When it comes to having a migraine with Doug in the house, I’m sorry to say it, but he’s the worst. I love him. But I can love him even when he is THE WORST.
Let me explain to you why this is so.
When I have a migraine coming on, you can sense it. People will tell me they can see it in my eyes and coloring (I turn gray). Strangers will ask if I’m OK. Melvin and Jake always knew. Helen Keller could have probably sensed it based on the fact that every living creature I encounter KNOWS. Except Doug.
There comes a point in the migraine when I can no longer remain upright. This is followed shortly by a time when I cannot stop getting sick. So I get up, get sick, try to lay down. Repeat, repeat, repeat for 36 hours.
Doug views this as an invite to torture me. When I lay down, he jumps up and tries to balance his whole body on my head. This is not a joke. He will try and put all four paws on my head to stand and balance there. Obviously this impossible so he will then sit on my head. With his butthole touching my hair (why?) and his other parts touching my face (gag) so this a definite NO, THANK YOU. But if I move, he will start all over.
So I stay still. It’s brutal. I can hear my soul crying at this point.
He will then try lay on me. But not like a normal dog would. I will be laying on my side in the fetal position and he tries to lay on top of my body ON HIS BACK. He literally tries to balance on his back on the side of my body, which is also IMPOSSIBLE so he falls off and tries 100 times more.
Migraine day is Doug’s version of Disney.
At this point, I get sick again. When I come back, it starts all over.
I do not want to put him in his crate just because I don’t feel well because that feels all sorts of wrong for him (it would really be great for me personally but moms sacrifice all the time so…).
I will then go to my bed and put up a gate to keep him from me and my bed.
Well you would think from his reaction that I was a delicious steak dinner and he hadn’t eaten in months. He sits at the gate and cries and barks then runs to the steps and runs back to see if reality has changed. This behavior gets stuck on a viscous loop.
The only thing more painful than all of this is when he comes into the bathroom while I’m getting sick. In Doug’s mind, the only reason someone gets on the floor is for his enjoyment. The fact that I’m crying and pleading for him to stop only revs up his exuberance more.
I had a migraine this week. I have bruises all over my body from Doug trying to bond with me during it.
Unconditional love hurts sometimes. What can you do. (this is not an actual question).
Here is Doug looking adorable so that you all will think I’m the crazy one and embellishing this to work in my favor.
How abouts you lay back down here and let me walk all over your face again?
Looking handsome on a walk with our dog walker (life saver), Denise. 
Oh Lord. I get migraines so I feel for you and while this made me cringe in pain thinking of it, it made me laugh too. God Love Doug!
It is definitely a post about ‘if you don’t laugh you will cry’!
I may have laughed out loud (and with the utmost sympathy) at the visual.
Post successful! I just keep repeating ‘this cannot be happening, but it is’.
Oh Doug!!!!(although the whole time I was wondering if Jakey might be giggling) On a serious note, I am right down the street and happy to take Doug for a few hrs when these hit you. he can play Disney at our house!
I think even Jake would draw the line, which is saying a lot! Thank you, you are too sweet!
This made me sad. I know when I’m sick, and Herself repeatedly hits me in the face to get my attention, it’s awful.
I wonder if something like a treat and train would help? Something to keep him interested in OVER THERE instead of on your head?
It makes me sad too, it exhausts me during the migraine which makes it all the more impossible to remain patient. I give him a hundred and one activities to do and he brings them all up to be with me. At the end of the day, I always try to just say, his exuberance should never be squashed, it will go a long way in making him a great adult dog. But sometimes…!
Oh that sounds brutal (but I will admit I giggled a little at the image of doug trying to balance on his back and your head….while I winced at your pain). The first year I had Swyatt, I was suffering from gall bladder stones and was being stubborn about surgery. I was sick a lot and in pain. Swy would follow me to the bathroom and try to play and if that didn’t work he would bark – mind you this was usually at 3am. So I am desperately trying to make him stop, while being sick and wanting to curl up in the fetal position and die. Fun times. He is now 4ish and somewhat calmer (thank god for their walker) which means if I am not feeling great, he will curl up and nap. Thankfully I had the gall bladder removed last year which also helps!
Yes, you know my pain! And I know yours! I had gallstones also but had to wait six months to have surgery (so that I could have my thyroid removed first) and I remember having those attacks in the middle of the night! They were terrible!
I’m glad there is hope for Doug in a few years!
Is he crate trained? Because it seems like a crate would be the only way to keep yourself sane through this. And while it wouldn’t be awesome for him, if you can have your dog walker come by to take him out when you are down for the count, it would save a lot of grief for both of you.
He is and he is GREAT in his crate. The problem (reason for torture) is that I am usually down for 36 hours. So even though I do crate him for part of the time (and at night in my room), there are going to be times I have to co-exist with him and the migraine so that he is not in the crate too long.
Melvin and Jake would happily sleep for 36 hours as long as they got potty breaks and fed! Doug believes daylight = zoomies!
Migraines are the worst! so please pardon me for laughing. I’m thinking a yummy stuffed Kong would be in order to keep Doug occupied, quiet, and distracted so that you can curl up and maintain until the meds kick in.
I def throw him all the Kongs he wants. The moment I go horizontal he brings the Kong up so he can use my back as a bookend for getting the good stuff out.
Love is hard sometimes!
Oh my, I don’t have words, you’ve painted quite the picture! Here’s to no more migraines!
Yes! What a wonderful world that would be!
I am so sorry about the migraine. I know how you feel only too well! But I am not so patient as you. I have three who will leave me alone and one who believes it is her God-given right to lick every exposed bit of skin. So she goes to her crate. It’S like having her touch my skin makes me even more sick! Hope you’re feeling better. Weather changes are a huge trigger for me. And stress – none of THAT going on around here!
Oh my gosh, yes! Doug likes to lick my hair. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
Maybe you can practice taking him to his crate for some quiet time when you don’t have a migraine to help him with learning his boundaries and how to “settle” so to speak. It’d be a good life skill.
Have you found any good activities for running his energy completely out? Not just a walk, but something a bit more intense like tug time, or a flirt pole, fetch? Dante is my energizer bunny, when we first adopted him he was one and it used to take a good 3 times of running him daily to wear him out.
He is actually great in his crate and I do put him in for naps to help out during the migraine. But I’m usually down for a day and a half so he and I will have to maneuver our migraine dance so that he can be out some of the time but not torturing me!
As for energy draining… UGH! He never tires. I have a flirt pole, we do fetch (he is only moderately interested), and we do our walks. He got much more worn out in the heat, during winter, exercise sessions just seem to make him more energized! I keep telling myself that one day, one day he will find the joy in napping!
Love your blog – and this post! Dogs and migraines!!! I have them too (dogs and migraines). I have 4 dogs and one of them sounds just like your Doug. Thanks for the post and blessings for migraine free time!
Migraine sufferers unite! It’s nice when someone gets it. ❤
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for the Blog-Aholic award… more info. can be found on my blog award post! Hope all is well 🙂