Thursday, April 9, 2015

Dog bedtime rituals

If you're new here, check out these posts straight from the mouths the dogs: 
Meet Geege (Geege)

As we were about to board a cruise ship years ago, I texted my brother Stephen who was watching the dogs and asked him how it was going. He replied, "Gus is awful to sleep with, he thinks this is his bed." I asked if he was sleeping in our bed. He was. I texted back, "That IS his bed."

When we first got Gus as a puppy almost 10 years ago, he was meant to sleep in his crate. I passed out after Michelle's block party and woke up in the middle of the night to an empty crate and puppy Gus sleeping on MFD's chest. The next few nights, I tried to put Gus back in the crate but it never worked. He slept in our bed and as the other dogs joined the family, they did too.

Before we go any further, this is not the place to comment about how you don't agree with dogs on the bed. No one currr for that opinion here.

That being said, dog bedtime at our house is absolutely a circus of our own creation.

They know what bed means, and when I say it Mae cannot launch herself up the stairs fast enough. Geege is slow going and Gus needs a little help getting onto the landing sometimes.

Once upstairs, Geege needs to be told to get up up. Mae and Gus go nuts with bones for a while as soon as they get on the bed. If there are bones on bedside tables or under furniture, they will want those bones and not the zillions of bones they have scattered all over the bed. Mae growls like crazy at anyone who comes near her bone and has to be told to stop eleventy billion times.

Geege has no time for bones, but he has plenty of time to lay facing the door so he can stare at it and guard the rest of us, barking out of a dead sleep when appropriate.

Gus typically gets down to investigate something downstairs or get some water. When he comes back up, he needs to be picked up from the side of the bed, always a precarious situation but one that enables me to do it without actually getting out of bed. He's ready to settle in for the night and will assume his position at the bottom of the bed in between my feet. Geege will lay on the other side.
When Mae is finished growling at Gus, Geege, and MFD, she lays down by her brothers until Gus moves to get her off of him, then she comes and licks my face to say goodnight before retreating under the covers for a while. She inevitably emerges to lay on one of our pillows so she can stare at me like a little creep. She can move around, but when other dogs or humans move, she barks ferociously.
The dogs rotate positions throughout the night, and sometimes I wake up with the two boy dogs laying next to my left leg and Mae laying next to my right, all stretched out. It's like the freaking dogs are a chalk outline of my body.

And of course if you've read this blog for a while, you know that Gus is the President of the A-hole Wakeup Committee on weekends but none of them can be bothered to be up and out of bed on weekdays. Must be nice, suckers.
Mother, we don't get up on Tuesday mornings. Leave us be.
And those are the dog bedtime rituals at our house.

You might also like: Ain't no shame, ladies do your thing. Just make sure you ahead of the game (Mae), From the Desk of Augustus Gloop (Gus), and Meet Geege (Geege).

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Linking up with Erin today for



















Linking up with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things











43 comments:

  1. I will not criticize letting doggies sleep in bed with you. Before I moved to Australia, my dog that I had used to sleep on the pillow beside me. I'm a snooze button pusher in the morning. He'd give me the most awesome "turn that damn thing off" look. Thanks for the shout out!

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  2. Oh, how I can relate to this post!!! My Shih Tzu sleeps in our bed as well, but it is most definitely HIS bed as far as he is concerned. He also loves when it is time to go to bed for the night .. we can't even walk by our bedroom late at night without him wanting to sprint towards the bed (and then jump up at it, waiting for us to pick him up). He is little but somehow can turn into a 100 lb. weight at the end of the bed every night, making you not able to move your legs or body at all. haha He's got the life - always sprawled out over the bed, while the humans can barely move. He's cute though, so he can get away with it. :-)

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  3. I think it's awesome that you put it out there that them sleeping with you guys isn't up for discussion. To each their own, I respect that. Some people just don't have the same views and that's okay, too.
    Having said that, my boys are like second skin or shit to a blanket, as I refer it. :)
    I love puppy snuggles in bed!!

