important if you want to bring your dog with you when you travel, because accommodations aren’t always the same. Then you’ll make a decision at the end.

Conclusion

Many German Shepherd owners keep on asking Should I Let My German Shepherd Sleep With Me?

Well, it’s your choice but German Shepherds that snore, move around, get under the covers, kick, and scratch themselves at night can be more annoying. 

Do you sleep with your German Shepherd? How are you doing with this? Use the comments to tell your stories.