Sleeping dogs
Everyone knows you should let sleeping dogs lie (lie undisturbed, that is, not tell untruths!)
However, only extremely young puppies and particularly old dogs sleep the absorbed sleep of the entirely relaxed. In the intervening years they sleep with one ear and one eye open.
If they haven’t reacted to a human entering the kitchen they may continue to give every appearance of slumbering, but the slightest food-related noise will alert them. The chink of the butter dish, the opening of the fridge door, the clink of a food bowl will awaken them, and they may or may not stir themselves to investigate.
However, a human saying, ‘Whoops!’ will have them instantly in attendance. They know that food has fallen like manna from heaven and it is their task to tidy it away, which they accomplish swiftly and efficiently.
I wish I could
spring into action from a standing sleeping start as they do . . . or ever!
Our lab would always be woofing while sleeping, little sounds that I like to think was a reaction to a lovely dream he was having.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing dogs dreaming. Very often, they run in their sleep, too.
DeleteI remember once springing into action from a sleeping start, we'd moved into a new house and I woke to a frightened scream from a daughter, instantly I was in her room turning on the light. She'd half woken needing the bathroom and walked into a wall by mistake, not yet knowing the layout of the new house.
ReplyDeleteMost of our dogs lived outside when we had them, always only one dog at a time, so they weren't handy for cleaning up spilled food.
Poor child - what a shock for her, and you, too, having to react so swiftly.
DeleteThey also serve who only seem to lie and sleep.
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteWe have cats which spring into action in a nanosecond at the merest hint of the possibility of food - or indeed of anything that might require their investigation/supervision.
ReplyDeleteCats, of course, are superior in every way to all other forms of life, and like to let you know so at every opportunity. 😼🐈⬛🐈
DeleteI wish I could spring into action like they do also Janice. I have a (rather large) black cat with very similar tendencies regarding food & the tinkle of dishes!
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how some cats can be so 'well-built' while others, who live in the same house, are slimmer.
Deletesome creatures sleep half their brain at a time (dolphins for example). I've read about humans who by some freak of nature do the same thing but donknow that while part of their brain was asleep the other part was riding a motorscooter around town! I wonder if dogs can sleep part and have part alert?
ReplyDeleteThat's probably true for dogs, and other animals, too. Atavistic instincts remain.
DeleteLooking them sleep makes me want to do the same
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. 😊
DeleteMy black labrador puppy was very food-sensitive, even when I thought he was asleep. I used to watch his eating habits carefully, because the vets warned us about obesity in adult labbies But then the paediatrician warned us about our young sons who also ran the risk of gaining weight.
ReplyDeleteHow funny! A neighbour's very young baby grew rather heavy, but he was entirely breast-fed. Superior digestion!
DeleteCats are not much different. Precious knows the difference between our food and hers and she'll sleep right through a meal rattle her Crunchies and she comes flying.
ReplyDelete