    I caved years ago when charlie was in his crate and brought him to bed. And the rest, they say, is history. :)

    Going to be doing this link up in a couple of hours!

    Xo

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  4. My dog is much the same - She knows "bed" and if I don't race her to the bedroom, she takes my spot. And my pillow. When say "up, up, up", she knows it means she has to move but she does it with a growl. My mother in law doesn't understand why we let our dog sleep in our bed. She just always has. And trust me, there is no way you can tell a dog, that they're no longer allowed up there. HA! Imagine.

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  5. I was never a dog in the bed person. Our basset hound used to sleep in his crate and then when he got older he was promoted to the couch in the living room at night. But, when we got our puppy in January I caved to four-year old pressure. Puppy cuddles are the best!

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  6. That's exactly how Scout ended up sleeping on the bed too.
    He wouldn't shut up at night, so Scott ended up sleeping downstairs with him just so he would stop crying. He did sleep in his crate for awhile beside our bed because he was like 6 pounds and I didn't want to crush him.
    Now, with Scott away, they both sleep on the bed, but they fall asleep, usually, before I even think about going to bed.
    And I like the "no one curr" part. Exactly. If you can't snuggle with your dogs on your own furniture, you're not an adult.

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  7. When it's cold Nibs and Squish are like magnets to my legs at night, even if I move they will get up and move right up against me again. Now that it's getting warmer they're MIA, its the one downfall to the warmer weather!

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  8. I totally agree dogs have free reign. Seamus has to be cheered up the stairs and after one or two paw taps he will run up like a ghost is chasing him. So weird. He will jump on the bed make himself cozy but then ends up on the floor. We are but humble servants to our crazy pups, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

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  9. i dont have a dog but when i was at my cousins house on vacay, i slept with her dog and dog cuddles/snuggles were the best!!

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  10. So I really don't agree with dogs on the bed, Steph!! Just kidding. I don't know how people don't have their animals on the bed!! It's their house too. I've always had outside dogs (at home, not here obviously with the winters) so I've never had a dog sleep with me, but my cats do the same things - laying right next to our legs or in between them. Penny likes to lay on our pillows and lick our faces. So gross. Also, my cats do the same thing - up early on the weekends, nowhere to be found on weekdays. wtf?

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  11. Omg, so cute! Not gonna lie, it would probably drive me crazy to have them all over me like that when I'm trying to sleep but I'm sure you're used to it by now. My boyfriend is allergic to cats so that's the one place he is not allowed to be. That's all he asked for when we decided to keep the cat so I guess that's not too bad of a compromise. Plus he's got plenty of other places to sleep, like the top of our brand new couch!

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  12. We have no dogs on the bed or the furniture.They have big ass beds in our room and the living room and they seem good with it. Sasha will get on the couch, and shooed off. She is smaller than Yogi. Our pups get a milkbone at 7 and a dental stick(which is their absolute favorite) before bed. Richie calls it "last run"! Your 3 are just adorable, Especially the side by side by side pictures. I will never forget how little Gussie annihilated your little kitchen at your apartment, emptying the cabinets. Our furry kids are priceless. Purest souls in the universe.
    Love, Your MOMMA

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  13. I read this aloud to Reghan, who is here overnight. She loved the story and the pics.

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  14. Haha my dog's favorite words are treat and night night. We sleep in their bed too. They both get a piece of hot dog before bed, with Lady's pill in her's. And then they both chew bones until they pass out too. I usually lose my pillow to Cajun, who likes to sleep spread eagle with his head elevated, haha. Dogs are so funny, they make life so much better while they're at it :)

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  15. Oh puppies!

    I love your pugs!

    And seriously dogs have some OCD things going on - talk about needing things a certain way! My Alaska has these problems too!

