Yesterday was my birthday and one of my birthday gifts was a dog bed cover from The Linen Press which my peep filled with a soft and comfy bed topper.
Out went my old crate liner, a super chewed up blanket and a rag, which once was a little monkey. (woof) Stuff toys never have a chance in my house!
While my peep was clearing out my crate, which I must say got me very curious, (not a big fan of peeps snooping in my crate). However as she was tossing out the debris, I got a big bonus, when she found my stash of treats, which I totally forgot about. They we’re still good and crunchy and before she could scoop them away, I gobbled them down at once. No one can say that a beagle will let a good treat go to waste.
Anyhow, while I went out with my dog walker, my peep decided to clean out the crate and put my new and pretty bed in so that when I got home all would be perfect for me to snuggle in for my afternoon nap.
Doesn’t it look pretty? Sure if you’re a Pekingese, hey no offense to any of you that are Pekingese, in fact my BFF (best furry friend) is a Pekingese. I’m just saying it’s not how a beagle likes to sleep.
How A Beagle Gets Down To Sleep
Beagles like to dig around, give a little scratch, sleep in and under things that resemble a den. It’s as simple as that. It’s our little home within your home and we want it to be a cozy den to sleep in. Think of it as our dog cave. I mention that because I overheard my peep talk about her friend and his “man cave” so I thought it would be fitting to explain it that way so you would understand. Now we dogs can dig for other reasons too, but I’ll explain all that later to you on another post.
First thing I like to do, and yes, I do it in a circular motion is to start stamping and clawing at my bedding, fluffing it up here, and beating it down there because I want to make it comfy for me. And it’s not just my bed, I’ll do this, to your bed, the sofa, and even the floor from time to time.
Why you ask?
- A lot of experts believe this behavior is actually a relic of when we were wild dogs. In fact you can still see foxes doing this and dogs in the wild.
- Another theory is that all that circling and flattening leaves a visible sign to other dogs that this territory is mine!
- When we were wild dogs, circling around use to be our attempt to regulate temperature. Digging holes helped expose cool earth. Likewise, these depressions I try to do with my sleeping area may provide a degree of shelter that help me conserve heat.
Hey what can I say, it’s just a natural instinct in us, and old habits die-hard.
Oh now you want to know why I like sleeping under the covers?
Wow, you want all my secrets, well how about because I can, no just kidding. The fact is that dogs are denning animals, we love small spaces. Just like you, who likes to snuggle in your duvet, fix the pillows and find a comfy spot before you shut out the lights for a good night sleep. We do just the same, we like to create a comfy space, and sneaking under the blankets makes us feel safe, warm and comfortable.
All of us dogs love to do this regardless of the breed, but terriers, huskies and hounds (that’s us, the trusty beagle) are more predisposed to burrowing.
So what can I say? I love my new bed. I can sleep on top of it or I can dig and burrow down and make it my little sleeping den. Sleeping beagle style, why it’s all about denning!
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Why not enter for a chance to win a dog bed cover of your own? Tell me how you sleep & enter to win!
