I love going through posts for Throwback Thursday. It gives me the opportunity to see where I’ve improved in my writing, and how my point of view has/has not changed.
I’ve also noticed that I posted about sleeping.
A lot!
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Original posting date: October 18, 2011.
Where does your dog sleep?
Our dogs sleep in their bed and we sleep with them; at least that is what they would lead you to believe.
We have an over-sized queen bed; that uncomfortably fits all fur of us.
When Delilah first joined our pack we struggled with her jumping on the bed. I would get up and pull her off at least five times during the night. It was a battle fought and won by persistence. Hers.
Once the battle was won; we needed a nightly routine in order to ensure we at least had a chance to get a spot on the bed; it starts with Sampson and I in the bed. Sometimes Delilah is there too, but as soon as she thinks I’m heading her way she usually gets up and sits beside the bed.
I position myself; then using carrots, I lure Sampson up the bed toward his pillow, each time Sampson gets a carrot Delilah does as well.
After about three carrots I have Sampson where I want him and I say, “Okay, pretty come on.” Up she jumps to the bottom of the bed where most of the time she curls up on MY feet. If I move too quickly because I don’t have my feet in position before she gets settled; my darling diva growls at me.
I try to manage her by reaching down and petting her while I position my feet; the surprising thing is if I move during the night, she normally doesn’t growl. Go figure.
Sampson meanwhile has chosen a parent to lean against. He stretches his legs straight out against the other parent’s back. In this manner we go to sleep, Hubby clinging desperately to one side of the bed, while I cling to other and Sampson sleeping blissfully between.
It surprises me that this doesn’t upset me. In fact there are times when I wake up in the night to find his head tucked under my chin or resting on my shoulder and I smile. I. Smile. In. The. Middle. Of. The. Night.
Or my legs ache from remaining in one spot for too long, or my butt is freezing because it is hanging off the bed and I laugh. To myself of course, but I laugh.
Last night I rolled over and Sampson was facing me; I took the opportunity to give him a little good night kiss, he shifted his position and put his nose right up to my nose, typically this would freak me out; (if I can’t breathe cool air I wig) instead, I snuggled closer and I smiled.
Please keep the typing to a minimum…I’m trying to sleep.
Almost five years later, and I still have sleep stories. And I still smile in the night if I wake up and there is a dog cuddled up against me.
Are you one of those crazy dog moms like me, who likes their dog cuddled up against them?
Like it or not, that’s how we roll over here. I can only sleep if all 22 pounds of me is pressed (glued) against Mom. If she moves to try and put some air between us, I move too. No air allowed.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Mom loves having Bailie sleep in bed with her. She doesn’t mind that Bailie always manages to have her butt in Mom’s face or she gets kicked in the face sometimes. She loves having her there.
I wish my dogs were cuddlers, but they are not. I think they get too warm.
carrots huh. lily woud rather have pieces of bagel.
lily waits to come to bed with dad. she jumps up and lays down at the foot of the bed on my side. dad gives lily a couple dog treats for her nite time snack.
i love sharing the bed with her. a bed just doesn’t feel right untill lily comes to bed. hubby too of course lol.
thanks for the throw back. enjoyed reading it for the first time.
Awww that’s actually really sweet (even with the darling diva’s growling). Laika doesn’t sleep in my bed because of her night howls (that happen at least a few times a week). I wanted it to work, but unfortunately she is so loud it’s impossible to sleep with her, and it’s even a challenge when she’s 4 rooms away on the couch. But on the weekends there’s nothing I love more than those moments when we both end up napping on the couch together.
Seriously love having the dogs cuddle with me at night. Aaron, not so much!
Monty, Harlow and Ramble
We have a no dogs on the bed policy at our house. 🙂
I smile in the middle of the night too! I like to have the dogs snuggled next to me, as long as I can move my legs, I have a thing about that.
We had a queen size bed and when we got up to four dogs realized we needed a king. We still could only fit 3 comfortably on the bed, so our poor golden Moses had to sleep on the floor (on a dog bed – since he was the biggest!). He was pretty good about it, though once in a while he would launch a protest and get on the bed and refuse to get off!
I remember that ‘no dogs on the bed’ rule. I think it lasted maybe 10 minutes. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, I smile at those sweet audible breaths and thank my lucky stars. Then I try to gently move over so as not to get overheated. Nothing like night sweats with a critter in a fur coat. 🙂