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D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Restless Natives
Fri Mar 31 2006


Our dog Sunny wakes me up every morning between 2 and 4.

She says she simply MUST go wee wee.

At this time of the night/morning I am usually in some deep sleep state. I get jerked out of this usually pleasant, but sometimes troubled dreamy place by the wet nose Nudge followed immediately with the Tongue to the elbow, which oddly enough seems to always be in a position she can easily reach.

This gets me somewhat conscious, but by no means to the jumping out of bed phase, whereupon I get another Nudge-Lick.

I may make some kind of noise at this point encouraging her that her techniques are working.

Then I get the Nudge, Root under elbow lifting it up, Lick Lick, that conveys enough, "I'm NOT kidding, I gotta go pee NOW!" messages that I actually get out of bed, still half asleep and head for the livingroom slider.

I let her out, but I can't close the door. Otherwise she wants right back in. I have to stand there with it open and she trots over and squats right away and runs back in.

There are only two things about this routine that are worthwhile.

One is that I get to get in a little early early morning weather report. Hmmm. Moderate temperature, slight breeze, overcast, light showers.

The other is that the cat goes outside to meet his nefarious friends at this time. Thus eliminating the former 4:45 routine of 'Scratching on the bed frame until she lets me outside....and no I'm not giving up even if you throw pillows at me and my head conks against said bed frame....loudly.'

The thing about all this that baffles me beyond comprehension is that Hub Man ALWAYS sleeps through the entire drama.

What is UP with that?

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16 Comments
  • From:
    Dustbunny3 (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    Why men are from Mars so let it lay.
    My dogs and cats slept OUTSIDE , another thing to try is make sure Sunny makes a pit stop before BED time.
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    We have a similar routine, only Shelby is in with #1 so it is a scratching at the door or whining that wakes me and nobody else up. I have found that a foot placed in the center of his back propelling him towards the edge of the bed is the only thing that wakes Hubby up at night.

    Needless to say this tactic is not received well. I use it sparingly.
    Alli
  • From:
    SerendipityDuck (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    I think the dog has trained you quite well.

    : )

    Paula
  • From:
    AnneOakley (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    Truckie usually plopped his head against my shoulder, gives me a nudge. If I don't wake up, he would JAB his cold nose in my eye or in my ear! Waaaah lalala......LOL..

    Hugs, AO
  • From:
    Razzenne (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    darling little cupcake
    when it is oui oui it is oui oui

    hee hee

    I bet it is a beautiful existential experience to go out into the early morn when we are usually asleep and blow your cute horn

  • From:
    Razzenne (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    I aint razzin you girl
    this is for real
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    Well, who's getting the nudge-lick? Who's being told NOW! Men have selective hearing, and without the physical impetus, they don't hear the most impatient yowls or woofs. That's just the way it is when they're married.

    Or, you could pick up Hamlet and drop him on Hub Man. That *might* get a reaction, but maybe not the one you want.

    Shalom
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Mar 31 2006
    men sleep on a different plain than we do, silly!
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Apr 01 2006
    It will play for every entry, I put it in the Header message.
    Alli
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Apr 01 2006
    I am pleasantly surprised Dustbunny3 said that. I think making your dogs and cats sleep outside is mean, but that is my opinion.

    You're the Mommy...that's why. :o)
  • From:
    Calichef (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Apr 01 2006
    There are two solutions for your midnight forrays. The first only solves Sunny's problem, but it is simple. Crate her. Put her in a crate after letting her out before you go to bed. There is no reason an adult dog cannot hold her bladder until morning. Yes, the first night will be hard and there will me much whining and digging at the door, but it will lessen each night and eventually she will know that that is where she sleeps at night.

    The second solution is truly a solution for all your night time interruptions. It's not as cheap as a dog crate, but it works for the cat, too. Just follow the link. I would have lost my sanity a long time ago if it were not for this and similar devices.
    http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=7817&Nav=1&N=0&Ntt=pet%20doors&sku=12629&familyID=10688&

    Good luck,
    ~Cali
  • From:
    ImNotLisa (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Apr 01 2006
    And I'm the only one who hears Grover barking at night too, unless a bathroom trip is occuring at the same time. ;o)
  • From:
    StillLife (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat Apr 01 2006
    Well written! lmao here.

    Truth though, the dog knows you will get up and so does the man. So neither of them need change their routine.

    RYC: Yes, of the couple of hundred photos I have taken of squirrels in the last seven months, that is the only one I have taken of a resting squirrel. I chased him and another one up a solitary tree so I could photograph them when they came down. I sat at the base of the tree while one squirrel scampered and chittered for about twenty minutes before scrambling down the opposite side of the trunk, peering around to give me those great close up shots from about a foot away. But this little fellow? He just laid his head down on his paws and had a little rest. He knew he could outwait me. Very unsquirrely of him, but oh! - so cute.
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Apr 02 2006
    Anything I can clear up now? My idea is simply to create an interesting story with the input of others' experiences.

    Shalom
  • From:
    StillLife (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun Apr 02 2006
    RYC: Apparantly one of the ways that you can tell the Eastern from the Western Meadowlark is the call, which is quite different. I remember the one I heard, so I am trying to find a recording online. I MUST know which one it was... lol.
  • From:
    Dananarama (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Apr 03 2006
    It's amazing that after being woken up at 3am you still find not one, but two good things to come out of getting up so damn early!
    I guess another would be not having to clean up the mess Sunny leaves if you don't let her out :o)