As any husky owner can tell you, the average husky would gladly spend every minute by their side. It may be easy enough to decide to let your husky spend their time indoors with you or accompany you on a car ride, but the decision to let your husky sleep with you can be surprisingly difficult.
After all, do huskies like to sleep with their owners, and is it a good idea to let them?
Because huskies are an incredibly social breed, many huskies enjoy sharing the bed and sleeping with their owners. Co-sleeping has been shown to have many therapeutic benefits. That said, it is easy for this double-coated breed to get overheated pressed up against you or under the covers.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether or not huskies enjoy spending time under the covers and whether or not it’s a good idea to let your husky curl up in your bed.
Do Huskies Like to Sleep with Their Owners?
Although every husky has their own preferences and some huskies enjoy having their own space to sleep, this is something of an anomaly. Most huskies love to share the bed due to their social and affectionate natures. Not to mention how cozy a nice, fluffy blanket can be!
Huskies Are Social and Affectionate
As a pack animal bred to work and live in large groups, it would be a bit of an understatement to say that huskies are social. This breed is known for its love of spending time with four-legged and two-legged family members alike and was bred to be as much of a sledding dog as a household companion.
In fact, huskies are one of the only breeds of dogs who have had the privilege of sleeping in the tents of their families throughout the history of their breed and were used to keep children warm at night. In other words, it’s in a husky’s blood to want to sleep in close quarters with their loved ones.
Not only does sleeping with their owners fulfill a husky’s natural instincts, but it also satisfies their affectionate side. Huskies are incredibly affectionate dogs who like to express their love in a variety of ways. Most notably, huskies tend to be very touchy-feely, and as we’ve covered in a previous article, cuddling is a personal favorite show of love for this breed.
Your Bed is Comfy!
Would you rather sleep on your floor or in your bed? Chances are, your dog agrees with you! If you’ve ever slept on a mattress that was too firm and woke up feeling sore the next day, you should understand why a dog would prefer to spend their downtime on a plush cushion rather than a hardwood floor.
Having a firm but supportive mattress to lay on can help distribute your dog’s weight more evenly to avoid joint pain and other orthopedic issues. Even when your dog can’t sleep on your bed, most experts recommend that your dog has a high-quality place to rest.
Can My Husky Sleep With Me?
Whether or not you share the bed with your husky is ultimately your choice, but there are plenty of pros (and cons!) to consider, from the psychological to the physiological.
Sharing a Bed Has Therapeutic Effects
Some people may find it odd to share their bed with four-legged friends, but it’s actually more common than you might expect. In fact, a 2020 study revealed that 70% of dog owners co-sleep with their pups, with half of these dogs sleeping in the bed with their owner.
The results of this study also suggested that having a beloved pet in the room or even on the bed can create a sense of security and safety that many owners may find outweigh disruptions.
There has been a proven benefit to sleep when allowing a dog to sleep on the bed rather than only in the bedroom. Plus, cuddling with dogs results in a mutual release of oxytocin and other “cuddle hormones” that result in a closer bond and reduced anxiety.
Consider Fur And Allergies
Full disclosure– as much as I love cuddling with my dog throughout the day and as much as I’ll preach that co-sleeping can be therapeutic, my husky actually doesn’t have bed privileges. While all of the fur that huskies shed doesn’t bother me, the invisible dander shed by my pooch as well as the dust mites that feed on it do.
Proper fur-pickup plus these dust-mite resistant sofa cases and sheets have made it easy to share my house with a husky, but unfortunately, having that fur on my pillow is what puts my nose over the edge.
While fur on the bed doesn’t bother me, it’s completely understandable if the idea of having dog hair where you lay your head at night seems kind of off-putting, or if you don’t want to have to de-fur your pajamas and sheets.
If you’re thinking about letting your dog sleep on your bed, consider having a special area on the end of the bed where your pup can sleep if you have allergies. Of course, just be warned that huskies aren’t exactly the most obedient species out there, and your husky may magically migrate to your side of the bed overnight.
