Suburban sprawl
Depending on how tired Rover gets, its sleeping style will vary on the degree of exhaustion and its location of the moment. The suburban doggie sprawl means curling up wherever it likes. Depending on your dog’s personality, it could be near a comforting high traffic area like the kitchen, or tucked quietly away under the coffee table.
The thousand-yard stare
Any dog guardian is familiar with this faux-sleeping dog style. Your dog is sort of bored, waiting for human intervention to spice up its day. It leans forward and places its muzzle on its front paws, taking care to be in such a position that its eyes can track you anywhere in the room without having to lift its head. It seems to be saying, “I’ll be patient, but could you hurry it up so I can give you my loving attention again and perhaps take you on a walk?”
Contented curl-up
This is one way you can tell if your dog is getting enough exercise—if it is so pleasantly physically tired that it is happy to go to bed. It may circle the special sleeping spot once or twice (what’s that about?) before flopping contentedly down. Is there anything homier than a dog curled up near a fireplace after an enjoyable day playing and taking humans for walks?
Hot weather beds
In the heat of summer, you may find Fido digging up your yard to create a nice shady and cool earth sofa on which it can lay. Indoors, some dogs gravitate to the cool tiles and chilled porcelain bathroom fixtures in your home. Of course, if you run your air-conditioning all summer long, your pooch has nothing to worry about—except maybe a power failure.
Dogs of thunder
Have you ever heard your dog snore? This is more typical with older dogs and is one of the more delightful sounds in this world. It’s a cross between an old-fashioned steam-powered train leaving the station (little puffs of air upon exhalation) and a lighter feminine snore paired with deeper masculine tones. Sometimes, it’s so faint, you’re listening around your home, trying to figure out, what’s that noise?
Deep sleeps
When your dog is so tired that a burglar could dance the Macarena around it, you know it might have had a bit too much exercise that day. It is ‘out’ to the world and wouldn’t wake up if the cat walked over it. One of the great mysteries of the world is how our pets can sleep so heavily and yet never wake up with wrinkles the way humans do. Although rare, there are also dogs that sleepwalk. For a hilarious demonstration, check out Biscuit, the sleepwalking dog, on YouTube.