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        <title>Every Night&#039;s a Three Dog Night - Stories of Spur: Dogging it in competition - michelemc&apos;s Blog - SacPaws.com</title>
        <link>http://www.sacpaws.com/home/Blog/michelemc/220</link>
        <description>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; My favorite image on this web site is the time-lapse video of three gordon setters sleeping with their owners.&amp;nbsp; Hey - who owns this bed anway?&amp;nbsp; And how could these people possibly be getting any rest?

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I only know that a night without my dogs on the bed is a lonely night, indeed, but I&#039;m talking about smaller creatures here.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Most reputable dog training books advise pet owners not to allow their pets to sleep with them on the bed.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s too empowering for the dogs.&amp;nbsp; It leads them to believe they&#039;re actually in charge of the household.&amp;nbsp; It can create other behavioral issues.&amp;nbsp; It may not be utterly hygienic.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But what loving owner cares about any of that?&amp;nbsp; 

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I keep my bed covered with a flannel sheet that can be washed, well, anytime I happen to remember to do so.&amp;nbsp; I lay a special fuzzy blanket up the middle of the bed, so the pets can spread out in between my husband and myself.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; At least, that&#039;s where we start.&amp;nbsp; But in the night they do have a tendency to migrate.&amp;nbsp; Spur likes to get under the covers, next to me, as soon as possible.&amp;nbsp; Axel curls up next to Don, or sometimes on my right - never my left - side.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Petra likes to force Spur further down into the bed so she can sleep on my left - never my right - side.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; For a while I thought I was developing bursitis in my shoulders.&amp;nbsp; Then I realized it was caused by hours of sleeping on my back, each arm curled into a big &amp;quot;C&amp;quot; shape, with a dog cuddled on each side.&amp;nbsp; I fixed that by learning to sleep with my arms straight.&amp;nbsp; The dogs can rest their heads on my shoulders if they wish.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; This sounds as if I am spoiling them so terribly.&amp;nbsp; But I am the one who is spoiled.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Life is full of stress.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m an entrepreneur dealing with a challenging economic environment.&amp;nbsp; I provide services to clients and I am anxious about the quality of the results I achieve.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m in the midst of wearying business negotiations.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m constantly looking for more time to train, to golf, to enjoy time with my husband.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m usually on a diet.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; There are times when these and other matters weigh on me significantly.&amp;nbsp; In the night, even small issues loom large and tension keeps me awake.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In those moments, there is a perfect solution - reach for a schnauzer.&amp;nbsp; Cuddle up and pet.&amp;nbsp; Listen to them gently snoring.&amp;nbsp; There is no more soothing sound.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Life can be either grand or challenging, but there is always something to worry about.&amp;nbsp; My three dog nights are a soothing solution indeed.</description>
        <itunes:summary>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; My favorite image on this web site is the time-lapse video of three gordon setters sleeping with their owners.&amp;nbsp; Hey - who owns this bed anway?&amp;nbsp; And how could these people possibly be getting any rest?

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I only know that a night without my dogs on the bed is a lonely night, indeed, but I&#039;m talking about smaller creatures here.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Most reputable dog training books advise pet owners not to allow their pets to sleep with them on the bed.&amp;nbsp; It&#039;s too empowering for the dogs.&amp;nbsp; It leads them to believe they&#039;re actually in charge of the household.&amp;nbsp; It can create other behavioral issues.&amp;nbsp; It may not be utterly hygienic.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But what loving owner cares about any of that?&amp;nbsp; 

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I keep my bed covered with a flannel sheet that can be washed, well, anytime I happen to remember to do so.&amp;nbsp; I lay a special fuzzy blanket up the middle of the bed, so the pets can spread out in between my husband and myself.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; At least, that&#039;s where we start.&amp;nbsp; But in the night they do have a tendency to migrate.&amp;nbsp; Spur likes to get under the covers, next to me, as soon as possible.&amp;nbsp; Axel curls up next to Don, or sometimes on my right - never my left - side.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Petra likes to force Spur further down into the bed so she can sleep on my left - never my right - side.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; For a while I thought I was developing bursitis in my shoulders.&amp;nbsp; Then I realized it was caused by hours of sleeping on my back, each arm curled into a big &amp;quot;C&amp;quot; shape, with a dog cuddled on each side.&amp;nbsp; I fixed that by learning to sleep with my arms straight.&amp;nbsp; The dogs can rest their heads on my shoulders if they wish.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; This sounds as if I am spoiling them so terribly.&amp;nbsp; But I am the one who is spoiled.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Life is full of stress.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m an entrepreneur dealing with a challenging economic environment.&amp;nbsp; I provide services to clients and I am anxious about the quality of the results I achieve.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m in the midst of wearying business negotiations.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m constantly looking for more time to train, to golf, to enjoy time with my husband.&amp;nbsp; I&#039;m usually on a diet.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; There are times when these and other matters weigh on me significantly.&amp;nbsp; In the night, even small issues loom large and tension keeps me awake.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In those moments, there is a perfect solution - reach for a schnauzer.&amp;nbsp; Cuddle up and pet.&amp;nbsp; Listen to them gently snoring.&amp;nbsp; There is no more soothing sound.

&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Life can be either grand or challenging, but there is always something to worry about.&amp;nbsp; My three dog nights are a soothing solution indeed.</itunes:summary>
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                    <item>
                <title>May 8,  2008 at 09:05 PM : So true! It&#039;s so...</title>
                <description>So true! It&#039;s so cozy to have your pet in bed - my cat is a real cuddler but sadly is also a big time bed hog and I would find myself so exhausted whenever she would share our bed! (Now she&#039;s made herself at home on the bed in our spare bedroom and I sleep great!) Thanks for sharing your story!</description>
                <link>http://www.sacpaws.com/home/Blog/michelemc/220/#c_191</link>
                <guid>http://www.sacpaws.com/home/Blog/michelemc/220/#c_191</guid>
                <itunes:summary>So true! It&#039;s so cozy to have your pet in bed - my cat is a real cuddler but sadly is also a big time bed hog and I would find myself so exhausted whenever she would share our bed! (Now she&#039;s made herself at home on the bed in our spare bedroom and I sleep great!) Thanks for sharing your story!</itunes:summary>     
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                <title>May 28,  2008 at 07:05 PM : I feel the same way...</title>
                <description>I feel the same way about having my furkids in bed with me!!!&amp;nbsp; I, too, read the books that suggested not letting your dog sleep in bed but I broke that rule immediately when Ruby was a puppy and followed by allowing Amie in bed as well when I adopted her.&amp;nbsp; I wouldn&#039;t have it any other way even when their snoring wakes me up!&amp;nbsp;</description>
                <link>http://www.sacpaws.com/home/Blog/michelemc/220/#c_266</link>
                <guid>http://www.sacpaws.com/home/Blog/michelemc/220/#c_266</guid>
                <itunes:summary>I feel the same way about having my furkids in bed with me!!!&amp;nbsp; I, too, read the books that suggested not letting your dog sleep in bed but I broke that rule immediately when Ruby was a puppy and followed by allowing Amie in bed as well when I adopted her.&amp;nbsp; I wouldn&#039;t have it any other way even when their snoring wakes me up!&amp;nbsp;</itunes:summary>     
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