Hank and Sadie in their favorite spot
Our dogs sleep with us. Or rather, we sleep with our dogs.
Given that neither is teacup size—Sadie is 105 pounds and Hank is 75—this arrangement has its negatives.
For starters, our mattress is queen size, and like our dogs, neither The Hubster nor I are small.
Sadie warms my side of the bed before I turn in. But she always moves when I ask, settling in her big brown dog bed next to my nightstand.
Still, being a shepherd and The Hubster’s dog, Sadie wakes every few hours to nudge his arm or breathe on his face to make sure he’s okay. And she doesn’t like anything getting too close to either of us. That means barking when there are raccoons and possums and skunks outside, which has been known to happen every night for a full week. She’s an early riser, too, typically 5 a.m., which is when I’m in my deepest sleep.
Hank likes to jump on after we’ve settled in. After licking my face, he settles into his sweet spot—on top of, or wrapped around, The Hubster’s legs. He’s a happy hound who had a great puppy experience: not being separated from his mother too soon; daily runs through a vegetable garden, and cuddles by friends of the couple who fostered him. Also, he was the only male in the litter, definitely an alpha dude, so it’s not his way to give up space.
Why do we put up with this?
Because there are way more positives.
Most important, Hank and Sadie are family.
With that in mind, we’re serious about pet ownership. Our guys don’t wear plaid jackets or ribbons on their collars, but they eat premium food; have lots of space to run, and chew on soup bones (no splinters). Of course, there are hugs and kisses and brushing and on-time visits to the vet.
And now, a new study has concluded what we people who sleep with dogs have long suspected.
Folks who take their dogs to bed with them feel more contented, secure and loved.
The study was done at the Mayo Clinic and surveyed 40 adults, mostly women with an average age of 44 years old. Each participant had one dog, and none had sleep disorders. The findings in this research backed up an earlier Mayo study, which surveyed 150 patients, and concluded that sleeping with one’s dog makes for a better night’s sleep.
However, there’s a catch.
While all of these pet owners had their dogs in the bedroom with them, none of the animals slept on a bed. For those of us whose canines sleep next to us, researchers found that a good night’s rest is hard to come by—especially if the pet is large and stubborn like Hank.
We love our sleep, but we love Hank and Sadie more. So for us, there’s only one option.
Save up for a king size bed.
Given that neither is teacup size—Sadie is 105 pounds and Hank is 75—this arrangement has its negatives.
For starters, our mattress is queen size, and like our dogs, neither The Hubster nor I are small.
Sadie warms my side of the bed before I turn in. But she always moves when I ask, settling in her big brown dog bed next to my nightstand.
Still, being a shepherd and The Hubster’s dog, Sadie wakes every few hours to nudge his arm or breathe on his face to make sure he’s okay. And she doesn’t like anything getting too close to either of us. That means barking when there are raccoons and possums and skunks outside, which has been known to happen every night for a full week. She’s an early riser, too, typically 5 a.m., which is when I’m in my deepest sleep.
Hank likes to jump on after we’ve settled in. After licking my face, he settles into his sweet spot—on top of, or wrapped around, The Hubster’s legs. He’s a happy hound who had a great puppy experience: not being separated from his mother too soon; daily runs through a vegetable garden, and cuddles by friends of the couple who fostered him. Also, he was the only male in the litter, definitely an alpha dude, so it’s not his way to give up space.
Why do we put up with this?
Because there are way more positives.
Most important, Hank and Sadie are family.
With that in mind, we’re serious about pet ownership. Our guys don’t wear plaid jackets or ribbons on their collars, but they eat premium food; have lots of space to run, and chew on soup bones (no splinters). Of course, there are hugs and kisses and brushing and on-time visits to the vet.
And now, a new study has concluded what we people who sleep with dogs have long suspected.
Folks who take their dogs to bed with them feel more contented, secure and loved.
The study was done at the Mayo Clinic and surveyed 40 adults, mostly women with an average age of 44 years old. Each participant had one dog, and none had sleep disorders. The findings in this research backed up an earlier Mayo study, which surveyed 150 patients, and concluded that sleeping with one’s dog makes for a better night’s sleep.
However, there’s a catch.
While all of these pet owners had their dogs in the bedroom with them, none of the animals slept on a bed. For those of us whose canines sleep next to us, researchers found that a good night’s rest is hard to come by—especially if the pet is large and stubborn like Hank.
We love our sleep, but we love Hank and Sadie more. So for us, there’s only one option.
Save up for a king size bed.
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