The Spudinator

In September of this year, I embarked on an 18 day adventure in pup-sitting. Spud, a Boston Terrier, stayed with me while his mom when on vacation. As Spud can be a little grumpy, we made arrangements for him to meet and greet my three pups on neutral ground. There were no problems. Actually, my Miniature Schnauzer, Sydney, was thrilled with her special prize that was just for her. She's just assumes that all new things are for her.

Spud's mom does not have any children of her own and showers him with maternal love. Naturally, Spud appreciates all of the affection and has become so accustomed to it, he not only expects it, but also demands it. And the bed is his. He simply allows you to sleep in the bed with him. His mom explained to me that Spud will paw at your face until you pull back the covers to allow His Majesty to crawl under them. I had no problem with that. Sydney is the same way. She's a spoiled brat because her mom made her that way and will continue to allow her to be that way. Why should Spud be any different? It's all good.

I was also warned that Spud does not like to be picked up nor does he like to be bothered while sleeping.

At night, I sleep with all my windows open. It does tend to get a bit chilly and my Westie, Jake, will sometimes jump on the bed during the night to snuggle. Little Miss Annabelle, the sweet pup that she is with her nubby Scottie legs, isn't a good jumper and is perfectly satisfied curling up on her humongous dog pillow in the corner next to the bed. Her pillow is big enough for a Great Dane.

So, there I was, sharing my bed with three dogs; Sydney, Her Royal Highness, snuggled in all of the pillows at the head of the bed, Spud, His Majesty, under the covers stretched out taking up over half of available space, and Jake, The Prince, curled up in the crook of my knees. I have no trouble keeping warm even on the coldest nights. I have extra fuzzy bodies providing ample heat.

Spuuuuuuud, Spuddie, The Spudinator, The Spudster enjoys his sleep and is most definitely NOT a morning dog. One morning, as my alarm went off, there was an audible protest from his side of the bed. Even after I finished with my shower and getting dressed, Spud remained snuggled deep under the covers that he had bunched into a big pile. When I suggested that it was time to get up, he looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "You've GOT to be kidding. No way am I about to get up and expose my royal belly to the frigid elements." With much persuading and cajoling, I convinced Spud to go outside and do his business. Quick to finish and return to the comfort of the house, he immediately jumped onto the cushy chair. He was too tired to even eat a treat. And don't think I didn't cater to him. I did. I got him a blanky and tucked him in. It didn't take long before he was snoozing.

Remember the warning, Spud doesn't like to be bothered when he's sleeping? Well, let me tell you. Spud loves to snuggle as he's dozing. While under the covers, he would press his body next to mine and nudge my arm over him. No problem. It's like sleeping with a warm teddy bear, except as soon as he falls asleep, he remembers you're touching him. Then he freaks out.

He snorts and snarls and makes an attempt to bite the offending hand. His bites are more of fleshy nips because his lips are so thick, his teeth don't come anywhere near making contact. Then when he realizes he is not being attacked, he snuggles back down. Of course, when he falls asleep, he goes bizzerk. It's difficult to fall asleep when every few minutes the horrific, vicious sounds and the lip chomping jerk you awake. One night in particular, Spuddy freaked out three or four times before I had had enough. "Okay, psycho dog, you have to move." He didn't go willingly, but he did move out of the body contact zone.

The next morning, he knew I was less than pleased about his nighttime antics. He eased over to me, sat down and looked up at me with those big brown eyes. It was obvious he wanted to make up and win forgiveness. How could I possibly resist? I invited him into my lap. Kisses and pets for everyone and all was better.