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  16. That is awesome. We have the same type of crap go down in my house. Except we ended up getting stairs for our little "schmellow" so no one has to get up, chase him down and put him in the bed. Because you know once you have to pick them up, they no longer want to get into bed. We also did a heated blanket on the floor, so my little old man go lay there with the cool and the hot instead of the in/out of the blanekts by the hubbies feet. It's crazy...but I couldn't imagine sleeping without my little goof troop either.

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  17. My dog sleeps in our bed too, even though I tried to get him to sleep in his crate. And you'd think that a 13 pound dachshund sleeping in your bed wouldn't even be noticeable. You'd be wrong. That dog takes up as much room as physically possible by sleeping diagonally in the bed. It's amazing really!

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  18. Oh my gosh!! Your sweet pups!! So adorable!! Huge props to you for having not one but THREE pups on the bed with you guys! Our Stella is still a baby and in her crate - not sure what's next for her after that!

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  19. Bedtime is a total shitshow at our house too. They usually sleep at the foot of the bed, unless there are thunderstorms. When it is thundering and lightning, Sam has to sleep up by our heads, preferably pressed up against one of us, being spooned. Last night I spooned a shaking dog for an hour. Jack didn't make a peep during the storm, but Sam about shit his pants.

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  20. Settling the dogs down for the night is a horror show. Scott usually takes them out, which takes less than 5 minutes when he does it but 1974 hours when I have to. Then they come in and Dobie proceeds to drink roughly 87 gallons of water. Next comes the settling on the bed because OF COURSE they sleep in the bed. Barkley sleeps in between us, by our heads because he loves pillows and Dobie sleeps at my feet. He typically stays away from Scott. Once everyone is comfortable, they instantly fall asleep and Dobie's old man snoring keeps us up for another half hour. And, if we're lucky, no one pees in the middle of the night.

    We've done this to ourselves. We know it, too.

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  21. haha, i love this! and I love even more what you texted your brother back.

    Chandler sleeps with us. When we first got him from the shelter as a puppy, EVERYONE said he was going to be really big based on his paws. And us, with our queen bed were thinking that we shouldn't start him off sleeping with us ... that lasted only on his very first night with us. He sleeps with us every single night and it's my favorite. And while I'm jonesing for a second dog, my husband is making us wait until we move and can perhaps get a king bed.

    I love reading about your dogs, I have so much going on with my one- I can only imagine the craziness and cuteness with three! Gus sounds like a riot.

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  22. Aw! How cute! I have a pitbull/lab mix and she tries to sleep on the bed with me but she's just too big ...or maybe our bed is too small? lol, I'll let her cuddle but when I'm ready for sleep she goes to the couch. I don't think she minds though? Part of me thinks she likes to stretch out too lol.

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  23. Oh gosh!! Things to keep in mind if we decide to get a pup! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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  24. Oh lord, look at those pups! So adorable. But between us -Gus is my favorite!

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  25. Yes, dogs in our house do whatever they want. There have been times that one of us has moved to the couch because the dogs were especially rude and mean in their sleep and have taken over. The only time that dogs in the bed sucks in when there is a storm - Quincy freaks out and lays on your pillow panting in your face with hot nervous breath.

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  26. Your dogs are absolutely adorable! My cats wake me up every morning, I love having them in bed with me. :) Found you on Erin's blog!

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  27. Yeah we tried the no dogs on the bed thing too and that didn't last. At least you have little dogs - I have a 70lb golden retriever who also thinks it's ok to be my chalk outline of my body and then the dang cat between my legs. Wouldn't change it for the world though!

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  28. Absolutely adorable! I've tried to sleep with Roxy, but she snores like a freight train! Plus she's fidgety and gets up and down a lot during the night and scares the crap out of me as she jumps off and on the bed. So, that ship sailed a while ago :-P

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  29. hahaha this is awesome. they have more rituals before bed than I do.

