Wordless Wednesday 2/03 -- Bedtime For Bunny

Canine Activity Anyone?

It seems that Bunny may have taken the idea of saving my spot a little too seriously. It's hard to imagine, since she's generally not too serious about life in general. However, there are some things she holds sacred. Saving my spot appears to be one of them.



You can see here that Bunny is in repose, apparently not only saving my spot on the bed, but keeping it warm as well. You have to love that magical Swedish foam! Any dog owner would feel the cockles of their heart warmed when they found their devoted canine saving them a place with such devotion. I admit that the cuteness of the scene touched me when I saw it, which is why there's a photograph of the moment.

I quietly put on my pajamas, so as not to disturb her. Then I went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth to prepare for bed. While I performed those routines, my husband went in and got in bed. He brought out his favorite quilt and curled up to read. I emerged from the bathroom and made my way to bed, where my husband had been kind enough to prop up a pillow in my sleeping space so I had a place to get in. This is where the problem began. Bunny decided that she needed to snuggle with my pillow and save my spot for me as if I were really there.

So, I walked in and looked at the bed. I tried to convince Bunny to move over on her own. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. I know that I heard my husband snicker as he, too, pretended to be asleep. So, after a few unsuccessful moments of trying to move my puppy (Have I mentioned that she graduated at the top of her obedience class?) over a few feet, I decided that perhaps I could slide the pillow out from under her and slide myself into the spot. I'm sure that every dog owner out there has tried this at some point, with probably the same lack of success that I experienced. Of course she sank right onto the bed, stretching out into my space even more. I tossed the pillows aside, undeterred, and fluffed the pillow I planned to sleep on, lifting the blankets back as far as I could. I managed to slide underneath her and got a sigh of annoyance for my efforts. I got into the bed, but somehow, there was only a tiny strip of blanket available to cover me. I pulled and tugged and somehow managed to wrest away just enough to cover myself with, if I laid very still and didn't turn over. The next morning, the conversation between my husband and I is mystifying.

Me: How did I get left with no blankets last night?

Husband: You too?

Me: What do you mean? You went to bed first!

Husband: I was sleeping on the edge of the bed! And I've got bruises!

Me: Bruises? Yeah, right!

Husband: (lifting his shirt) No, look, right here!

Me: What happened to you? That looks awful!

Husband: I thought you beat me up in my sleep!

Me: Trust me, if I was going to do that, I wouldn't leave any marks that anyone could see! But I didn't, just for the record!

Husband: Well, if you didn't do it, then who did?

Me: I don't know! I still want to know how I ended up with no blankets last night after I got myself covered up!

Bunny: Did Blueberry bother anybody else on the bed last night?

We both turned and looked at Bunny at the same time. Surely our sweet little puppy wouldn't do something like that! Could Blueberry be the culprit? Perhaps we'll have to set up a camera to solve our mystery. Canine Activity anyone?

The Princess Puppy and the Pea

When we had Treat, she slept on the bed with us and that was okay, although a bit uncomfortable at times. We sort of made up our minds that after we lost her, we wouldn't have any more dogs sleeping on the bed. Our others didn't seem to have an interest in it. Once in a while Blueberry would get up there with us, but it was unusual for her to sleep all night there. So, we decided that it was alright if she got up there with us, but we weren't going to encourage her.

A month later, Bunny came to our house. She didn't get the memo about cute, adorable little puppies sleeping on the floor. Oh no! That very first night, she hopped right up on our bed and curled up right beside me. I was smitten. My husband was smitten. So, from the get go, the princess had her king-sized bed to sleep on. On occasion, she will sleep on a dog bed on the floor -- usually during the summer when it gets hot. Most of the time, however, she sleeps on the bed with us. Truth be told, if the door were open, she'd probably sleep in there all day, too.



Her habit of sleeping on the bed has instilled certain routines for us, however. A remarkable phenomenon happens when Bunny gets on to the bed. At the vet's office, the scale says she weighs 50.8 pounds, however, after she lays down on our bed, she suddenly weighs around five hundred pounds. Trying to move her over is an exercise in complete futility. So, generally, one of us goes to bed first, and gets comfortable, while piling a few pillows on the other side of the bed so the other person can have a space, while Bunny curls up in the center.

This sounds simple enough, I know. Yet somehow, when Bunny lays down, she always manages to be sideways, her little behind curled up in the middle of the space where your back should be. We're not talking about even a little sliver of space left over that you can cling to here, we're talking about just enough space so that Bunny's tail doesn't fall off the edge of the bed. On nights when I come to bed last, I walk in a few minutes after my husband and the hounds have turned in for the evening and generally find that my husband has misjudged how much space I actually require on my side of the bed, or that Bunny has rearranged the pillows in her favor. Amazingly enough, she manages to fall into a deep slumber in a matter of mere moments after curling up on the bed. This results in me arriving at the bed and the following conversation ensuing.

