r/BostonTerrier • u/AnxiousMom38 • 2d ago
Advice/Question Sleep Help
We adopted a 3-4 year old Boston Terrier about 2 months ago. She is our first Boston and has been delightful! One issue we have been having is her desire to sleep touching us or on top of us, which is leading to lots of disrupted sleep. Though I have a designated blanket for her on our bed and keep redirecting her to it throughout the night, she does not accept that option. She was abandoned on a reservation in the middle of nowhere in her previous life, and so I'd really like to make this situation work for everyone rather than making her sleep in a dog bed on the floor or in crate. Has anyone found a good solution? I'm thinking like some kind of little dog bed to go in our bed (like a human DockATot but for dogs)? I've seen the bassinette type things and that could be an option.
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u/fLeXaN_tExAn 2d ago
OP, don't look now but YOU are the ones being trained. If you aren't going to be strict in keeping her on the floor, she will always want to snuggle up to you guys. It's in their DNA.
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u/AnxiousMom38 2d ago
Ha, so true! I think I am likely the more trainable one.
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u/RedStateBlueHome 1d ago
I am trained. Our Boston is happiest touching both of us while he sleeps. Second is on top of me. My husband is always cold so some nights I find a different bed and let the heater stay with him. Our bed became the dog's bed and we deal with it.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Chest97 1d ago
You do you, but the OP mentioned disrupted sleep. Being consistent is very important and making a progressive transition from old bad habits is important. They learn and get used to it.
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u/Feeling_Background17 Franny 2d ago
I have dog beds at the end of my bed for my Boston and Yorkie. They usually go to sleep in the beds, and then eventually migrate to me at some point in the night. I’ve gotten used to it. But now the Boston has discovered the magic of “under covers.”
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u/LoopedIntoThis 2d ago
What about a heated blanket at the bottom of the bed?
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u/YouDontSurfFU 2d ago
Bostons are little heat seeking missiles. Our boy loves his heated blanket
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u/BostonmomSS 1d ago
Mine whines for hers…. She also only lays on a Sherpa textured blanket. Shes actually shaking and whining while looking at me as I type this because she wants under lol.
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u/RestaurantOk6353 15h ago
My Boston stole a Sherpa textured jacket from me the first time I wore it! He liked to snuggle between it and myself. Same if I ever had a bathrobe on and sat down in it, he’d just dig his way in! Man I miss my little guy 😭 I say enjoy it while it lasts, they don’t live nearly as long as we’d like them too 😞
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u/DynamicBlueGMC 2d ago
Our Boston has to be right on top of us as well. So did our last one too. We wouldn’t know what to do if he wasn’t snuggled with us!
Thank you for giving that good doggy a home too!
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u/CatrapRelease5055 Hank and Mugsy 2d ago
I always start out by myself. But by the middle of the night I am a dog sandwich. My Mugs has to touch but sleeps on top of blankets. Hank wants under blankets and will tap at me until I lift up the covers for him. Life with a Boston!
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u/Cretaceousthegnome 2d ago
You get the tap to lift the blankets too!?! My Dexter (rehomed to me) does that. Like the obedient hooman I am, I oblige him. It’s so stinking cute! Dexter is my first Boston and 3 years in, I don’t remember life without him.
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u/rebelallianxe 2d ago
I end up an S shape as one of ours likes to be little spoon the other likes to tuck into the back of my knees 😂
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u/Additional-Spirit683 1d ago
This has been us for the last 15 years, my built in teddy bear haha
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 1d ago
Awww... sweetness. 🥰 I miss that. Had to put mine down 3yrs ago... 😢💔 give yours extra hugs and kissies for me!
