Most adult dogs need between 8 and 13 hours of sleep every day, with an average of just under 11 hours. A senior dog can sleep up to 14-20 hours a day. Max turns 13 in June and seems to require a lot more sleep. When I am on the computer he curls up at the base of the office chair with his head resting on one of the base legs. Most evenings I spend in front of the TV as muscular dystrophy fatigue has pretty much shut me down. Max would slip behind the double recliner and dose off into peaceful doggy slumber. No matter how hard I tried I could not convince him to snooze on the recliner's foot rest. This changed unexpectedly about a year ago. Without warning he jumped onto the foot rest, turned clockwise and plopped down between my legs in the typical doggie donut position. My wife and I had shocked disbelief on our faces. As it turned out, Max had turned yet another corner in his journey in becoming a real dog. From that moment onward he repeated this maneuver every evening. I wondered if he lived in Australia if he would turn counterclockwise before plopping down. Every now and then Max will exhibit an incredible display of cuteness by laying his head across my leg. I can almost detect a faint smile on this face. With that said, nothing lasts forever. After anywhere from 5-30 minutes he hops down and spends the rest of the night side sleeping on the floor with the couch to his back. Last night he shocked us again by jumping up onto the couch for the first time in his life. After a short nap he returned to the floor. If this pattern continues he may one day grab the TV remote and tune into Animal Planet. Who knows? |
