Doesn’t this little doggie look innocent? He’s just so loveable!
Who would have guessed this cutie-pie can stir quite a ruckus? We’ve gotten used to normal dog sounds of shaking, and jingling of tags/chain when scratching, and the occasional whimper of a bad dream during the evening. Most of the time our dog sleeps in his bean-bag bed pretty quietly and soundly.
However, last night was pretty cold, so he decided to join us in bed. Ozo is fine to cuddle right between us, UNTIL, he begins making that chewing/smacking his lips noise. It’s inevitable. Last night was no different, he began smackin’ and I waited for him to stop so sleep could return to us all…but the thing is…the dog doesn’t stop! He never does, it just goes on…and on… smack/smack/smack (Or he decides to clean his paws…lick/lick/lick)
“OZO, STOP IT!” as I give him a sort-of-soft nudge with my foot while half asleep and My husband wakes to my yell…”What the hell, hon?” totally PO’d because he hadn’t heard the dog until I woke him. I mumble something in my sleep. Now all he can hear is the noise “GET DOWN” and he promptly pushes our dog off the bed.
**This scenario happens every time the dog attempts to sleep with us.**
Poor Ozo. Normally, this doesn’t affect him much and he wanders off to his own bed. However, this time he shook, and shook like he does out of a bath…the jangling of tags and chain… after about 10 shakes, and a pause, and stare of longing at our bed (I opened one eye to see him waiting.) “OUT.” Bellows my husand as he, too, can feel the dog’s presence.
Off Ozo goes to get a drink of water which is what he obviously needs for his dry mouth. I know this, because I can hear him lapping up the water, chains hitting the metal bowl. Clank, clank, clank. Shake, shake, rattle, rattle…he settles somewhere. All is quiet and sleep returns…for about 5 minutes.
Next thing I can feel, tapping of feet at the side of my mattress, his body slamming the side of my bed to peer atop. I know he’s debating of jumping up…back down to the ground…back up, slamming the bed with his two front paws and peering again, drops back down with a sigh & snort, and then he goes for it…jumps back up on the bed. I figure it 
must be really cold, and we’ll give it another shot. Immediately, he settles and launches the smackety-smack again…WTF? my groan apparently woke my hubby “NO!” he roars and throws Ozo off the bed.
Poor dog. Shake, Shake, rattle, rattle…Bill gets up to remove his collar and toss him in the bean bag “STAY.” I heard such a big sigh from a little dog, who realized his fate.
If it’s not this scenario, I’m waking to his doggie Night Terrors. Yes, he’s had a few episodes of where he begins howling, and snorting, and howling so loudly. I run to him, half asleep, trying to make it stop before the kids wake. It takes a few minutes to snap him out of the dream that seems to be sheer toture for him. Really? Between the dog and my kids, I’m not getting any sleep. Those of you with infants, it doesn’t get better…just different…sorry to rip that idea to shreds. Your older kids will wake you as they have bad dreams, bouts of insomnia, or illnesses, or to complain about their sibling’s snoring…it’s always something! A race car squealing it’s tires outside your window, a neighbor’s older kid riding their motorized scooter at midnight down your street…
My mom was right, once you have kids (pets) you will never sleep soundly again…always one ear open, ready to pop up for duty, and once kids are teenagers, listening for the door indicating their safe return. Crap.
My dog sleeps like a log until…it’s 4 or 5 in the morning..and then he wakes you up with the sounds of him scratching and whimpering to be let out!
I wonder what bad dreams poor little Ozo has?
His toys were missing? Actually, when he gets a hair cut, he always stresses out and it affects his sleep.
I feel your pain! I have two that I lovingly refer to as ‘the monsters’. They’re lucky they’re cute and lovable…at all hours
Look at cleaning his ears, when our lab shakes, its because his ears have infections, which causes him to lick his paws. I have to clean them alot, product of his being an outside dog and he loves to swim.
We can tell Stoney to stop licking and he is like a child, he tries to do it slow and quiet. it is funny.
Try having a cat who “brushes” your hair at night. Mine does. With his paws and claws
Yes, Paul! I remember seeing my mom’s dogs trying to sneak a lick in ‘real slo-mo.’ I’ve forgotten about that. Does your cat work on your beard hair as well? As long as the cat doesn’t claw your face or lick you…mann they have the scratchiest tongues ever! That’s why they are always coughin’ up fur balls, I suppose. THANK YOU for the tip. My husband did just cut his hair. (hair dogs take a lot of maintaining.) I think he’s a little weirded out by the lack of hair on his ears. There was a lot removed. I’ll have my hubby take a peek to see if anything got inside.
If I let my lot (I have 3 dogs at the moment) on the bed they do the same. Fine when they snuggle in and go to sleep but really, really annoying when they start to groom themselves for what seems like forever – making the bed shake and keeping me awake. So now i’ve banished them from the bedroom but in revenge they wake me up at 3am every morning – snuffling and scratching at the door, and if i ignore them they start barking. Ggrrrrr !!!!
Your blog put a smile on my face tonight! Thanks ( :