Mastiff Puppy

**DeborahT** · 27-11-2006 10:23

I know I'm naughty but I needed the sleep, I was up all night with the puppy for a few nights, this also included the puppy waking up my 15 month old boy, so I gave in and put the puppy tucked into my sons bed, I didn't hear a sound all night and everyone slept like a dream, is it bad of me to let our mastiff puppy (2months old) sleep with my 8 year old son?

**Zada** · 27-11-2006 10:26

i dont think theres anything wrong with that. Puppies like company

**RoarsomeMum** · 27-11-2006 10:27

If your going to keep letting him sleep there, then thats fine, but if when he gets "big" your going to kick him off, its probably best to never let him do it.. They learn whats acceptable/unnacceptable really early, are a very smart breed!! (and Bewdiful!!)

**Mikeswifey** · 27-11-2006 10:27

My DD sleeps with our cat and 2 dogs every night on her bed. She is 17 months old.

**aquarius** · 27-11-2006 12:53

oh i love mastiffs!!! best piece of advice anyone ever gave me about dogs was 'start as you mean to go on' which is exactly what anxiousem said - if you don't want puppy sleeping on the bed when he gets older, you better kick him off right now! but if you don't mind him sleeping on the bed then no harm done and i can relate to needing some SLEEEEP!

**DeborahT** · 27-11-2006 14:25

Thanks for the imput ladies, honestly...I need my sleep and while Ethan the 8 year old doesn't mind and loves snuggling up to the puppy I think I will let it go on, one day there may have to be another bed in the room for Ethan or the puppy to sleep on but I think its worth it for me to let it continue, I'll just have to get use to waking them up in the morning tangled together and snoring!

**Mum2Tyla** · 27-11-2006 15:24

Hi,
I teach puppy preschool and i usually say it is okay as long as the dog only gets on when invited and gets off when they are told otherwise it can cause dominance issues, also make sure your son feeds him and is involved in training this will help the puppy see your son as dominant and if it is a single bed it will become an issue as the dog gets bigger and he may not be happy to sleep on a seperate bed if he is used to sleeping in the bed with your son i woudl advise a bed on the floor in your sons room if that is what will occur later on. Hope this helps, have fun I loooove Mastiffs they are such beautiful dogs, is he a french or english mastiff
Kelly

**DeborahT** · 28-11-2006 07:09

Hiya Kelly,
He's an English Mastiff x wolf hound (although he's more Mastiff than wolf), so he's going to be really REALLY big! Thanks for you advice, I just read it this mornin when I crawled out of bed and grabbed a cuppa coffee. I had a chat with Ethan about the puppy sleeping on his bed and asked him what he thought, seeing as he will be the one sleeping with the puppy when the puppy grows up to be enormous. He said that he doesn't mind if the puppy grows up and sleeps on his bed, although when I did showed him a picture of the actual size he said 'well, ok mum, maybe sleeping on my bed is not such a good idea later, the puppy will push me off the bed and i'll be the one sleeping on the floor' smart I said. So now we are in the process of buying one of those canvas beds for large dogs, the ones that are up off the floor a bit, i'll put the puppy blanket and his teddy on the bed and see how he goes. I told Ethan to put the puppy on his own bed through the night, which will be alright for him at the moment but the puppy bed will be beside his own bed which will be easy for him to push Drake off. Am I making sense? God I hope so LOL...anyway, thanks heaps for helping me with this.
Deb

**Mum2Tyla** · 28-11-2006 12:35

Hi,
yes you are making sense, the dog sleeping next to the bed is fine, he is going to be massive but two really nice natured breeds of dog so he should be a gentle giant if you train him right.
Kelly

**DeborahT** · 28-11-2006 12:44

Hiya Kelly,
He is such a gentle natured pup, a real softy and loves his teddy bear LOL I sound like he's a child...well, in a way he really is. The problem that we are having with him is his nibble bites, he doesn't know his own strength yet and when he does bite (not in a vicious way in a nibble way, like a grab and hold kind of bite) he really hurts at times, I found that if I or the kids screetch 'ow' really loud stops him, do you know of any other way to teach him to stop nibbling? I know and understand that its a puppy thing and he'll grow out of it in time, but is there a preventative way about it for now? Much appreciated!
Deb