Sharing A Bed With Your Dog: Here are 6 expert tips on how to hygenically share a bed with your adorable dog

Follow these tips to ensure a great night's sleep for you and your four-legged friends.

A few simple tips can make sharing a bed with a dog hygienic.

Many dog owners love their pet so much that they don't want to be separated at night - preferring to share a bed with their pooch.

But to do so hygienically, it's wise to follow a few tips.

Here's some expert advice courtesy of Rhiannon Johns, dog lover, interior designer and head of brand at Piglet in Bed.

Place a blanket on top of your fitted sheet

Like humans, many dogs actually enjoy sleeping under the duvet as it is dark and cosy, however, with mucky paws and moulting fur, you will want to think about protecting the part of the bed you lay closest to. In order to keep your bottom sheet as clean as possible, I’d recommend laying down a blanket on top of the fitted sheet for your dog to lie on. This will keep your fitted sheet clean and relatively hair free. Make sure to keep this blanket for dog use only!

Keep a spare pillow

If you have a dog that likes to curl up on a pillow, then I’d suggest getting a spare pillow that matches your bedding, for your dog to use. This way you don’t have to share a pillow with your pooch and can remove it from your bed during the daytime to keep things looking fresh.

Wash sheets more regularly

Washing your bedding weekly is recommended, but leaving it a little longer when it is just you sleeping in your bed is fine, however, if you are sharing your bed with a pup, then I’d definitely advise not leaving it any longer than a week. With dogs comes dirt and with dirt comes bacteria, so it is best to wash your sheets as often as possible to keep both yourself and your dogs health in check.Washing your bedding so regularly isn’t feasible for everyone, especially with the increased cost of water usage. So another option is to invest in a second set of bedding so that you can rotate and wash both sets of bedding together bi-weekly.

Keep on top of your dog's flea & worming routines

Not only is it super important to keep on top of your dog's flea and worming routines for the sake of their health, but it is even more important if you want to share your bed with them. Unless you want to commit to cleaning your dog's bottom regularly, then you run the risk of worm eggs being spread to your bedding if their worming is not up to date. Likewise with fleas. Fleas are a nightmare to get rid of, and they love to hide in soft furnishings such as bedding and carpets, so ensuring you check your dog regularly for fleas and treating them accordingly will help to keep your sleep space as hygienic as possible.”

Hoover and air your bedding between washes

Washing your bedding every single day is a huge task. Not only is it a pain, but it could become very costly. In order to keep your sheets as clean as possible I would recommend running the hoover over your bedding regularly between washes to pick up any loose dog hair or dirt. Make sure to use a clean hoover attachment! Airing your bedding out of your window or on your washing line in the mornings is a great way to reduce any odours caused by your co-sleeping pooch and will help to reduce the build-up of dust and allergens. Leaving them to air for a couple of hours each day will keep things feeling fresh and hygienic before your next bedding wash.

Opt for linen bedding

Linen bedding is a great option for dog owners who like to share their bed, as it has natural antimicrobial properties that help to keep it bacteria-free. Another natural property of linen that will work in pet owners' favour is its natural ability to regulate temperatures and wick away moisture, meaning you and your dog will get a comfortable night's sleep. As a strong sturdy material, linen bedding will fare better than most other fabrics with regular washing, maintaining its structure and shape - in fact, linen actually gets better with age and more washes!