Doggie Daybed

After almost four years with us, our dog has discovered that she likes the couch and the bed. We never prohibited her from using them, but she never showed any interest in either, until about a month ago.

On Mother's Day we were at my mom's house. Her beagle spends most of his time ensconced on either a recliner chair in the family room or a futon in the living room. Our dog has seen him hoist his overweight self up onto these perches numerous times, and never showed any inclination to imitate him, until this particular day.

We were all gathered around the computer, looking at some photos. Behind us, our dog suddenly jumped onto the futon, then settled down, but unfortunately none of us witnessed it. My mother happened to look over her shoulder and saw the dog laying there.

Back at our house that night, it took all of 15 minutes for the dog to vault onto our bed. She was in there with the Mrs., who was sorting laundry. I was in the next room, and she called me to come into the bedroom, where the dog was happily stretched out, already nuzzling into the soft, puffy comforter.

I always thought it was a little unusual that the dog did not show any interest in the couch, at least, because she's a fairly large dog with long legs, and it's relatively easy for her to jump up onto it. The bed is somewhat higher, so she does seem to prefer the couch. She also doesn't like sharing it; if she's laying on the couch and the Mrs. sits down, the dog will usually get up and leave, even though there's more than enough room for both of them.

We've decided to limit her access to the couch and the bed to times when we are home, in an attempt to convey that lounging on the furniture is a privilege and a treat, and she should not expect to get to do it all the time. When we go to work we close the bedroom door and flip up the couch cushions. I'm sure there are many of you who let your pets hang out on the couch and/or bed all the time who think we're goofy, and we probably are.

I think she started doing this at least partly because her dog bed has lost some of its squishiness, and she is seeking equal or greater comfort. But really, who knows what she's thinking? It's funny how a pet's behavior can change suddenly after a long interval of status quo. Animal behavior is truly a curious and wondrous thing.