Me: Bunny, scoot over, I need to get into the bed!

Bunny: (ear twitches)

Me: I know you are not asleep yet!

Bunny : (burrows nose under husband's side of the blankets)

Me: Bunny! I'll still snuggle with you, but you have to let me get into the bed!

Bunny: (lays very still)

Husband: Bunny, I know you're not asleep! You were just pawing me to pet you! Now scoot over!

Bunny: (cracking open one golden eye) Sooooooo sleepy...

Me: You faker! Move over!

Husband: Bunny, move over and let her in the bed!

Bunny: (large yawn, followed by the nose burrowing even deeper into the blankets)

Husband: Alright Bunny! Look out!

At this point, my husband begins moving his hand under the covers, which always gets some kind of reaction from Bunny. Sometimes she pounces on it. Sometimes it's the evil eye. Then there are other times when she pretends indifference, but that never lasts for long. At bedtime, however, there's another reaction.

Bunny: (suddenly alert) What are you doing?!

Husband: I'm going to move you over.

Bunny: You wouldn't dare! You know how hard the wrinkles in the blanket are on my sensitive skin!

Husband: Well, you've left us no choice.

Bunny: But I'm so sleepy! (exaggerated puppy yawn)

Me: Alight, fine, I'll do it!

Bunny: (leaping up) Okay! Okay! Sheesh! You people!

At this point, Bunny does stand up, and I get under the covers as quickly as possible. No sooner do I lay down than Bunny curls up against me as close as she can get. At least she's forgiving!

Who's That Sleeping In My Bed?

Our bedtime routine lately has become a comedy of epic proportions. Every night, we make sure all four dogs are in the bedroom with us and the baby gate is up before we turn out the lights and everyone drifts off to dreamland. Lilac is usually the easiest. As soon as last turn out is finished, she slips into the bedroom and curls up in the princess bed, resting her old lady bones so that she can get up early and get our day started. This week she broke another toenail, so she is again sporting her nifty pink bandage, which I'm sure is another reason she's turning in early this week. In any event, she is never a problem about going to bed. Getting up early is her gig. She usually doesn't even notice when the rest of us head to bed.

Her daughter, Blueberry, also likes to turn in a little early. Soon after Lilac heads to bed, Blueberry saunters into the bedroom and makes herself comfortable. On occasion she will lay on our bed, but she really prefers not to be touched while she's sleeping and to stretch out, so she usually finds a dog bed and sacks out.

Here is where the problem begins. There is only one bed that Hawk will lay down on to sleep. What can I say? He's has some Monk tendencies. It's obvious that he gets tired before Husband and I are ready to go to bed, and he certainly could go in the bedroom and lay down on the bed that he believes should be his sole property, but he has to stay in the living room with us. He also has to have everyone in the bedroom when it's time to go to sleep, hence, part of the reason we usher them all in and put up the baby gate at bedtime. He will pace until it becomes a bathroom emergency if everyone is not in the bedroom when it's time to go to sleep. This week, Blueberry has decided to make a power play. She likes the big green bed, too. She has also discovered that old man Hawk is not going to make her move if she gets the spot first, so she has been going to bed early so she can have the cushy bed. So, we go to bed, and then Hawk realizes Blueberry has his bed. He stands and stares at her. He walks around her and the bed in a circle. He walks to the other bed where she usually sleeps and pretends he's going to lay down on that bed, as if she will jump up and run over there to prevent him from getting it. Still, Blueberry snores on -- well, she pretends to, anyway. Hawk begins to pace rather frantically. This results in the dreaded tail lift and now Husband leaps out of bed, grumbling as he leads Hawk outside yet again.

A few minutes later, my husband and Hawk return. At this point, Husband is disgruntled and cranky and he tells Blueberry to move so that Hawk can lay down. Blue goes to the other bed and shrugs it off, knowing that tomorrow is another day. Hawk lies down theatrically, giving a large sigh and huff as his old body settles down on HIS bed.

Finally, my husband returns to bed, only to find that Bunny has gotten herself very comfortable in the bed. He tells her to move and she snuggles down into the pillow a little deeper. Husband raises his voice, tugging on the pillow a little and she buries her nose in the blanket with a tiny sigh. He tries tugging on the blanket and our tiny puppy has suddenly become a five hundred pound dog.

At this point, Husband has finally lost his cool and yells at her to MOVE OVER! She lifts her tiny head as if to say, "You're disturbing my beauty sleep! I have to be cute if people are going to want to pet me all the time!" Finally, after a bit of laughter, I call her over to my side of the bed to snuggle, where she settles in with a sigh.

Finally, everybody got to sleep!