Prior to leaving on vacation, Melvin had developed a wonderful love affair with his bed. He’d get on it and a deep sleep would follow. We were both well-rested, winners in this battle.
While on vacation he was allowed to snuggle with his dog sitter. I encouraged it, I wanted him to enjoy every minute of my absence. However, breaking him of the big bed has been much harder this time. For the past two weeks it has gone a little like this:
- Me: “Your bed”
- Melvin, begrudgingly, gets in
- One hour later he gets up and stands at the foot of my bed
- Me: “Your bed”
- Melvin, begrudgingly, gets back in
- REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
It can be a tough sleep with him in the big bed but this tango has been far more sleepless. I have stood firm. Until last night.
I had read A Dog’s Purpose a while back (loved it!) and last night I moved onto A Dog’s Journey (the sequel) and I knew when the book opened and Buddy was already old that I was in for teary night. Thirty pages in there is a paragraph that Buddy (of course) narrates. Despite it being Spring and the snow melting and it being his favorite time of the year, Buddy just doesn’t feel like going outside anymore. Close book. Reflect on how familiar I am in real life with this chapter. Realize life is short. Call Melvin to the big bed. The End.
Love, love LOVE those books!! ! I laughed and cried and hugged my dogs like crazy reading those. Have you read The Art of Racing in the Rain? Also a winner for dog lovers! (Congratulations on graduating to The Big Beg, Melvin!!) 🙂
I read three-quarters of Racing in the Rain and decided I couldn’t bare to know the end. It’s been next to my bed for over a year!
Oh please finish it! I promise the end will make you cry in a happy way! 🙂
OMG, I read both of those books and cried all the way through them! I know exactly how you feel, it definitely made me want to snuggle Nola a little tighter. And to echo what HAMF said above, The Art of Racing in the Rain was great too! (Since getting Nola a year and a half ago I think I’ve read every book about dogs that I can get my hands on.)
The Purpose and Journey books really make me see dogs in a wonderful way and I really hope their minds work that way!
I see I’m in good company here! I’ve read A Dog’s Purpose & Art of racing but not Dog’s Journey and cried through both of those. I lost one of my babies in November who was a chocolate lab and she had those beautiful eyes that would say “come on, Mom, just let me sleep with you tonight”, and I always caved. Seeing that she left us way too early, I’m so glad I did. I have her son, a hulking black lab who was diagnosed with Lymphoma at the age of 6, a couple of months ago and he now looks at me with those pleading eyes and once again, I give in. So he joins the already crowded bed with my husband, the Jack Russell & me. You’re absolutely correct, sleep is overrated and I’d much rather have those that I love near to snuggle with as their days may be limited.
Beth
So true Beth! Let’s just start a ‘give in’ revolution!
We are two peas in a pod. Anytime I read one of those tear-jerker dog books, I throw all rules out the window and let the dogs snuggle with me in bed. Daniel is always displeased.
This post has really got me thinking about my “not on the bed approach”….
Exactly!
Awww, Melvin is so cute! I wouldn’t be able to resist that face either. There is no way we could have dog beds in the same room and not end up with them on our bed.
We don’t let the dogs and cats sleep with us; there wouldn’t be room for everyone!
I have always had a dream of having a true, bed room, where the bed is the whole room! This is likely the only way you all could achieve the sleepover!
I would also have closed the book. It’s the one time I’ll become a real cry baby, trying to read anything like that. On the bed front, every now and then, my dog, Litchi, has a sleepover at the grandparents (don’t tell my Mom I said that. She’s adamant that she is “not a dog’s grandmother!). She gets highly spoiled there – like any grandchild and they give in to her sleeping on the bed. I then go through your exact same process when she returns home. Enjoy the snuggles!
Two glorious steps forward, one giant leap backwards! Such is life!