Wednesday-Bensday! Special Bed Time Edition

Several weeks ago Smalls graduated from sleeping in her crate to having full run of the bedroom at night. She stayed in her crate (with the door open) for her first couple of nights of freedom, but it wasn’t long before she figured out how much more comfortable our bed was.

We have a king-size bed, but it still tends to get a little crowded with two people and two dogs, all of whom like to sprawl out and take up as much space as possible while they sleep. Nine nights out of ten, Ben gets tired of getting kicked all night and retreats to the floor while Smalls stretches out and sleeps soundly in the spot that has been Ben’s preferred sleeping space for years.

Last week, Tim suggested we get a dog bed for our bedroom. Ben generally couldn’t care less about beds designed specifically for dogs, but whenever we visit my parents Smalls is constantly sneaking off to lounge on Tasha’s big, comfy bed. So we figured we’d get Smalls a bed, she would fall in love with it, and then Ben could reclaim his favorite spot at the foot of our bed.

Off to the store we went, and this is what we came back with:

(We put the bed on Smalls’s favorite ottoman for the afternoon so she could get used to it.)

Super cute, right? Well, you know how sometimes something will appear to be just the right size at the store, and then you bring it home only to discover that it’s way too big for your house? We had the opposite problem with this bed — it looked just right at the store but turned out to be too small for Smalls’s long body once we brought it home. I was concerned that she wouldn’t get much use out of a bed she couldn’t really stretch out in, but we decided to give it a try for a few nights anyway.

After three nights of Smalls still dominating the foot of the bed while Ben slept on the floor (there was no way he’d fit into the bed that was too small even for Smalls), it was clear that the dogs needed a bigger bed. So, back to the store we went. We exchanged the too-small bed for one that either dog could, in theory, sprawl out on to his or her heart’s desire:

Looks like a major improvement, right? Heck, even Ben is using it!

Friends, I can’t lie to you any longer. You have the right to know that the above photo was 100% staged. Ben had to be picked up and placed on the bed and then told to stay just long enough for the picture to be taken (he wasn’t afraid of it, just completely uninterested). And, really, the only reason either dog was paying any attention to me was because they were waiting for their bedtime treats. As soon as the photo session was over and they’d gobbled up their treats, Smalls sprawled across the foot of the bed, and Ben?

Ben resigned himself to the floor, yet again, flat out refusing to even acknowledge the plush, comfy bed that lay mere inches away.

Do Kaya, Rufus, Bailey, Ted, Gus, Foxy, and Zapp have strange sleeping preferences, or is it just Ben?

July 9, 2008 | Filed Under Photos & Videos, Puppies, Wednesday-Bensday 

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6 Responses to “Wednesday-Bensday! Special Bed Time Edition”

  1. JP on July 9th, 2008

    I totally thought of you last night when my friend offered me a piece of sangria-flavored gum. It was delish!

  2. Erin on July 9th, 2008

    Rufus and Kaya both sleep on comfy dog pillows in their kennels. We would not all fit on the bed together. I don’t know how to get Ben and Smalls interested in the new dog bed….although as soon as one likes it, you know the other will want it!

  3. Thomas on July 9th, 2008

    Where do we sign up to be a top commenter?

  4. RA on July 10th, 2008

    We’ve thought about getting Ted a bed for the living room, but I think he would chew it to pieces. Maybe in a year?

  5. Laurel on July 10th, 2008

    Aw, man! AS’s parents’ dogs LOVE their bed… but they still spend the night in the parents’ bed. The dog bed is strictly for daytime napping and lounging!

  6. Heather on July 10th, 2008

    Love the staged photo! : ) I can’t believe how big Smalls is now. Holy my God, she’s growing up fast!

    Also–at Whit’s wedding a couple of weeks ago they had this homemade Sangria that had….vodka ? (i’m pretty positive) and it was the most delicious thing ever! AFter 2 beer mugs full of that I was pretty smashed. I thought of you, and thought you would enjoy this. Proof of me drinking too much is seen in pictures with my eyes closed or my drunk gut hanging out! : )

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