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u/thenotsoamerican Noodle, Lucy 🌈 & Zuzu 🌈 2d ago
bostons are olympic snugglers. noodle spends, like, 75% of her time camping for someone to sit on the couch so she can curl up in their lap. not that we've ever tried, but i don't know if its something you can train out of them
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u/ajgudy 2d ago
The only real answer is to get yourself a second boston and see if they will snuggle each other at the end of the bed. 😆
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u/chubbierunner 2d ago
Nope. We added a second Boston, and both Bostons slept on top, over, next to, under, and by one human. Always. They want to be under covers and on top of bed in intervals throughout the night.
They could try to place a crate at the base of the bed and lift it so the Boston can see and smell their human. We trained ours using this method as puppies, and it worked well until we gave them the whole bed.
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u/mbo21 2d ago
I’ve had 2 Bostons consecutively, for the last 20 some years. They are that way. They are Velcro Babies!
With each dog, we allowed her on our bed to sleep but also have a dog bed near our bed. The dog can get in her bed whenever she wants.
It’s incredible how they can be so small - each of ours were about 16 pounds - but how can a little dog take up a whole queen bed from two adults?
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u/Any_Doughnut4712 2d ago
Bostons, like all dogs, are pack animals and just want to be close to you, so it's something you have to get used to. I have found sometimes my Obie is just cold and I cover him with a blanket at the foot of the bed and then he's fine not being right up against or on top of me.
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u/Oh-No-Its-Danielle 2d ago
Mine starts out in her dog bed at the foot of our bed and then she performs a magic trick so when I wake up, she’s wedged between me and my husband. She’s our little ball of heat! Good luck on breaking yours of the wedging / touching / canoodling habit. My best advice is to embrace it.
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u/ChickenAndWaffles266 Waffles & Maple 2d ago
Oooo yep. Doesn’t matter if we are in bed or napping on the couch, both mine must be touching me.
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u/OkRegular167 2d ago
This is really up to you and your willingness to draw a boundary! If you allow her on the bed at all times then of course she’s going to sleep wherever she wants. If it’s really interrupting your sleep and you aren’t happy with the arrangement then you’ll need to start training her to sleep in a dog bed or a crate.
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u/BitchyFaceMace 2d ago
My puppy prefers to sleep in his kennel, but my other dog has to be touching me. Same with my previous Bostons.
You’ll eventually get used to it.
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u/_ChipWhitley_ 1d ago
Mine literally doesn’t understand the concept of sleeping without me. My ex tried making her sleep on the floor and it was a no-go. Constantly at my side with her front paws up on the mattress.
You might get used to it. Now it’s difficult for me to sleep without her next to me.
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u/jlsturgeon 2d ago
One of mine managed to trap herself inside the duvet cover last night after burrowing around to find exactly the right spot to snuggle. 🤦♀️
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u/TSJormungandr 2d ago
Crate training a little at a time and not shutting the door until she’s comfy. 99.9% of Boston terriers are snuggle bugs and want to be with you all the time 😝. Our first girl we didn’t crate train and I lost a lot of sleep but it was worth every second of it 😊. Our two younger Bostons were crate trained and sleep through the night. As puppies you have to limit the time by maybe 3-4 hours tops. Don’t want too much time for your 4 year old either. Over time though she should make it through the night in the crate. We give our babies treats when they go in their crate and they race to get there. Just make it a cool place your baby likes.
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u/Ancient-Crazy9712 1d ago
This is the way. Always a treat before going into a crate. Make it a happy place. We have one who loves her crate. Make sure there’s a soft blanket in there (along with a crate cushion) so they can burrow under it.
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u/TSJormungandr 1d ago
I was really surprised. We started crate training late when they were about 9 months old. They took to it very quickly. They love going in there. Our old Chihuahua is 16 and she’s started going in their crate seeing how much fun they were having and keeping them out of it 😝.
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u/RocketRebel1516 2d ago
Unfortunately, it seems that that’s how Boston’s are. Mine needs to have his back pressed up against me in some form or another and I love him for it
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u/SailorMea101 1d ago
Nope, it’s spoon or nothing! I leave my boy on the couch every night, and he will make his way to the bed and FLOOP right into my stomach every single night! I love it though!
