Dogs naturally find the scent of their owners irresistible, and they will find ways to get close to their masters whenever possible. One of their resorts is to lick their owners' feet or face when the latter comes home from work. Others will just brush their body against their masters. But there are dogs that go beyond these physical manifestations in order to show their affection-- they jump at every chance of sleeping on their owners' beds.

Most people, especially those who never own a pet, will probably find the idea of sharing their beds with their pet a disgusting one. They may reason out that their beds are not for dogs, and that the latter should have a sleeping place of their own. Others, however, may argue that having their dogs beside them is therapeutic and relaxing. Whatever the arguments may be, having dogs doze off beside humans certainly has its ups and downs.

Now, if it is impossible for you to stop your dog from sleeping with you, you can just face the situation head on. Here are some tips that you may employ when your dog tries to sleep on your bed:

Put extra blankets over your bedding. Though the general rule is to never allow your pooch to sleep with you on your own bed or couch, you may simply place another bed sheet or blanket aside from your original bedding. This will avoid your bedding and you to smell like your dog, especially when it relieves itself. This will also prevent your dog's mites, ticks, or fleas from sticking on the bedding.

Put a divider between you and your dog. Here, a pillow will do the trick. Simply put the pillow between you and your pooch. This is to avoid your dog's ticks and fleas to get their way into you.

Show your dog who's boss. Remember that dogs tend to be dominant or aggressive. You sure won't allow yourself to end up as a stranger on your own kingdom, which is your bed, of course. When your dog starts to occupy the spot that belongs to you, reassert your position. You may opt to banish it to its original place of sleep. When the effort won't work, go for the ultimatum: physically carry your dog off your bed.

Keep in mind that your bed belongs to you. Your pet will understand this if you provide it with a bed of its own. But do not place this bed or couch in your bedroom as this may encourage the dog to transfer to your bed when it wants to. Moreover, help your pet to make it a habit to ask for your permission if it wants to sleep on your bed. Your pet can do this by doing small favors for you before you let it sleep on your bed.

Whichever of these tips you will adopt, remember that having your dog doze off beside you is not a bad idea after all. However, you should be sensible enough to set the rules before your dog gets too pampered and thus, forget that you are after all, the king of the house.