Dogs sleep in bed with U question: jockeying for their spot

Don't ask me, my lab puppy is as big as a preteen. All I can do is beat him to the bed and then shove him as hard as I can. The days he goes to doggie day care is worse, I have to agree its probably a hierarchy thing.

Only the giant Whippet is on the bed and there are often hierarchy issues. He is still learning that this is not his bed which he is allowing us to share. If I push him out of my area, he will just come back and lay on me, he wants that spot. Believe me, he is not "Whippet thin", and 50 pound of dog laying on top of me does not equal a restful nights sleep.

I think it may be hopeless and I am about to give in and move to the floor with the Greyhounds. They have crib mattresses for beds and seem to understand how to share and respect the hierarchy.

No pets in bedrooms here.

It does sound like they are playing I'm the leader.

I have a dog and cat who vie for the space above my head. Loser sleeps at my waist. Between the two of them and my husband there isn't much room left for me. Good thing I'm a sound sleeper or I'd have to move out.

We have two golden retrievers that my husband loves to tell people that they split us up.  He took one (Sammy) and went to another bedroom.  I have the other (Pepper) who sleeps with me every night.  Most of the time he stays in his "position" (which is the word I use for his place at the foot of the bed).  Some mornings I wake up and Pepper is sleeping like a human being with his head on the pillow.  DH joins me in bed some mornings  and immediately Pepper gets between us - it's like he's telling DH this is my territory Dad.

Stella sleeps with me every night (DH has his own bed cause he is a bad sleeper and it annoys me). She takes the right side of the bed just like a human. She starts at the foot of the bed and by the morning she is sleeping next to me on the other pillow. My only complaint is her butt ends up in my face - I can't get her to sleep up/down only sideways and her butt is always inward. It's annoying.

I have an 80lb Doodle (see on left) who will sleep at the bottom of the bed, until my DH goes to work. He then moves up into DH's space with his head on the pillow. It's quite disconcerting waking up to that big brown nose pointing into my face.

OP, would banishing them all from your bed help with the struggle?

I can't imagine having the dog sleeping with me all night - he gets locked up in the garage with his bed, blankie, toys etc.
He is only on my bed for a quick cuddle or when he streaks in so fast and I can't catch him in time.

The trainer I am going to, advised that he stays off our 'den area' - something about alpha dogs, pack leaders......

Lady, my Great Dane Shepard mix sleeps beside me usually. Ebony, my beagle terrier mix usually sleeps at my feet, but she starts out trying to squeeze between Lady and my side. My one cat, Figaro, comes to bed with me and has to be under the covers, but she usually leaves when I am done reading. Sassy the cat is banned from the bedroom as all she wants to do is attack everyone at bed time. And my cat Callie sleeps wherever she wants and doesn't have to share with anyone since all of the other animals are in bed with me.

Boo Kitty has her own pillow.  Zilla the Jack Russell mix comes up for her nightly scratches, but when I tell her "dog end" she has to go either sleep by my feet or cuddle in the crook of my knees.  Missy is a GSD mix and she sleeps with my son because she's a bed hog.

My Sheltie, Lucy is the same. She will hop in bed, get comfy, then when I crawl in, she'll jump down. I think it's too hot. Or maybe she doesn't want to share. She won't stay on the couch when I'm there, either. She does like to sleep right next to the couch or bed--but prefers the cool, bare floor--especially in the summer.

Ohh gosh I can relate and I have two BIG dogs. It doesn't help that DH goes to bed before me, Pia the girl, likes to keep my spot warm till I come to bed. By then she is very comfortable. Sometimes on my pillow like a person. She'd stay there if I didn't make them go out to go potty before I go to bed. I make them both go out before midnight so they aren't waking up in the middle of the night. I'll be glad when we get the dog door fixed. But that at least gives me the power to move them.

Duke usually stays at the end of the bed. But he gets mad and jumps off if I try to move my feet to lay down. He's good with his kennel after that. He always has. We leave his door open and he has a nice bed in there. It's in our room. We did finally get a big dog pillow for Pia so after they do go out she usually moves to the pillow. That seems to work for now.