RUFUS AND THE NEW BED

When Jesse came to visit on Christmas and again two days later, she had a fleece lined bed that Jim and Laurie had bought for her. Whenever she wanted to rest, she would climb into it and sit or lie down for a while. We took her to Sonic and she stayed in it the entire trip until we got back; even when Rufus would try to get her to play, she stayed put. In fact, she seemed to like it so much that we decided to get one for Rufus.

So it was off to Petsmart. We found one just like it - - - a round blue quilted bed with sides and lined with white fleece. It even has an egg crate mattress under the fuzzy stuff. We brought it home and set it on the floor beside him.

Rufus began a systematic sniffing job, beginning on the cushion, itself, and then proceeded to the sides both inside and out where he covered every inch. I don’t know if another dog had tried it out in the store or what, but he was fascinated with the odors.

The next thing he did was to pick up the entire bed and shake it like he does his bear. If we came near to try to rescue the bed, he growled. After a few minutes of this activity, he began scratching it inside as if he were digging a hole. Then, lastly he started biting off chunks of the fleece. I was thinking, “Why can’t he be normal like other dogs and just sleep in it?”

I don’t know whether he can read my mind, but about thirty minutes later I couldn’t find him; there he was curled up asleep in his new bed. This morning I took him out in the car and at first he started out curled around the back of my neck like he usually does. Then he moved to the passenger side and got into his bed and stayed there for the duration of the trip.

I guess he just had to initiate the bed and show it who was boss.