There is nothing like waking up and feeling great after a wonderful sleep. Yesterday while I folded laundry in the family room; Luke lay down beside me on the carpet floor. After a bit he decided to get up; wasn't happening, he was basically stuck. As he tried to get his old cricketing legs up under him I jumped up and gave him a hoist. "You should not lie on the floor," I told him. Old dogs should not lie on the floor and young dogs should only, by choice. Comfort is important and has nothing to do with being spoiled.
Years ago my husband and I bought a new bed; our first king sized bed to accommodate all the dogs. I was so excited, we splurged and got a really great one, or so I thought. After just a year our bed looked like a track for dirt bikes, with moguls and jumps on it. I called the company where we had purchased it to complain; after all it came with a 10 year warranty. They would switch it out if the moguls were over 2" deep; and after the guy measured them, he declared that they were not. Wrongo, they were deeper, his measuring tape must have been telling a fib.
Another year later we were dealing with giant trenches; moguls fit for only pro riders to tackle. So again, I called them out and they measured. Oh yes, the dips were deep enough; but alas the mattress manufacturer had gone bankrupt. Did the mattress store step up and take care of us anyway? Nope, they were willing to offer a 40% discount on a new bed though. So it was deal with the moguls or fork out a ton more money, AGAIN. We didn't have the money to dish out at the time so we waited. One morning as I hauled my very tired body out of our mountainous terrain of a mattress; I realized just how sore I was, it had to be the bed. After a weekend trip away I knew; it was most definitely the mattress that was causing all my aches and pains.
New bed, new bod. After a few days of adjusting to the new moguless, mountainless and trenchless bed, I was a new woman. This was about my bed and my aches and pains but it could have been about a dog. Dogs need comfort, especially as they age. But comfort should not be reserved for the old; aches, pain and joint issues can be caused by dogs sleeping on hard surfaces. My house was once filled with dog beds; each room contained several in different places. I had two very old girls of different size, one middle aged man and a new puppy. We had a need for a great number of beds. Now I have beds in all rooms but the family room; and that is because both Luke and Elsa spend their time on the couch with us. But yesterday as I folded laundry, Luke joined me on the floor. After getting him up to his feet I grabbed one of the big fluffy blankets that was just washed and folded it into four. I lay it on the ground and Luke was on it before the blanket had settled. He quickly fell asleep and I smiled.
My preference for dog beds now is foam. A good foam slab or one made up of foam pieces. Luke's bed that he sleeps on every night is made up of foam pieces. It has give but always bounces back; filling in any spots that need support. I regularly shake it up to keep it as flat as possible and flip it as well. He is extremely comfortable on his bed and I'm thinking that he gets up feeling refreshed. Before purchasing a bed; I do the step, push and crunch test. Many of the big poofy beds look nice and comfy but flatten down easily; creating another hard compact surface. So if you are searching for a bed, make sure it is a comfy one. Dogs like comfort and like us it is not a luxury thing; it's about our body being on a hard surface. Ever gone camping without a foam pad or air mattress? I have and it takes just one night of sleeping on the ground to realize just how hard the ground is; and that isn't even a much harder patio or concrete slab. No, our dogs deserve comfort as much as we do.
Hard and uncomfortable sleeping surfaces create a lot of needless wear and tear on the body. If I happen to be gardening with Luke in tow; he will attempt to fluff the lawn beside me before he lays down to watch the gardening event. What a funny guy he is. But he like all the other dogs in the world deserve a soft place to lay their head.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Love to hear from you.