When your dog wakes you from a sound sleep
There are times when we don't mind being woken up, no matter how sleepy we are. A sweet kiss on the forehead or an added toss of the blanket to keep out the cold might make us stir, but it is always welcome.
Sometimes the kids are sick and we get woken up with calls of distress or coughing that just won’t stop. There are times that we would rather not be woken up. When there is a bad thunderstorm that stirs us out of a peaceful slumber or sirens are alerting you that something is amiss in the neighborhood, our peaceful time is not only ruined but now we are alarmed at what is happening around us.
I am sure there are others, not just myself, who are not pleased when the dog wakes you up and you are not sure why they are so adamant for you to give them your attention. At first the thought comes to mind that the dog wants to go out for an outside break, or maybe they hear something that you don’t.
I had a wonderful awakening from Pearl the other night. She decided in the early morning hours that I needed a gentle nudge to bring me out of a very deep sleep. I have her in bed with me.
I know, it's not the best habit, but I figure when you get old like we are, it’s just that much better to have a big bed to sprawl out in. And with a king-size bed, there is enough room for everybody to get a good night's sleep.
I was in a deep sleep when I could feel something warm on my forehead. As I slowly awakened I realized it was Pearl gently licking me. She seemed to have no intention of stopping what she was doing anytime soon.
It was a very light, methodical action. Not an excited, “gee you gotta get up,” but a calm constant motion. As I came out of my sleep I put my hand out and pet her, speaking the words, “What’s wrong?” She didn’t stop, even though she knew I was awake and began pushing into me a bit harder, more determined.
As I came to a full state of being awake, I realized my heart was racing, which was of course is not a good thing.
Pearl reached out with her paw and lightly touched me with it. I began speaking to her. I think it was as much to calm her as myself. From the time I woke up to the time I took some medicine, she remained with me.
Pearl is not trained to do that, she just did it. I am not sure, but I wonder if for her it was confusing. Did she lay there awhile before reacting and licking me or was it an immediate response?
Was she brought out of her sleep by the change in me, or had she been awake and detected something was wrong? She has been taught to talk to me, alert me to change and that is what she did. I think she would have remained alerting me until either things relaxed and went back to normal or me waking up naturally.
A dog sees patterns and routine, and that goes for sight, sound and smell. Think about the dog that would come to a mother before the baby woke up or prior to the kids trying to kill each other in a leggo war. When patterns change, they are alarmed. They will try to change it, or alert someone who can fix it. It's within their nature to do so.
So take a second look at your dog.
Maybe sometimes when they are talking to you it is not simple doggy demands, but trying to help you notice things are amiss. Just be thankful they don't give up on us when we don't listen very well.
Cheri Kolstad is a certified dog behaviourist, dog groomer and trainer who lives in Penticton. Email: cakcanada@gmail.com