15 Dog Breeds Known For Hogging The Mattress

Big dogs and small ones alike have a way of stretching beyond their share of the bed. What starts as a quiet night often turns into a gentle takeover. With every shift or stretch, they make themselves right at home. Let’s meet the breeds that do it best.

Golden Retriever

Famous for trailing their people from room to room, this breed usually finds the coziest spot first. After claiming their spot, they either stretch the full length of the bed or curl tightly near the center. Despite their medium build, Goldens take up far more space than expected.

Bernese Mountain Dog

Soft spots immediately attract this breed, especially when the room is cool. Their size and body heat quickly create an issue that’s hard to work around. Most remain where they land, and that settled presence forces others in the bed to shift their sleeping area accordingly.

Boxer

This energetic breed has no trouble jumping up uninvited. Boxers land forcefully and take the middle before anyone else gets settled. As the night goes on, their body shifts sideways across the mattress, gradually pressing into the legs and stretching until your personal space disappears.

Great Dane

Few breeds make a mattress feel smaller this quickly. A Great Dane stretches fully across available space, sometimes without even curling. Legs extend far and settle firmly; even a wide bed feels crowded. Once down, they rarely need to adjust. Everyone else ends up shifting instead.

Newfoundland

Weight and fluff combine to make this breed an actual bed-dominating presence. They don’t just lie down—they settle deep into soft surfaces. Newfoundlands usually pick a single position and stay there for hours. Unfortunately, that position often stretches across the entire lower half of the bed, leaving little room behind.

Bulldog

Despite their smaller size, Bulldogs occupy a disproportionately large share of the mattress. Once they’ve eased into a preferred position, they stay there for hours. Their weight and compact frame make them harder to reposition than expected, and their warmth builds fast, discouraging anyone from settling in too close.

Saint Bernard

Size aside, this breed generates a lot of body heat, which turns your bed into a furnace by midnight. They may start curled up, but as their internal warmth builds, they stretch outward for relief. That slow sprawl tends to push everything and everyone toward the edges of the mattress.

Labrador Retriever

Sprawling out comes naturally, especially after a full day of movement and play. Labs are deep sleepers, often stretching across the bed without hesitation. That cozy position, once it is chosen, is where they will stay. Their weight and comfort-driven stillness make shifting them nearly impossible without disturbing them.

Alaskan Malamute

A soft surface draws the Alaskan Malamute quickly, and beds are a favorite. Belly-up or stretched sideways, their dense coat and sturdy frame take up more than expected. Sharing happens on their terms because they rarely shift or make room, even when space becomes tight after they’ve settled in.

Mastiff

The sheer size of a Mastiff is enough to claim half the mattress without trying. Add in their weight and slow movement; they’re nearly impossible to shift once asleep. They tend to lie flat and heavy, so anyone else must carefully work around them.

Standard Poodle

Long limbs and a preference for stretching over curling give the poodle a wider footprint than its build might suggest. Changing positions more often than others, you’ll find them gradually shifting where they rest. This movement reduces the usable area of the bed, especially when the dog sprawls over open areas without pausing.

German Shepherd

Protective by nature, a German Shepherd typically positions itself close to its person during rest. That habit, shaped by strong guarding instincts, means they occupy key central personal spaces. Add in frequent repositioning throughout the night, and it quickly becomes a restless bed for anyone else trying to sleep.

Weimaraner

This sleek breed habitually stretches long across the bed instead of curling up in a corner. Weimaraners quickly settle into a deep sleep, and their long legs seem to reach farther than expected. Efforts to take back part of the bed usually wake them up, and there goes everyone’s sleep.

Doberman Pinscher

They like warmth and tend to press close but stretch out fully when sleeping. Their firm build doesn’t squash down easily, so they retain any space they occupy. You may find yourself inching toward the edge of the mattress as the night wears on.

Husky

Huskies often seek soft spots to rest, and beds rank high. Their unusual sleep positions—legs sprawled, backs twisted—tend to catch attention, but they settle comfortably that way. Like most dogs, they’ll shift occasionally, though their first pick is usually where they’ll return.