When I used to live alone with just my Monty rat for company in a student halls, he would snuggle up next to me under the covers on a cold night. He didn't have a cage (the cage would have given away that I had a rat and we weren't allowed pets ) He was always a perfect bedmate

No way
1) Cain is waaaaaaaaaaay too big. 40kg dog on the bed - where do I sleep? Plus I'm a big softy who would curl up and allow the dog to have all the space because I didn't want to disturb him!
2) Fur on the pillow, ends up in my mouth - yuk!

Don't have a problem with it if other people want to do it, but it's not for me

That's what I mean though about boundaries - setting the rules, MY rules, and expecting them to be adhered to. I move the boundaries sometimes ... I had never in my life ever allowed dogs on the furniture, or on the bed. However, one day I allowed Hal to come up for morning cuddles upon invitation. Hal being Hal, he took the p. to a certain extent, but now we have Tai, who is far more obedient and respectful, he would never take advantage. He never jumps up unless invited to, not just by me but by hubby as well. We both have to pat the bed and tell him to get up, else he won't.

Daughter's Chihuahua, Gucci, is too little to jump up onto the bed, but provided he is being a good boy he is lifted up for cuddles with Tai and us and daughter - lucky we have a large King sized bed! But any shinanigans from Gucci, such as biting Tai's mouth - his favourite Norty at the moment - then down he goes. As I said, all about the boundaries set by the humans.

You're bonkers you are !! But we loves ya !!

As this thread has resurfaced, I have moved into a new caravan (same place as the old one...but less holes!)

This did involve me and Mum sharing a small space with 16 dogs for 10 days....we are still talking and I have left the house with an extra for some of the time.
As some of you may know we have a (for want of a better word) feral dog. He has now been with us 9 years, and has come on in leaps and bounds....sometimes you would almost mistake him for a normal dog, till something happens and he screams and runs away!

However - he LOVES my old boy, and in the time I was living in the house has really come out of himself (he actually spoke to, well - came within a couple of feet - of some strangers in the house!)

A big turning point for him has been the fact that he can go on the bed.
It is the only place that he will trust you 99%.....I would not say 100, as I do not think I could do anything that caused him pain... but on the 3rd day I was in the house, I took some scissors to bed, and when he came up on the bed, I managed to cut all the knots and matts from around his back end.
He would never allow you to go near his back end during the day or when you were the least bit threatening.....

So....just maybe, for some dogs - this can be a good exercise in trust

(I will add - that he will not sleep on the bed - yet - and you do not invite him up....he will go into panic mode if you ask him to do anything he is not confident of, it is definitely his choice!)

This is my daughter asleep with her rat Poto (R.I.P). My daughter named him when she was too young to speak. She loved that wee rat and he followed her everywhere. Some kids have a security blanket, Jenny had Poto.

Awwww What a lovely picture rats are sooooo special

Aaaaah ... that is sweet !! I do like rats, they are much-maligned animals.

SAME HERE

My pup is 11 weeks has been sleeping on the bed since we got her as she cried on the floor the first night and my heart just melted. She's already started to become a nuisance, though, as she fidgets all night and moans when she can't get comfortable so I'm going to start her sleeping on the floor in the bedroom soon.