Althouse: The Dog Dreams.

August 23, 2014

The Dog Dreams.

You are running, running...

39 comments:

Saint Croix said...: Is that a puppy? What's his name?; 8/23/14, 6:33 PM
Ann Althouse said...: That's Zeus, our usual borrowed dog. He's 7 years old.; 8/23/14, 6:38 PM
lemondog said...: Dog rem. Get Zeus a Dog Fitbit to be assured of satisfactory rest.; 8/23/14, 6:55 PM
Saint Croix said...: Oh yeah! He looks like a pup on that giant blanket.; 8/23/14, 6:57 PM
Saint Croix said...: Is that an electric blanket? I've never thought of that for a dog.

Of course it's hot here. I had a dog who was always sleeping in my bathtub. Cool tile...cool tile...; 8/23/14, 7:00 PM
madAsHell said...: Air conditioning, and a Zeus sized mattress. I'm surprised the dog ever goes home!?!?; 8/23/14, 7:01 PM
Be said...: Ohh.

I've seen the cats (we have three) do similar.

The Person Who Has My Back has seen me in full twitch and has diverted my dreams so that I could go back to good sleep. I'd never had that happen before.; 8/23/14, 7:08 PM
rhhardin said...: My first Doberman Susie and I once did a long heel next to a bicycle, her pace being a regular trot tick tick tick tick sound for several miles.

That night on the bed she was doing that same rhythm. So it was not just any dream but that particular one.; 8/23/14, 7:16 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Is that an electric blanket? I've never thought of that for a dog."

It's an old comforter, one where the stitching pulled out over the years, so it's basically a big cotton bag full of goose down. I put it in the washer and dryer to keep it clean and fluffy, and I fold it over a few times, tamping it flat and making it like a traditional dog bed, but nicer, I think.; 8/23/14, 7:36 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "the stitching pulled out"

I mean the stitching that creates squares or baffles that keep the down from shifting. Once that comes out, the comforter isn't much use on the bed, because the down ends up on the sides over the edge of the bed, not where it might keep you warm. The stiching around the edges keeping the down in the "bag" is still intact.; 8/23/14, 7:38 PM
Ann Althouse said...: This was a good repurposing of something that I wouldn't have liked to throw out.; 8/23/14, 7:39 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Often Zeus prefers the bare floor, which gets really cool when the AC is on. He's pretty oppressed by the heat. It's obvious when we bring him in after being outside. He flops onto the floor with his legs extended, clearly trying to maximize contact with the cool surface.

Most of the summer, we have the AC off though. I'd say we're using it only about a total of 15 days. I don't like the house closed up, and it gets cool here most nights and then the house stays cool much of the day, unless it gets up in the 80s.; 8/23/14, 7:42 PM
Saint Croix said...: He flops onto the floor with his legs extended, clearly trying to maximize contact with the cool surface.

My old apartment had floor vents, and my dog would belly flop right on top of them. You haven't seen obscene until you see what my dog does to an air vent.; 8/23/14, 8:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Re: "Is that an electric blanket? I've never thought of that for a dog."

We have three cats, two of which are old males with arthritis and the other discomforts that come with age.

My wife and I got two heating pads for pets, which are plugged in nine months of the year (Seattle). They absolutely love them -- all three cats will share the two pads in that weird geometry that cats can do with their bodies.

In winter the two older cats limp noticeably less, and have much more energy -- probably because they are now sleeping comfortably, too. Highly recommend it.; 8/23/14, 8:05 PM
Saint Croix said...: it's basically a big cotton bag full of goose down.

happy dog!; 8/23/14, 8:18 PM
pm317 said...: There is a dog food commercial like this..; 8/23/14, 8:39 PM
MaxedOutMama said...: They sometimes have bad dreams, too. Which raises the issue of how different their consciousnesses can be from ours. I've had to comfort dogs who were clearly having nightmares, and I've seen them wake up and realize it was just a bad dream, and not really true.

You and Meade don't have a "borrowed" dog, Ann. You have a shared dog, a neighborhood dog. A dog who is a uniter, not a divider. A dog dedicated to community and the pack welfare and the equitable distribution of bones.; 8/23/14, 8:42 PM
Be said...: Betamax 3000: Haven't said this earlier, but, You Rock.

Housemate and I keep ending up with Old Cats (we only look for cats 5+ years from the local shelter).

For vanity reasons, put heated tiles into the bathroom; the Ladies Love It.