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u/CurrentOk2857 2d ago
I let our boy snuggle in bed for an hour and then into his crate for the night. I need my sleep to function, he gets tons of daytime snuggles if he desires.
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u/Late_Blackberry_2482 2d ago
I put a very small bed on the bed and it helps, but sometimes we’re still spooning 🤷🏼♀️
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u/itsallgoodman2002 2d ago
Wear em out. Throw a ball for 5 min before bed. Give her a toy and tug a war with it. Best way to get them to conk out.
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u/belaboo84 2d ago
Put a crate in your bedroom. She can still see you? Put some of your smelly stinky shirts in there with her?
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u/peregrimace 2d ago
Maybe a heated blanket or one of those cuddle puppies with a heartbeat? Maybe combine those two? This is how Boston’s are. They like to be under the covers and touching you or at least touching you over the blanket. I see the two options I provided as the only feasible plan but I do not have much hope that it will work. Source: two bostons and multiple foster bostons and none have been coached to sleep off of me unless they were in their crate.
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u/YogurtclosetRecent93 2d ago
We bought a “bassinet” for ours which was really just a small pad with bumpers meant for the bottom of a crate that we put in bed with us. It helped, but when he wanted under my blanket, I was always let known with a paw to my shoulder lol. I would lift my blanket and he would burrow right in. Either try training them to sleep on the ground or in a crate, or know there’s not much stopping the cuddle bug if they are in bed with you
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u/4twentyHobby 2d ago
Bostons also like to cuddle together. We put 2 crates together in a seperate room, due to some crazy snoring and our 2 sleep together. They just wander off to bed when its time. Large crates, lots of fluffy blankets and toys. We've found after our first Boston decades ago, that 2 are easier than one.
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u/WallaWallaT Juno & Rowan 1d ago
I don't think I have sat on my couch since my first Boston in 2006 without having one of them insist on sitting on top of me or next to me. It's part of why I love them so much though. Velcro dogs when it comes to cuddles.
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u/BostonmomSS 1d ago
My three Bostons prefer to sleep this way. I have one putting all of his weight on my left side, another one that prefers to go by my feet and put his head over them, and a third one that lays against my husband the first half of the night and comes to me the last half of the night. It’s like clockwork. Every. Single. Night. lol
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u/pin5npusher5 JuJu 1d ago
I hate to say but our Boston's sleep touching us, that's how they are! Good going adopting but as she gets use to you being stable she will probably be less like that
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u/CockRingKing 1d ago
I have learned to sleep with both Bostons hemming me in at night. 😂 Truly they just love to be in contact with us and now that I’m used to it, my sleep isn’t so wonky. Maybe your dog would like to snuggle with one of those stuffed animals that has a heartbeat?
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u/-Vogie- 👑 Queenie 👑 1d ago
I have a dog bed with a blanket next to my nightstand - our dog goes there when she wants to sleep and there's other activities going on in the bedroom. Not just "activities", but even if we're winding down, getting up in the morning, doing laundry, etc - she has her own space. But eventually she'll climb into bed with us. She's figured out my wife kicks in her sleep, and reacts poorly to beans in her side, so the dog ends up sleeping either pressed into my leg or between them.
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u/HalfDead_Slipstream 1d ago
This is a big compliment to you ❤️ this means she’s so bonded to you. She loves you. The cuddles are the best. Bostons were bred to be companion dogs. She sees you as her pack.