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  30. I just love those pooches!!! The rule the house, and that's how it should be! Our newst bedtime ritual is putting out a glass of water on the nightstand for Linky Cat. He will meow non-stop until we remember that his highness now needs his own drinking water for the night.

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  31. That is absolutely ridiculous! I love how they're all over you, "chalk-outline" style, and yet no one bothers MFD?! Rude!!

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  32. Hahahaha I love the dog bedtime rituals! When Gracie was a puppy, she slept in her crate all of about 5 minutes. She started whining and I had to get up early for work the next morning. I grabbed her and brought her to bed with me where she plopped her little 5 pound body around my neck and slept all night. Forget the crate ever happening again.

    When I moved in with Chris, Gracie was 5 and he did not want her in the bed. After about two months of living together, and Gracie whining incessantly every night.....we got Mac for her. Now they get excited to go to their crates at night because they know they are getting treats and get to sprawl out on their own beds with their blankets. When I get up to work out in the morning and pass by their room, I can hear Gracie's snores in the hallway. All is right in the world. she was such a blanket hog and had to buy herself under them. And Mac is the one that growls and barks at everybody and everything.

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  33. This is hilarious!! Hawkeye starts on the bed, but she doesn't stay. Too hot for her. She goes back down to the water bed after 10 or 20 minutes, then comes back up in the morning, right before the alarm is set to go off. So she can get her morning belly rubs. Ah the things we do for our pets.

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  34. Very cute. I couldn't sleep with them in my bed. My cat tries to sleep with me and I won't let him since he can't sit still. I need uninterrupted sleep or else I'm not pleasant.

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  35. AWWW!! Lucy slept in her "house" until Angel passed away last summer. She has since slept on Angel's bed. If I lounge at night she gets up there with me - she will go to Erich's side praying I don't remember she's in there and kick her out! She would love to sleep up there but never has at night. How you have 3 dogs up there.... y'all don't get any sleep!!!!! I think it's cute! I love the last photo of all 3 of them!!

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  36. I like how the dog's name is Augustus Gloop! I think that's cute that they all like to sleep together with you. This is why I would love to get a dog. I want my daughter to have a pet that she will love and grow up with. We have a cat that wants nothing to do with anyone. He's all about himself.

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  37. That's so cute! You have your hands full with the 3 different personalities.

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  38. Our dog takes turns sleeping with each kid as they all want him now and then. He gladly snuggles up with me when they are gone and I don't even mind that he prefers to be under the covers with me. Weird? DGAF

    Your dogs are so cute and snuggly looking!

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  39. Brilliant! I don't have any pets now which I'm v sad about (stupid rental agreements) but I had a lovely labrador when I was growing up. It was my greatest wish that she be allowed to sleep in my bed but sadly my parents didn't share your egalitarian views. I think what I'm saying is I'm firmly in the dogs-in-the-bed camp :-)

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  40. What cuties!! Dogs love their routines! We didn't make it one night with our dog in her crate. One day she got big enough and jumped up on the bed and that was that. I have many a sleepless night trying to ensure her ultimate comfort ha!

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  41. I love the pug stories!! Sam does not sleep with us, he sheds WAY too much. Eddie sleeps with us sometimes, just depends on his mood. I think Sam has claimed the bedroom as his territory currently and Eddie won't walk on the carpet, he only comes in if he can jump from the door. They are so weird sometimes. Your three are so cute and I love the last picture...that look :)

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  42. That is so cute! When I have a pet that lives with me again Im so going to enjoy this part of it -them on the bed, forming rituals. Your dogs are the cutest btw!

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  43. You're an amazing dog mom for dealing with the needs of three. Just Bauer drives me nuts almost every night! I'm assuming dog stairs don't work? Imagining myself halfway leaning out of bed to pick something up while half asleep is the stuff nightmares are made of. But at least they're warm and cozy, and hopefully don't give you too much hell for - God forbid- needing to change positions in the middle of the night!

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