May 8: The Napping House

It’s taken the better part of two years, but my dog Freddie has completely acclimated himself to his new home. He was comfortable here after a couple of months, but for the longest time he always had his favorite locations. Knowing what I do about his background and being able to fill in the blanks about the rest of it based on his behavior patterns, I’m measuring whether or not he feels comfortable somewhere as whether or not he feels safe there. The way I figure it, the best way to judge how safe a dog feels in any space is how easily they can be there and fall asleep. So here’s a small tour of my house, from the point of view of Freddie’s favorite spots to nap.

1 - The sun room love seat. 

He loves lying in the sunshine. He’d prefer it if there was sun, but he still likes to hop up here and lean into a pillow. As you see, he often brings his favorite toy, Friend, with him when he settles in for some napping. 

2 - The sun room floor. 

See how relaxed he looks, stretched out in the sunshine? And yes, he’s tucked his head right up against Friend. 

3 - The bedroom recliner.

I have an old beaten-up recliner in my bedroom that used to be a comfortable place to sit until Freddie took it over and decided it would be where he sleeps most nights. He usually keeps his toys Bear and Bird (clearly I don’t put a lot of effort into naming dog toys) in the bedroom, but on that night they were up on the recliner with him. 

4 - My bed. 

That small blanket he's snuggled on came with him from foster care. It stays on the corner of the mattress, because that’s always the spot he goes to whenever he jumps up onto the bed.

5 - The futon in the home office. 

This doubles as my guest room. The futon pulls out to a double bed, and as far as futons go it’s actually pretty nice. If I’m working in the office and there isn’t a sunny patch somewhere in the house for him to lie in, he’s probably going to be there.

6 - His crate. 

This is his safe place, where he goes to lie down if he feels insecure about something, like if we see something outside that leaves him feeling unsettled, or, for some reason, whenever I turn on the XBox. The door is always open so he can come and go as he pleases. He has a little burrow molded in toward the back that fits him perfectly. The heart-shaped pillow was another thing he brought with from foster care when he moved in.

7 - The pillows on the living room sofa.

He discovered that lying on pillows is even better than lying on blankets. These were great pillows once, but I haven’t been able to use them for well over a year. When he curls up like this and tucks his nose behind his knee, it’s definitely time for some napping. 

8 - The arm rest of the living room love seat. 

This is a good central part of the house, and gives him a good perspective of whatever else might be going on. 

9 - His dog bed.

I bought this when he first moved in. It took him a good long time to figure out it was meant to be his. This is where he’ll lie and wait for me if he goes to bed early, and occasionally spend the night. It’s very, very soft.

10 - My lap.

Probably my favorite choice, unless I neglect to give him the pets and scratches to which he feels entitled, and he starts swatting at my hand to get me back on track.