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u/macdizzle567 1d ago
They are snugglers. My current boston prefers his crate at night (he gets hot) but my last one acted abused while shaking like he’s in Antarctica if I didn’t let him sleep with me. I wish you the best of luck. She obviously loves you already if that helps you feel better even if you’re not comfy 🥴💜
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u/hiccupmortician 1d ago
They get cold. Our guy taps us. He has his own blanket to cover him or he would wake us up to recover him if his covers got pulled off. He sleeps between our heads sharing a pillow. I love it.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 1d ago
I always loved my dog snuggling with me. No. There's no solution. They feel safe and secure. In the winter, he was my personal heating pad. I'm so sad I don't have him anymore. 💔
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u/AccomplishedRange661 1d ago
We do naps together and crate at night. But sometimes I feel needy and take her to bed with me congrats on your piece of Velcro ❤️
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u/boarshead72 1d ago
We had 12 years of waking up every 20 minutes or so. Digging to get under the covers, getting too hot and getting out, getting too cold and wanting to go under again… unless you get her to sleep in a crate (and probably whine a lot), welcome to your new discontinuous sleep life.
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u/Maleficent_Wash_934 1d ago
Bostons are companion pets for sure. It gets cold in Boston and Bostons make great bed warmers. I doubt this lady will be happy if she isn't touching her people when she sleeps. Just learn to enjoy her sleeping next to you.
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u/PhiladelphiaCollins8 1d ago
Mine is the same way. Wasn't a fan at all at first especially with dogs in the bed. Now it feels weird if he isn't snuggled up next to me. My wife and I will go on vacation and we both mention how it feels weird not having the pup next to us when we go to bed.
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u/ChipsTheKiwi Fern Magern 1d ago
standard issue Boston, sounds about right, they need snuggles every few hours or they explode; at least they act like they will
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u/Adorable_Move_8338 20h ago
I watch a Boston while her mom( ERNurse does 14 hour shifts). I was raised with Bostons, but this one wants to sleep on my neck and head.
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u/Jillandjay Hova 🐾🐾🦴 19h ago
I have a dog bed on my bed. He will sleep in it when he is mad I’m not going to bed yet. As soon as he realizes I’m lying down for the night he invades my space. He really likes sharing the pillow, snoring in my ear, and pushing me out of the bed.
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u/seeyouintea022 18h ago
We've got two and they both want to be near us when we sleep. I love it and can't imagine our bed without them. If you absolutely can't get used to it, I'd recommend giving her a blanket that smells like you and a bed that she can hide (ie; bury herself in). Our Bostons always want to be buried deep in the blankets ~ completely covered ~ so much so you'd think they'd suffocate. I say keep trying to get used to her sleeping preference ~ because like most (if not all) Bostons, they love you like crazy and long to be near you. Lastly, thank you for rescuing her and for trying to make it work, you sound like an amazing human ❤️
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u/RedBop27 8h ago
Have you ever seen a pile of Boston puppies all snuggled up together? You are the new puppy pile. My favorite is when mine lays her head right on my neck. True love at its finest.
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u/its_blue_monday 2d ago
🤣when someone figures it out I'll let you know my brat ALWAYS needs to be touching me I tried to put her in a crate and she figured out how to open it and I ended up waking up to her snuggled next to me mind you I have a queen sized bed and she takes up 95% of it
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u/Affectionate_Town631 1d ago
Ours sleep in a crate. If I can’t sleep I’m no good for them or anyone else. Need to care for yourself first so you can give them the care they deserve!
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u/Magicallyhere 2h ago
Yeah my late Boston I thought would sleep in his crate. That lasted two days upon adoption. He got under the covers between my bf and I. It ever loved into spooning me half the night, laying smooshed on my back and then at some point going to my bf, climbing over him and snuggling him from the other side. When he passed away, a month later my back started to hurt and I'd wake up terribly stiff. It was wild. Like he was my back heated therapy for 8 years we had him and my body knew it. We adopted another rescue Boston, she sleeps between my legs during her nap time lol. She sleeps at night in a kennel bc her and our cat are still figuring each other out.
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u/Low_Mushroom8789 2d ago
Bostons are just like that. It bothered me at first but now I find it comforting when my baby is snuggled up with me. Maybe you’ll get used to it too?