Luna the Big Dog™ has never had much problem sleeping. She goes to bed when we do (usually fairly early) and sleeps through the night. She has about four spots she likes, and will occasionally get up, shake, move to the next spot, and go right back to sleep. She never asks to go out to pee, and only very rarely hears something outdoors that she feels she must investigate.
Two nights ago, however, I felt her cold, wet nose shoveling under my hand as I slept. She was panting and clearly wanted petting. I got up, and she gave me the Malamute Lean, putting all one-hundred pounds of her weight against my legs to keep me from walking away before I petted her. She wanted a lot of petting.
I thought perhaps she was trying to tell me she needed to go out, so I opened the door but she walked out and right back in again. I kept petting her and she was just wagging her tail and shovel-nosing for more. After half an hour or so, I told her to lie down and went back to bed.
A minute later she was up again, scratching at the side of the bed (unusual), and whining (most unusual). HA got up and tried to let her out again. She examined her for tenderness or other problems, but she truly didn’t seem to be in any kind of pain but just wanted reassurance. In all, she was up for ninety minutes or more before she calmed down and went back to sleep.
HA and I independently came to the conclusion that she must have had some kind of terribly distressing nightmare and just needed hugs and reassurance that everything was okay.
Last night she slept peacefully as usual.
—2p