Why is this getting thumbed down? It is a reference to iZombie.

Maybe an untrained dog,but my trained dog doesn't do crap like that.

lets go throw them in a cage at night then what a good idea

I believe you're being sarcastic about it being a good thing, but maybe I'm wrong. Either way it actually is a good thing! A cage doesn't have to be some cold dark cramped torture technique. It's their own cute little bedroom! If you get them a cage with ample enough space for the size of the dog and give them a bed/blanket to lay on then there shouldn't ever be a problem. We have always kennel trained our dogs because of things like this. As well as who doesn't enjoy to have their whole bed instead of sharing it. Our dogs were never scared of their kennel and even would go in there on their own when they needed time to be by themselves or wanted to take a nap. After awhile they will go in the kennel on their own and stay there till morning without the door needing to be closed. It's also a good idea because we have always had a rule of not bothering the animal in their "bedroom" this creates a personal bubble for the animal to escape from over affection, guests, and other things that maybe be bothering them.

Dogs are naturally den animals so giving them their own little “cave” or bedroom like you said is a wonderful idea and good dog parenting. The post has nothing to do with training of the pup. Dogs are “unpredictable” because you can’t accurately communicate with them. If someone hit you in your sleep you might wake suddenly and “attack” in someway.

Alpha theory was disproven by the same person who "discovered" it. It was based on decades old, outdated information which was done on captive wolves who were from various wild packs and thrown together with limited resources in a zoo so, naturally, they fought. Dogs aren't trying to dominate people and this reaction seems like it became frightened by sudden movement and panicked. Much the same as someone jumping out to scare someone and being punched in the face out of reflex. If the dog intended to hurt OP, they would have kept on the attack.

Whether it's true in packs or not, the idea of a parent or alpha role is very effective in dog training. Just like kids will test their parents, dogs will test their owners. A firmly established hierarchy is very helpful for many breeds of dogs and helps reduce destructive behavior. Dogs very much do challenge their owners. If you don't want to call it "alpha," that's fine, but the behavior is still there. The more established the owner is at the top of the hierarchy, the less a dog will challenge its owner and act out. Of course, every breed is different and not all breeds respond to this kind of training. My Alaskan Malamute needs a firm hand and a very well established "alpha" (or whatever you want to call that role). So do some German Shepherds. So do Akitas. Yet some breeds (I can't think of any off the top of my head) respond negatively to this training. TL;DR? Know your breeds and what kind of training is most effective for them. Often smart, stubborn breeds do very much do need an "alpha" like head of the pack.

As a dog trainer I can't agree more with your statement. It worries me that the dog was so startled. It would make more sense if they weren't home and at an unfamiliar place as the dog is likely to be a little bit excited. I can see my German Shepherd reacting that way if we weren't in a familiar place but she is naturally already nervous.

In this case, the something wrong is sleeping in the same bed as a dog whom would react the way they did. Red flags would be I'd their dog is ever aggressive. I'd have no qualms sleeping in the same bed as my dog because is extremely gentle. doesn't even bite kids you lay on top of hom, pull his ears/tail. he lives kids for some reason. He also let's people or other dogs touch his food and doesn't really care. He gets startled in his sleep sometimes. but all he does is sit up really fast. to lash out sounds extreme. Though it could be an issue with the dog if it was maybe adopted and it'd previous home was abusive or something like that. I wouldn't say that OP did something wrong per se. As they were asleep..on their own bed. They couldn't help what they did. But yeah, they can chose to not let their dog sleep with them. And maybe they neglected to take into account some red flags regarding their dogsleep behavior. Otherwise, I'd just consider a lesson learned and a wake up call that their dog has a behavioral issue.