Alexandra Court’s dog, Luna. Photo contributed
We had decided that when we got a puppy we would be that family who trained their dog to keep off of the furniture and sleep in a crate at night. However, all our careful planning and rules were broken the first night we brought Luna, our Maltese/Bichon Frise mix home. It was similar to the scene in Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” where the stubborn parents finally succumb to poor Lady’s howls of loneliness and allow her to spend the night in their bed. Luna could be heard crying from her crate downstairs throughout the better part of the night until my mom gave in and brought her to sleep in her bedroom. Since then, Luna has always found a place for herself in each one of the beds in our house. She has developed her own schedule that requires early bedtimes and sleeping in as long as possible in the morning. When she’s ready for bed she hops up on the mattress and lays down right in your favorite sleeping spot. If you take too long to get ready for bed she proceeds to knock all the pillows off and mess up your sheets. At night, if you toss and turn, or move the slightest muscle she gives you a warning growl and if you continue to disturb her she leaves in search of a different bed. She also rotates bedrooms depending on who is home. When I left for college, Luna kept my mother and brother company at night switching between the two. However, when I came home for winter break my loyal canine friend slept with me in my bed the entire two months until I went away again. The three of us have entirely different working schedules which means we all get up at different times of the morning. Luna despises having to get out of bed, and when the habitant of one bed gets up to get ready for work, she moves on to the next bed which still contains a sleeper. It’s amazing how sometimes you forget that she’s a dog. She acts so much like a person you can’t help but talk to her because you know she understands what you’re saying. Luna takes care of us as much as we take care of her, and as long as she is around, she will always make sure we each get a good night’s rest.