Another funny thing: the Ladies love running outdoors for an hour or so every evening.; 8/23/14, 8:43 PM
Michael K said...: My basset Winston like the bed but will go to the floor to cool off if it too warm. In winter, he will curl up right next to me. Dog's body temperature is over 100 so they are quite warm and sensitive to outside heat.; 8/23/14, 8:57 PM
Be said...: The twitches are kind of cute. When they are accompanied by meows or howls, they are upsetting.; 8/23/14, 9:04 PM
vza said...: Zeus just seems to be a real sweetheart of a dog.; 8/23/14, 10:29 PM
David said...: Often our dog sounds distressed as she dreams. I ask her if she had a bad dream but she just wags her tail as if nothing is wrong.

I do not think she is suicidal.; 8/23/14, 10:33 PM
Revenant said...: Cute. :); 8/24/14, 2:01 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

In my dream I am a people. I don't get to chase the ball, I only throw the ball. Why would i want to throw the ball? I want the ball. i want to chase the ball and catch the ball and grind the ball in my teeth. I do not want to throw the ball. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:55 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

A people has their nose too far from the ground, they must miss so many smells. I do not want to always walk on my hind legs and miss so many smells. It is like peoples don't even rely on their smells, they never roll in the grass and they never chase a ball. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:56 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

In my dream I am a people and i can have all the balls I want, i can have any ball in the world and yet I don't play with a ball, I do not run in circles with it proudly in my mouth, it is maddening and I gnash my teeth. Leg kick, leg kick. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:56 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

I am a people and now I run so slowly if I run at all, it is embarrassing. And where is my tail? I can't find my tail. I had a tail and now I am a people and I can't find my tail. Twitch, twitch, whimper. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:56 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

I am making nonsense sounds with the other peoples and I am watching the other dogs play with a ball and why am I not out their playing with the other dogs and the ball? The ball is right THERE, peoples, you are missing it, you are missing it, what is wrong with you? Tail thwap thwap thwap. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:57 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

The other peoples try to talk dog to their dogs but it is just nonsense sounds except I know I am a good boy but now that I am a people no one tells me I'm a good boy, no one tells me I'm a good boy anymore. I do not want to be a people; 8/24/14, 2:57 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

I do not want to get in the car yet, I want to chase a ball but now I am a people and I have only so much time, I have to get in the car now and I don't even stick my head out the window when I am driving. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:57 AM
Anonymous said...: The Dog with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

I hope this is a dream thing, that thing when you find out you were asleep and then it is all gone. I want this to be a dream and when I wake up I am not a people but a dog, I want to wake up on my blanket I want to wake up now. I do not want to be a people.; 8/24/14, 2:57 AM
Anonymous said...: The Cat with the Same Reoccurring Dream says:

I am a giant cat, I am big bigs and the people-people are tiny, I bat them around like a mice and I bat them some more, action paw action paw, and then maybe I eat them i don't know. Happy Happy.; 8/24/14, 3:12 AM
Anonymous said...: Written strangely early in the morning: I have always liked that tag.; 8/24/14, 3:15 AM
Coconuss Network said...: Love'n Zeus more and more each post. He seems to be such a sweet pup. My lil pup barks sometimes in her sleep. Good thing she doesn't bark much when she's awake. Just to go out if I'm in another room.; 8/24/14, 3:25 AM
pm317 said...: So help me Golf.. haha. Some of it ought to stick. Comments, editor's pick, are going after the messenger.; 8/24/14, 8:13 AM
chillblaine said...: I didn't know Zeus is your borrowed dog. That's cool! There is a poodle mix two doors down that our poodles would love to borrow.

Our Cayce Jones has the same running dreams. We assume he is chasing bunnies.

I wonder if they wake up and think, Oh, thank goodness, it was just a dream...; 8/24/14, 9:01 AM
Fernandinande said...: Dog sleep-runs into a wall:

"I guess he wanted to catch that dream car."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grEypMDqvTE; 8/24/14, 11:04 AM
Focko Smitherman said...: My dog's way of cooling off after a frisbee session.; 8/24/14, 12:10 PM
Jaq said...: Zeus is a dead ringer for my own dog.

BTW, look who is starting to pay ransoms

Chalk up another win for ISIL. I know they call themselvs IS, but until they spread beyond the Levant, let's call them what they are.; 8/25/14, 8:14 AM