Sleeping in bed..is it really that bad?

My dog has been sleeping in my bed for almost 4 years now (since she was about 5 weeks) [] And I wouldn't have it any other way.
I've never specifically practiced NILIF, but she listens well (with or without treats) behaves inside, only comes up on the bed/couch if I ask her to, and she's never challenged me in any way.
She's the best companion I could ask for, and she will continue to sleep on my bed for the rest of her life []

No, its not bad.
 
Kayla always, as well as Bailey now... sleeps in the bed with her head on our pillow half the time.  I love it.

Your dog is still a puppy.  He may not yet have gotten to the point where he's challenging you.  The good behavior you have now is not necessarily a guarantee on the rest of his life... heck, even just the rest of his puppyhood.  My point being, don't assume because he's behaving now, that he'll be that way when he matures through hormones, etc.
 
If your adult dog is behaving himself, never gives you issue over any other resource, leaves the bed/furniture upon command every single time without reservation.... then, terrific!  But the minute he starts challenging you, ignoring you, or showing signs of disobedience in any area of your home, take away that bed privilege.  He has to earn it.  Would you let a bratty kid still get ice cream at the end of a horrible day?  If he earned it, and continues to earn it, then he can keep it. 
 
I made a point with my dog to wait until she was over a year old, had proven her obedience on the couch, etc.  I also did not automatically invite her up to bed every night.  I randomly changed it so she wouldn't/couldn't assume every night she got bed privileges.  She learned it was at my discretion. And she never gave me a single problem.  She and I are curled up on the couch together, now... []
 

I've always let my dogs sleep on my bed,we dont practice NILIF,they dont have to be invited up,they come up and go as they please,and we have never had any obedience or other issues.It's a bed,it's comfortable!There doesnt have to be any hidden 'alpha' meanings behind it []

Edie - what breed of dogs do you own?

It depends on you and the dogs.  I do not let my dogs sleep on my bed (used too).  Once I switched to working and herding breeds, that started to modify (over 30 years ago).  The dog are invited on the bed.  They have all gone through a period where they challenged my husband.  I have talked him through dealing with them.  They all started to take him more seriously after that.  The problem with sleeping on the bed can seem to appear over night.  It doesnt we humans are just incredibly slow at picking up subtle behavior changes in our dogs.  I dont suggest to folks on a bullentin board that sleeping on the bed is ok.  I  choose to err on the side of caution.  If that was done with my current girl (9 month old puppy) in about 3 more months she would be intolerable.
 
It is not appropriate in my opinion to suggest to someone that potential trigger behaviors be encouraged on a bulletin board when the true situation can not be adequately shared.

I don't think it's a problem, as long as they understand its YOUR bed, not theirs. Bailey can sleep on the bed, or floor, where ever he wants, but if I tell him to get off the bed, he gets off no questions asked, and won't come on the bed unless he askes to. And also he knows that, when he gets on the bed, and lays down and thats it, my bed is NOT a trampoline or race track for dogs.

Or a great place to bury their bones.  Sheba gets frantic to find a place to bury her bones and the pillows on my WATER bed seem to best suit her.  I, however, take issue with repairing WET holes in my bed.......the baby gate stays up now when anyone has bones.  Likewise the guestroom door and the laundry room door since the basket of clean laundry will do, in a pinch.
 
I think it has to be an individual decision based on the dog and his/her behaviors.  As long as my dogs follow my general rules, do what they are asked to do and are NOT bed hogs, I don't really care if they sleep on the bed.  I don't want all SIX of them up there at once, since I'd like to have a place to sleep too......luckily they seem to self regulate and take turns.

I agree with Glenda that this is an individual choice.  It is not ok if your dog is challenging you, or growling when you try to move it off the bed.  But, research has now shown that it is only harmful during the first 8 weeks of age (I have no idea why, but that's what the study showed in terms of later behavior).  At any rate, my herding dogs do sleep on my bed (it's the only time when Sequoyah is still for any length of time LOL) and no one challenges me in my home because they all learn right from the get go that they don't get anything without being respectful of mom)  I practice NILIF in a very nice way.  Do as I ask, you get what you want.  Don't do as I ask, I walk away and give you nothing. 

My dog sleeps in my bed too and has since she was a baby, she is now six and I too, would not have it any other way.

We've always had dogs in the bed. Ours have never challenged us over it and know the "off" command to get off. Well, our older dog knows it and the younger is still learning. He's making good progress, though.
 
Fortunately, the dogs don't like to snuggle with each other, so we only ever have one on the bed at a time, their choice (they're big, so I'm not sure all four of us could fit on the bed at once anyway).
 
I think if you've taught the "up" and "off" commands and they have an understanding that the bed is your bed, not theirs, there's nothing wrong with it.

Mine came to bed after they were older.  Currently, I don't have free access to a yard - so they have to go potty when I take them out.  Because of that, there was a problem with my girl peeing on the bed a couple of times during the evening. You know, sometimes you just gotta go again really soon after being outside!!!   I did not punish her for this because she needed to go.  That was my responsibility.   So, they don't get access until it's bedtime and I am there.  That has resolved that problem, easily.  I love them being in the bed with me.  Much warmer on winter nights!  
 
 "My" place in the bed always seems to be the favorite first pick, so they end up having to get up to make room for me!! hehe. They don't seem to get "hey, that's my" side of the bed!  No, I do not consider that an attempt to be dominanent, or alpha. Sometimes that theory is just taken too far.   I just sweetly tell them to move over, and as I get into bed, they move. No biggie.
 
I never let them in the bedroom while I am not home.  Too much danger of pillow fights!!  I always kept them away from the bathroom (except for baths) when they were younger.  Now, I  do not have any trash can they can get to in there.  I have noticed, happily, that they don't go drink the water out of the loo, or pull the toilet aper everywhere.  Sooo glad about that.   

Both the dogs sleep in the bed and both have never slept any where else. I've  never had any problems at all except snoring and kicking in their sleep. Spike is a snuggler he cant seem to sleep if he is not touching me at least a little. But Cj prefers to sleep at the very bottom of the bed sometimes on the floor if he gets off the bed in the middle of the night and he is still a puppy and out bed is kind of high I have to climb to get on it but if he knows now if he gets off when we are sleeping he is sleeping on the floor. We have a queen size bed and it is kind of a tight fit cause it is them 2 and me and my boyfriend who is kind of big. I usually end up on the very edge curled in a ball with out covers. lol But honestly I dont think I could sleep with out them there.
 
Rachael, Spike and Cj

Let me just say, Ella doesn't sleep in our bed because WE don't JUST sleep in our bed.[]