|
|
|
Sleeping
With Dogs
Whoever said 'LET SLEEPING
DOGS LIE" didn't sleep with dogs. The first thing you discover when you
bring a dog onto your bed is the striking difference in weight between
an alert, awake dog and a dog at rest.
Rule Number One:
The deeper the sleep the heavier the dog. Most people who sleep with dogs
develop spinal deformities rather than rent the heavy equipment necessary
to move their snoring canines to a more appropriate part of the bed. Cunning
canines steal precious space in tiny increments until they have achieved
the center position on the bed - with all covers carefully tucked under
them for safekeeping. The stretch and roll method is very effective in
gaining territory. Less subtle tactics are sometimes preferred. A jealous
dog can worm his way between a sleeping couple and, with the proper spring
action from all four legs, shove a sleeping human to the floor.
Rule Number Two:
Dogs possess superhuman strength while on a bed. As you cling to the edge
of the bed, wishing you had covers, your sweet pup begins to snore at
a volume you would not have thought possible. Once that quiets down, the
dog dreams begin. Yipping, growling, running, kicking. Your bed becomes
a battlefield and playground of canine fantasy. It starts out with a bit
of "sleep running", lots of eye movement and then, suddenly, a shrieking
howl blasted through the night like a banshee wail. The horror of this
wake-up call haunts you for years. It's particularly devastating when
your pup insists on sleeping curled around your head like a demented Daniel
Boon cap.
Rule Number Three:
The deeper the sleep, the louder the dog. The night creeps on and you
fall asleep in the 3 inches of bed not claimed by a dog. The dog dreams
quietly and the heap of dogflesh sleeps - breathing heavily and passing
wind. Then, too soon, it's dawn and the heap stirs. Each dog has a distinctive
and unpleasant method of waking the pack. One may position itself centimeters
from a face and stare until you wake. The clever dog obtains excellent
results by simply sneezing on your face, or they could romp all over your
sleeping bodies - or the ever-loving insertion of a tongue in an unsuspecting
ear.
Rule Number Four:
When the dog wakes - you wake. So, why do we put up with this? There's
no sane reason. Perhaps it's just that we're a pack and a pack heaps together
at night - safe, contented, heavy and loud.

|