Bedtime Rituals

[DreamDoby]

I have certain things that I do before I go to bed. My dogs see these things and know that it is time to go to bed. They will follow me around as I do them waiting for me to go into the bedroom and lay down.

Asher, meanwhile, has his own rituals that he does while I do mine. He hunts around the house for a toy to take to bed. He picks up the stuffies and decides which one he wants to take into the bedroom for that night. He has his two favorite ones, but those are not always the ones that he picks. My house has been speculated at times to look like a daycare for dogs with toys strung out from him. When he finds his pick toy for the night, he carries it in his mouth and follows with the others until I am finished and ready for bed. Somedays I find it cute and others I just find it odd of him, but whatever floats his boat and makes him happy.

Do your dogs have any bedtime rituals that they do before they settle down to sleep?

 

[MoonStr80]

Dogs study our rountine behaviors their schedule of your daity rountine are very clear. They know when you go bed, they know when you're coming home, they know what you about to do next.

Dogs will seem to amaze you everyday of what they know

 

[bubbatd]

I guess I follow Ollie's routine ..... he gets his favorite bed-fellow and goes to bed before I do !

 

[Dekka]

If I am up late at the puter, Dekka will come, paw me gently then stare at me. If I ignore her she will go curl up on the couch for a while. A bit later she does the same thing.

 

[houndlove]

My guys both fall asleep long before we do. Marlowe finds some place in the house to sack out and goes there and doesn't get up when we start going to bed. Conrad follows us upstairs but only stays awake long enough to get himself arranged on his bed in our bedroom. If we stay up late, they'll just put themselves to bed. See why I like independent breeds? :lol-sign:

My cats on the other hand, are an entirely different story. My kitty Rudy, for as long as I can remember, has had a bedtime ritual with me. He can tell when I'm getting ready for bed--the toothbrushing, the pajama putting-on--and he comes out from whatever hidey hole he's been in and hops up on the bed and waits for me. Then I get in to bed and he sits next to me and stares at me as I fall asleep (which I guess is maybe creepy but I think it's cute). At some point in there Kay will usually appear too and roll around on the bed and squeak and just generally ***** herself out for some attention, but she does that any time you go near her lair, not just bed time.

 

[heartdogs]

Sioux comes to get me at bedtime... Has done it ever since she was little.

 

[BostonBanker]

As soon as I go to take my shower, right before I go to bed, Meg heads into the bedroom and gets settled on my pillows. We have a little jokey fight about who's pillow is who's, and then she goes to her pillow at the foot of the bed for the night. Yes, HER pillow. Spoiled rotten .

 

[DreamDoby]

Then I get in to bed and he sits next to me and stares at me as I fall asleep (which I guess is maybe creepy but I think it's cute).

My youngest cat is just like that. Because of his obsession and need to sleep on my face, sucking on my hair all night long, I lock him out of my room. He is a rare one to say the least. Cute as a kitten when I rescued him and took him home, but he has turned...different I suppose from any cat I have ever owned.

 

[Toller_08]

It shouldn't really amaze me anymore after having dogs around forever, but I still often find myself kind of surprised at everything they learn on their own.

I'm not even sure what cues I give Tango and Dance that it's time for bed, but whenever I think about heading to bed, they always run upstairs to go outside and then quickly run back down to my room and wait for me to open the door for them. If it's past 1:00am, Tango will come and poke me with her nose about three times and then do the above routine.

 

[Aussie Red]

CHECK FOR TACKS !!! LOL

 

[yoko]

i go to bed at dif times depending on when i'm tired. yoshi usually sleeps by my feet while i am up on my computer. but when i get up and we go upstairs i go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. yoshi lays on my bed. when i come in and set my alarm and plug in my cell phone and psp and lay down yoshi will jump up and cudde up to me and sleep it's been like that for two years two months and one day. so since day one

 

[MisssAshby]

My female used to have to be rocked to sleep by me before she would go to sleep. I have started going back to school and we are probably going to be having a baby in the near future so I thought it would be best I break the habit early.

 

[SeniorPetLover]

I have to keep mugs of water on each night stand...I have to give everyone a small handful of doggy kibble ON THE BED and then I have to give them drinks from the mugs...they have to have this "treat" or they throw a fit...and then there is Milo, who has to have his 100 calorie pack of Lorna Doon's...they have my husband and I so trained...they will actually tell us when they are ready to go to bed and we had better stop whatever we are doing and accomodate them or they get crabby just like kids...I need to be committed!

 

[eddieq]

We typically go over to the crate and spread her beadding nicely and put one of her favorite toys in it then simply tap on the crate. Xena comes over, climbs in and lays down. She's really good about that.

Now, when I'm getting my breakfast in the morning, she knows what's happening. All I have to do is go over to the counter and open the cabinet where the cereal bowls are and she comes over and sits next to me waiting for me to spill my cheerios when I pour them. At this point, I haven't even gotten out the box of cereal, but she knows it's coming.

 

[Emmalee]

Tavish has started his own routine.. he goes in his crate, closes the door with his paw and lays down.. smart pup!

 

[Dasher's Mom]

All the animals have different rituals...

The cats are in the basement (that is where we keep their food, little box and beds) at night...they start whining about 8:30 b/c they get a little kibble before bed.

Lille sleeps most of the time anyway so she is on her bed asleep long before I go to bed.

Zip will follow me around when he seems me getting ready for bed. As soon as I make it to the bedroom he hops up and curls up in his usual spot.

Dasher knows the routine, when he sees me get ready for bed he gets on our bed and waits for me.

If I stay up late on the computer Dasher will be in our bed while Zip prefers to be in my lap.

 

[Melissa_W]

When we first brought Kai home, he refused to come into the bedroom because he knew that fun time was over. So I started playing fetch with him as a reward for coming into the bedroom. Now we have to play fetch every night before he settles down to go to sleep.

 

[bubbatd]

Morning routine is diffenent here . Ollie starts the night on my bed , but goes to his bed or floor during the night . When I wake up and get up , he always takes my place in bed with head on my pillow . He stays there until my coffee brews and when I pour he come in for his morning " cookie " . He's never in a rush to go out !

 

[ihartgonzo]

My boys notice when I'm brushing my teeth, and getting ready for bed, and they follow me around. Then, when I go into my room, they both lay on their beds and stare at me... and I give them their night-time cookie.

They always get their cookie, and they would probably not let me sleep if they didn't get it. C: