Sleeping With Dogs

Out of U.C. Davis and the CA Dept. of Health has come a

recent study by two individuals that has the whole

countrytalking about whether it’s “safe” to allow our

dogs to sleep in bed with us. Interestingly, the study,

 which concludes on a negative note, fully admits it’s

only in ”rare” and even “unusual” cases where someone

actually became ill as a result of regularly snuggling in

 bed with their pet, and even in those cases, the 

animal cited was so obviously ridden with parasites as

to be rendered unhealthy himself.  So what are the

“risks” for most of us in sharing our sleep with our

reasonably clean and well cared for canines? 

I’m here to tell you that I’ve been doing it for well

over six decades with absolutely NO ill effects

whatsoever!

 

As a kid, it was my job to take care of my dad’s kennel

dogs.  As a dog trainer for Hollywood films and

television, Dad typically kept around thirty dogs on the

property.  With that number of pets, we didn’t live close

in to town, so rather than having neighborhood kids for

playmates, my best buddies were the dogs I cared for and

grew up with.  Each day I chose a different one to anoint

as “dog of the day”, and every one got their turn spending

extra hours of “individual time” with me, including

crawling into bed with me at night.  Being that my two

siblings both were several years older than I was, and

most often involved in their own pursuits, I viewed the

dogs as my brothers and sisters — the family members

who were always there for me. Looking back, they were

also the only family members from whom I never once

caught a cold, got into an argument with, or shared

anything but the warmth and trust of a loyal friend.

 

It concerns me that such an offbeat study like this is

actually being published by the CDC and enjoying so

much national attention.  We have a sinister element in

our society spending far too much money and energy to

convince the public, the lawmakers, and now the medical

industry that people just shouldn’t have dogs!  They want

to make it illegal if someone doesn’t prefer to cut out their

dog’s reproductive organs; render it “suspicious” if

someone chooses to own multiple pets; and now

determine it “unhealthy” if someone wants to sleep at

night with their own dog!  I’m not sure where all of this

is heading, but I am sure it’s not heading anywhere I

want to live. 

 

Domestic dogs have been a part of human society since

before Bible times, and even the Bible mentions little

dogs eating food that falls from the table showing that,

even then, they were part of the household.  The

aboriginal people in Australia have long used the term

“three dog night” to indicate a night so cold that the usual

one dog under the sleeping blanket would not be enough

to keep a person warm in bed.  Thankfully for them no

one ridiculously accused them of being “hoarders” for

their owning of multiple pets, or charged them with

living in an “unhealthy” situation for bringing their

beloved dogs into bed with them to keep warm. 

 

Growing up with dogs is something I consider to be just

about the most healthy part of my upbringing.  I intend to

continue owning dogs, and encouraging others to own

dogs, as well – yes, even multiple dogs! If you own a

number of dogs and a big enough bed to hold all of you

at night, I suspect you’ll enjoy much better sleep and a

much healthier life than anyone focusing their efforts on

doing away with dogs and the people who love them. 

To all of my dog loving friends and fans, I wish you

a long healthy life of three dog nights!

 

 

Tags: Bob Weatherwax, Dogs, Sleeping With Dogs