Ira is a dog magnet. He’s not dog-crazy like I am, but dogs are mad about him.
Sadie swoons and spins her tail at helicopter speed at the mere sound of his voice. Romeo, Sadie’s BFF, seeks Ira out and settles down leaning hard against Ira’s leg.
Then there’s another of Sadie’s friends, Moses, the Miniature Poodle. When Moses visits us Ira has learned to gather all he’ll need for the next two hours before settling down in his favorite chair–The New York Review of Books, the remote for the stereo, a flute of good tequila. As soon as Ira’s butt hits the chair, Moses leaps into Ira’s lap taking possession of this prime doggie real estate.
But, alas, even Ira’s poodle magnetism isn’t enough to keep Sadie in bed with us. Just as we’re settling in for the night, Sadie jumps between us raising our hopes. All wiggles and kisses, she spins a nest for herself, and curls into a ball. Ira and I share a hopeful glance. Maybe this night will be different from all other nights. Maybe she’ll stay. But no, Sadie prefers her personal space. She insists on snuggling in her very own amply-cushioned couch in the adjoining room. Maybe you recall, I wrote about my unrequited cuddle lust in “My Dog Is Just Not that Into Me.”
So it was with both a little envy and a lot of joy that I read “Warm Nights, Cold Noses” in today’s New York Times. It’s a fun read and puts to bed any notions that people are kicking their animals out of the sack in response to research out of UC Davis that warned of the dangers of zoonoses (pronounced zoh-AN-ee-sees). Personally, I prefer pronouncing it zoo-noses. Anyway, here’s one of my favorite excerpts from the Times story:
Sometimes, however, sweet dreams are not an option, as Tracy Rudd, an illustrator in Manhattan, has discovered. One man she dated years ago picked up her growling, nipping Chihuahua and tossed her out of the bedroom, later to find his clothes soaked in urine. When Ms. Rudd, 47, met her current husband, she said she knew he was the one because when he put his arm around her in bed during the night, causing her dog to growl and nip at him, he didn’t seem to mind.
“He just said he respected her for defending her space,” Ms. Rudd said.
As a result, the dog respected him and a lasting marriage was born.
You can read the entire article here. And, be sure to read to the end. Really, you won’t want to miss Kathy Ruttenberg’s story. Hint: her favorite bed partner is not a dog, or a cat, or a rabbit. It’s another kind of zoo-nose altogether.
Ooh, I loved the NY Times article. Thanks for posting this.
We adopted Shadow from the SPCA after she was turned in by her family. Evidently a family member was getting a kidney transplant and the doctor told them to get rid of Shadow (then Jackie) for health reasons.
I often wonder if the potential for germs could ever be greater than the benefits of a furry friend. Y’know, my husband has germs too and I let him in my bed.
Indeed! We all have germs!
Fun article! I personally think we in the U.S. — and, I read, countries like Japan, where people over use bacterial washes and hand sanitizers — are too germ obsessed. I know I’m tempting fate by saying this, but I think I have kept my resistance to diseases high by keeping my obsession about germs low. Or maybe that’s just an excuse for not keeping my house as clean as it should be…
Anyway, Frankie is always on my bed but he doesn’t take up much space and he only cuddles against me when he’s not feeling well (I think; he won’t say). In any case, it’s fairly unpredictable and rare.
I’m of the same opinion. Bring on the germs! Not to many, just enough to keep my immune system strong 🙂
My dog enjoys her personal space while she sleeps as well. The only time she seems to like sharing the bed is when we are out camping. But then she is the only one who gets any sleep as she has a tendency to take over the air mattress. If that’s what I would have to put up with at home, I am glad she enjoys sleeping in her own bed. 😛
Thanks for the link to the very sweet article. My husband would love to sleep with ten different animals at once. Maybe one day I will come around.
Surely someone will create a bigger-than-king-size bed, one large enough to accommodate people and their menageries.
Great article! I agree with Edie on the germ thing. I think our obsession with avoiding germs at all costs is what has made us more vulnerable to them. I prefer to think that my tolerance to germs is higher because I am not so obsessed about them. Most of the time it’s just me and the cat in the bed. I tried kicking him out due to allergies, but like the couple in the story, Nick just pounded on the door with his paws and meowed very loudly all night long. He even found a door stopper and kept hitting it so I would open the door! He won.
Jasper and Daisy prefer not to sleep with me except when there is another dog there (then suddenly Jasper wants up) or a thunderstorm (Daisy prefers to cuddle for a little while then).
Sadie’s the same as your Jasper and Daisy. When we have sleep over with Dudley and Moses, two poodles who do sleep in bed, Sadie joins us. She’s not about to be left out.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Edie Jarolim and Rod Burkert, GemsandKnots. GemsandKnots said: RT @WillMyDogHateMe: Proof that we love our pets more than we fear germs! RT @boulderdog1 My Bed Is Your Bed http://bit.ly/dE3K6f […]
Interesting about Sadie “almost” sharing the bed, but then doesn’t. I was amused that Sadie is similar to my dogs that way! Both of them! Wish I was able to share more germs with my dogs, but actually, both are happier sleeping elsewhere! You have a wonderful way of telling the story…
Thanks Hilary. Seems there many people with dogs who don’t want to get people germs and choose to sleep elsewhere 🙂
That NYT article was really interesting! We have one cuddle bug and one that wants his space. Though our dogs have always slept in their own beds, Buster would jump in with us in a heart-beat and spoon with his head on the pillow. Ty, on the other hand, looks like he’s being punished when I pull him up on to the sofa for a snuggle. These dogs couldn’t be any more different! =)
I had unrequited cuddle lust too – I’ve tried to convince Bella to sleep on the bed, but she doesn’t stay. She’ll hang out for 30 minutes and then leave to sleep in her own bed. Thanks for sharing the NYT article – I really enjoyed it!
Well, at least we’re not alone in our empty-of-dogs beds. Several people in the comments bemoaned their pups who prefer their space. Sadie is the first dog I’ve ever had who is not a snuggle bug. Sigh.
Yep, let them sleep where they want. Better yet, buy them some dog clothing, say some PJ’s, and have a slumber party. What do you think?
Gus sleeps with us and stays up by us when it’s cold, but as soon as the temperature rises, he moves on to cooler spots. Either at the foot of the bed or underneath the bed.
As much as I wish he was a cuddlebug…he is not! Unless he’s cold, and then he has no problem using us for body heat. 🙂