Does Your Dog Have a Favorite Spot?

We may think we are the masters of our animal companions but, time and again, we see that they are the decision makers. We buy designer crates for our dogs and multi-level perches with hidden nests for our cats. We try to protect old joints with orthopedic pet mattresses. But our resident cats and dogs have their own ideas of the perfect resting spot.

Even on a restaurant patio, Poppy will scoot under the table.

Dog Caves

We have always had terriers – dogs designed to “go to ground.” One residual behavior for this inbred trait is the desire to be under things. Each of our dogs figured out a spot where she could happily nest away from pesky people. For Poppy it’s Ed's desk or our dining table.

This desire to have a hiding spot is said to have come from their ancestors who, as wild animals, would rest or hide in a den. It’s the reason crate training can work so well for dogs. If not overused, the time spent in a crate can be restful and calming. A crate can be a dog’s place of safety and security.

 

And, for the human side of the equation, today’s crates have come a long way from the wire cages that you see at dog shows, animal hospitals, and grooming shops. Some are designed to blend into your living room. You can have a wooden crate that looks like an end table in a mahogany finish; a Mid-Century modern oval fiberglass crate; or a sleek, shiny, steel circular one that can double as a cocktail table.

But, even if you succeed in training your dog to love his crate, don’t be surprised if he finds another spot around the house that he claims as the best and most wonderful place in the world.

Poppy also loves to snuggle into the corner of our sofa.

Cozy or Cool

For other animals, it is the lure of warmth or cold that directs their instincts to a favorite place. One friend has a cat who loves the bathroom sink. In the hot weather, she’ll find him sprawled in and about that marble surface.

And we all know both cats and dogs who will follow a sunbeam across the floor basking in the warmth coming through a window.

If it's cold at the beach, Poppy loves to share a chair and a sleeping bag with Penny.

Home Away From Home

That bathroom sink cat also loves to lounge in his cat carrier. That’s fortunate because it makes him more comfortable in it, when the carrier is used to transport him somewhere.

We’ve always used a crate in the car and in hotel rooms when traveling with dogs. In the car, a sturdy crate keeps my dog safer and more secure if we’re involved in an accident. It also keeps the dog from distracting the driver.

In hotel rooms, a crate will protect your dog from escaping if a staff member should enter the room for some reason. And, if the crate is used at home and contains a favorite blanket or pillow, it will also lend a sense of security and hominess for your pal.

Yes, many companion animals would rather be on the sofa with you most of the time. But, if you think about the dogs and cats who have shared your life, I’ll bet you’ll smile as you name a favorite spot that each of them chose as their own.

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)