It’s the dilemma of the modern day dog lover: You finally find that totally washable, ultra-comfortable dog bed that manages to match both your decor and budget. You test the memory foam yourself, curling up like a dog in front of bemused pet store employees. You bring your purchase home and present it to your pooch, hoping she’ll love it. Instead, she takes one sniff before bounding up onto the only bed she’ll ever love — yours. So, why is your dog sleeping in bed with you even though there are other comfy options available?

There’s plenty of reasons why dogs can’t resist the big bed. Maybe if we understand them we’ll have a better chance of getting them out of it.

1. They’re lonely

Here’s a simple answer to the questions, “Why is my dog sleeping in bed with me?” and “Why is my dog sleeping on me?” Dogs are like ex-boyfriends: They don’t like to sleep alone and, if you let them in your bed once, they want to get in there every night. They both make a whimpering sound when you tell them to sleep in their own bed.

2. Dogs get cold sometimes

A nice duvet and a human-shaped space heater make the big bed seem a lot cozier than the dog bed that offers nothing more than their own body heat. Why shiver by your lonesome when you can warm your cold nose on a human’s warm feet?

3. The big bed smells good

There’s a reason why there are scented candles that smell like freshly laundered sheets — it’s an amazing scent. That scent (well, preserving it) is why many humans buy their dog their own bed, but it’s also the reason why our dogs are drawn to ours.

4. The big bed smells like THEM!

Another answer to, “Why is my dog sleeping in bed with me?” Our beds smell better than theirs, but, unfortunately, that’s only true if they sleep in theirs. They may start sleeping in our bed because it smells better than theirs, but they stay because, eventually, it smells like it’s theirs.

Related: Tips for Cleaning Dog Beds

5. Dogs love to stretch out

Many dog beds are designed with circle sleepers in mind, but if your dog doesn’t like to form a doggie doughnut when she beds down for the evening, a circular bed just isn’t going to do. The human mattress offers plenty of rectangular real estate for long, large-breed limbs to stretch out — the only drawback is the humans are often in the way!

6. They feel left out

Humans have different classifications of love — parental love, platonic love, romantic love. Dogs just love. That’s why they don’t really understand that some of the nocturnal cuddles that happen in the human bed are not for them. Nothing kills the mood like a canine à trois, so sometimes it’s better just to lock the door.

7. Dogs are entitled

Another easy way to answer,”Why is my dog sleeping on me?” Well, we call them Prince or Princess and then we expect them to sleep on the floor? Royalty will not be demoted, human.

8. Your sheets feel good

Most dog bed covers are made for washability, not luxury, and yet many dogs somehow recognize good quality linens. They know a high thread count when they see one, and when they see it on your bed they know their butt belongs on that Egyptian cotton.

9. They know it’s wrong

If you’ve ever smoked a cigarette in a high school bathroom or didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign when there were no other cars in sight, you know how your dog feels when she’s rolling around on your bed when (she thinks) you’re at work — it’s deliciously wrong.

You also know how your high school principal or that cop who gave you the ticket felt about you — mildly annoyed.

10. But they love you

The bottom line on and the most definitive answer to, “Why is my dog sleeping in bed with me?” They just want to sleep next to their best friend, and really, how can we blame them for that?

Top Photo: ©Solovyova | Getty Images.

This piece was originally published in 2018.

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