Watch Out For Overheating
Despite common misconceptions, huskies can actually do a pretty good job at regulating their body heat with their double coat, and are even able to do well in hot weather. That said, a husky’s cooling mechanism depends on having plenty of air-flow. If your husky is under the sheets or pressed up against you, they can easily overheat, especially if your room is on the warmer side.
Heat-stress, which is the most mild form of heat-related illness, occurs when your husky’s body temperature is uncomfortably elevated. A dog experiencing heat stress will have increased thirst and panting, which may progress to heavy panting or weakness if they are unable to access a cool area or water. Your husky will probably wriggle out of the blankets when it begins to get overheated, but this can easily be a stressful and uncomfortable situation for you both.
When Not to Let Your Husky Sleep With You
As we discussed above, there are plenty of great reasons to let your Siberian husky sleep with you. That said, there are some important instances where you shouldn’t share the bed.
If Your Sleep is Impacted
As much as huskies love to run around and play, they also sleep. A lot. In fact, the average adult husky sleeps a whopping 12 hours a day! Unlike humans, dogs are pretty inefficient sleepers, getting their much-needed REM sleep in 45 minute bursts throughout the day as opposed to the four to six cycles we get in a single “sitting.” It’s only normal for your husky to stir or even get out of bed throughout the night, and your sleep may be impacted. Not to mention the possibility of kicking while dreaming or generally moving around.
On the other hand you may be the one snoring or rolling around in your sleep, and your husky’s valuable shuteye may suffer. In 2020, a study by Canisius College’s Department of Animal Behavior shed some light on whose sleep impacted who.
This study analyzed the movement patterns of dogs and their humans during the night and showed that dog movement caused human movement to triple in likelihood, and human behavior movement stirred dog movement 50% of the time.
While these humans didn’t report any subjective changes in their quality of sleep, you may be onto something if you notice you or your dog acting a bit groggy when Fido sleeps under the covers.
If Either Of You Are Under the Weather
As nice as it may seem to snuggle up with your pup if you have a nasty cold, it isn’t always the best idea. While they aren’t very common, you or your dog may have a zoonic disease, which is one that can be passed between animals and humans.
While an interspecies virus is rare, roundworms and hookworms are two commonly transmitted parasites, along with ringworm, a type of fungus. These parasites may come and go without any symptoms and are often an annoyance at worst, but complications aren’t unheard of.
More importantly, there’s a possibility your pup is harboring a vector, which is any blood-sucking pest that can spread disease to humans. Along with leaving an itchy bite, fleas and ticks can transmit a variety of serious diseases such as Lyme disease and yellow fever. Luckily, both of these risks are preventable by keeping up-to-date with your dog’s flea and tick medications, washing your hands, and taking other basic precautions.
In The Case of Resource Guarding
Outside of their occasional dramatic episodes, huskies are relatively laid-back dogs that don’t tend to be aggressive. That said, resource guarding, also known as possessive aggression, can be found in any breed.
Dogs demonstrating resource guarding behavior often growl, lunge, or even bite whenever a person nears their food or a favorite toy, but any resource– including your bed– can become a prized possession.
A bit of growling when you touch your dog’s pillow can be funny, but resource guarding can quickly escalate into a nasty or unexpected bite. Considering your dog may be close to your face when you’re sharing a bed, this doesn’t make for a good combination.
All aggressive behavior should be taken seriously in your dog, and until you have worked on preventing and treating this behavior, your pup loses bed privileges. It is important to never yell at your husky or discipline them harshly, and you may want to consider enlisting the help of a dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist if the problem is too big to handle on your own.
Closing Thoughts
Every breed has their own preferences when it comes to sleeping in close quarters, and the average husky absolutely adores napping with their family. This is due to a combination of their naturally social temperament combined with the comfort of sleeping in a cozy spot.
Although co-sleeping can be therapeutic for you and your pup alike, it’s important to consider whether or not this arrangement is beneficial for both parties. Allergies acting up or disrupted sleep can be truly detrimental to your wellbeing, and your husky could get overheated. That said, if you want to share your bed with your husky, they’ll be sure to adore it!
