Napping with the dog

I gave it a lot of thought before allowing Miró onto the human bed. By allowing, I mean opening the gate at the bottom of the stairs so that he could run upstairs where he naturally leapt onto the bed. I’d enjoyed nearly a year with a bed-cover that I didn’t have to wash every couple of weeks and it wasn’t easy to envision another dog taking Darwin’s place as nap buddy. Also I had to consider that a dog allowed on the bed even once is there for life. But they look so cute up there….

Alanis, BTW, doesn’t jump up on any furniture. She’s just not that kind of girl.

The strategy for claiming room on the bed is to pretend you have no interest in being there, then dashing across the room and making a flying leap, sprawling across as much area as you can. The alert dog does the same and, if you’ve been quick, you’ll have enough room to lie comfortably, as everyone knows even the smallest dog can take up half a king-size bed. Yesterday I not only made it onto the bed but got under the bedspread for a nap.

There’s a blanket on top of the spread. Miró immediately grabbed the blanket, shook it, rolled up in it, lay still for a second, then unrolled and waved his feet in the air. I pulled the covers over my face to protect myself from flying feet. He grabbed my arm through the covers and started chewing enthusiastically. “Leave it!” He flopped out full-length. He scrambled up and attacked the blanket again. He collapsed at my side for a head-rub.

Up again. Jump off the bed, snuffle around, grab the dust cloth from the floor on my side of the bed (doesn’t everyone keep a dust cloth there?). Shake the cloth. Leap onto the bed. Grab my foot. “Leave it!” Flop down across my legs. Too bumpy. Up again to circle on the other side of the bed and finally rest. For ten whole minutes. It was a power nap.