Dogstream: How to Hypnotize a Dog to Sleep

This was a blog I posted on my Multiply site a couple of years back when I first got my dogs. I like writing about my dogs because every moment spent with them is an experience and an adventure in itself!

I decided to share this blog here because I found this entry funny. My dogs at that time were only a few months old and I was just adjusting to being a "mother" to those two darling puppies.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did!

***

Today I learned how to hypnotize a dog to sleep. 

It was already five in the afternoon and I still wasn’t asleep. My work shift starts at nine in the evening and I needed all the sleep I could get or else I’d be nodding off in the office. Much as I wanted to drift off to dreamland, I couldn’t do so because little Layla (one of my two toy poodles) was busy wrecking havoc on my consciousness. By that, I meant that she was making so much noise getting Pepper (the other poodle) to play with her and running around as if she was some Energizer Bunny. I tried getting up and separating them. I tried scolding (which only really surprises them…I think I didn’t sound stern enough) and I tried staring her into silence.

All did not work.

Finally in desperation, I got up and started playing with Layla, hopefully to tire her out. I saw Pepper, seemingly exhausted from Layla’s playful behavior (and to think Layla was weak with fever only a week before) get into dreamland before I ever could. The “playing” turned to pleas as I started whispering:

“Go to sleep, Layla, go to sleep. C’mon baby, you have to go to sleep because I’m sleepy too. I need to sleep so go to sleep, Layla, go to sleep.”

I rubbed her belly, rubbed her neck, rubbed the back of her ears and then back to the belly. It went on for twenty minutes as Layla started to calm down. Her eyes started to drift shut and finally she got up out of my hands, went to Pepper’s side and promptly fell asleep. Oh blessed silence! I wearily went back to my bed and settled down for my much needed sleep.

Finally!

Too bad I started composing this blog in my mind as my head hit the pillows.

Sleep came a few minutes before I had to wake up.

Bummer.