Skip to main content

Much like our furry four-legged friends, pet parents come in all stripes, and their relationships with their companion animals are equally as varied. For example, some people love it when their pets sleep in bed with them at night, while others don’t even let their pets in their bedrooms. We’re not necessarily going to wade into the contentious waters of support for or against sleeping with your cat or dog, but we do know a thing or two about beds, and using that expertise, want to provide some details to consider about the next bed you buy if you’re planning on sharing it with a pet (or pets).

Probably no surprise that a lot of these considerations will hinge a lot on the size of your pet, especially when we’re talking about dogs. As many cat owners will tell you, their pets aren’t always as keen on sharing a bed with their humans, and even when they do, they tend to curl up tightly and don’t utilize much real estate. In most cases, a single person in a twin bed could still sleep comfortably with a cat.

Dog on Bed

Size

Dogs, on the other hand, come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You can have a five pound chihuahua or a 150 pound mastiff, and somehow they’re both considered the same type of animal. And just because your pup may be small doesn’t mean that they won’t sprawl, taking up a surprising amount of space the bed. If you regularly sleep with your dog — especially one that is at or over 40 pounds — you need to consider how much room they’ll require. Once you’re inviting a medium-to-large dog into bed, you’re basically adding another person. In this case, your best bet is to go one bed size up from what would make all of the humans using it comfortable (i.e., get a queen bed if a full would otherwise be enough for you, etc.).

Sturdiness

Speaking from experience here, a big dog jumping on and off a bed multiple times a day is a quick way to find out just how sturdy your furniture actually is. Not only are you adding the equivalent of a 6-7 year old (or older) person to your your overall sleeping weight each night, but dogs aren’t exactly known for their grace, which means a lot of running and jumping that will wear on your bed frame. If you go for a cheaper bed made of a lightweight wood or metal material, expect to see the ramifications of this aggressive use after just a few months. The bigger the dog, the more worthwhile it will be to invest in a strong, sturdy bed frame made of a durable material. Since you’re here, it may be worth giving our standard bed a look, as it’s made of the same heavy duty material as our loft and bunk beds.

Accessibility

Similarly, unless you’re so committed to co-sleeping with your pup that you don’t mind manually moving them every time they need assistance, your bed should be able to accommodate their ability to enter and exit the bed on their own accord. However, if your issue isn’t necessarily with needing space for your pet in your bed, but simply more room for them to sleep comfortably in general, a loft bed could be a great compromise. Elevate your sleep and utilize the space underneath to house a cozy dog bed setup for your buddy.

As mentioned earlier, many people feel pretty strongly in one direction as to whether or not you should be sharing a bed with your pet. Current data indicates that about 50% of American dog owners choose to sleep with their pets, so there really is no prevailing consensus, instead leaving it up to personal preference and what you are and aren’t willing to live with. If you’re going to continue sleeping with your cat or dog and have already selected a bed frame that will work for you long-term, here is a handy guide for other ways to prepare your bedroom to improve the experience for everyone.

Toast Message