Gretchen Rubin wrote in The Happiness Project about the year she spent “test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy.” The Puppiness Project is my attempt to learn the same from Honey, my Golden Retriever.
This morning I was woken by one of my favorite alarm clocks, a fuzzy paw on my arm (my husband is my other favorite alarm clock but Honey’s less sweaty in the morning). It was 5:40 a.m. I had slept in!
All my dogs have been early risers. Five a.m. seems to be the optimal time for waking up for all the furry members of my family, past and present.
I used to have this crazy notion that I shouldn’t wake up too much earlier than I needed to get to work on time. And was I missing something!
Now I see the sunrise nearly every day. In the spring, I’ll hear the earliest birds. I get loads of work done without any distractions.
Honey was right. I needed to get up.
Of course, she spends much of her day napping. Hmmmmmm.
Wow, 5am wake up calls?? I’ve been tired cause Daisy has been waking me up between 8:30-9am! I would NOT like 5am wake up calls.
Sounds like you’re a family of nightingales.
Would bribery work to convince Daisy to sleep in a bit later?
I get up at 5:30 every day but it is not because I want to. But perhaps you are right. Maybe I need to alter my perspective. The earlier I get up, the more new challenges I can take on!
I started the early wake ups out of necessity too–I had insomnia and never slept past 4 a.m. so I just started getting up. The attitude adjustment really helped.
Of course, I’m incapable of staying up with the grown ups now. I can only hang out with farmers. 🙂
She and Sam must work together!
Sam
I bet it’s a breed characteristic. It must come from being bred to get up early with hunters.
Ha ha! I can send Lilac over! She thinks 3:30 is a good time to wake up. Oy!
Sounds like Lilac is playing her “I’m just an old lady I can do what I like” card.
5.30 is when our alarm clock goes off. 5.20 is when miss pea puts her paw on the bed and asks permission to jump up for a little cuddle. on weekends, we get to sleep in till 7. miss pea knows not to bother us on weekends till the alarm goes off.
does anyone know how dogs can tell time?
Most dogs can’t tell time. I think Georgia is a very special girl.
None of my dogs have ever slept in over the weekend.
So, is it a pit bull thing to sleep in? Lollie our foster sleeps until around 9 on the weekends (unless we are up making noise before that), and Chick (the king of sleep) can go until 10, 11, or sometimes noon, easy, before even fluttering an eyelid. Often we have to bribe him to get out of bed to go for a walk- that’s how lazy he is!
Aleksandra
follow our foster: loveandaleash.wordpress.com
Now that’s something you need to put into your news for potential adopters. You could find nightclub promoters, musicians, and actors who would love to have a dog that sleeps in!
Wow – 5:30 – lately that’s around the time I get to sleep. My insomnia works differently than yours! I even took a pill and still did not sleep past 11. Good thing I don’t drive everywhere! Tashi is great..we go out for last call in the wee hours (ha) and he’ll snooze away til I wake up. Unless he’s really hungry, then it’s the paw on the shoulder and the snuffling sounds he knows will wake me up.
If we’re this productive with insomnia, wouldn’t you love to know what we could accomplish with a full night’s sleep behind us?
My dogs used to wake me up fairly early, like 7 or 8 am. (Yes, this is early around our house) Then suddenly they stopped and I just kept sleeping in later and later and so did they. Which works out nice because we are night owls around here. I can’t remember the last time I saw the sunrise. Am I bad??? 🙁 BOL
In the summer, I’ve found it hard to stay up until the sunset. 🙂
I always think about how in tune you are with your dogs when I read your blog. It sounds like that extends to sleeping habits too. Amazing!
5:30 is just way to early for me or Jersey! Jersey is such a bed whore that she will stay in bed until we get up.
Now that’s a good trick to teach your dog. If you could write a book about how to do that, you’d probably make millions!