Dog Watches Owner Sleep, So He Does This
Peculiar Ways
Adopting a dog and giving it a happy home could be very fulfilling. But it comes with its own challenges.
An adopted dog can be unpredictable, with habits they had already learned elsewhere. This young couple had been left speechless by their new dog’s peculiar ways.
A Loving Dog
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The couple had decided that they would adopt instead of buying a dog. So they went to the shelter near them, looking for their new family member. They had chosen a kind, joyous and loving dog.
But they had only seen one part of this dog, who had a side to them that they had not anticipated. They had not been prepared for this unexpected turn of events.
Perfectly Normal
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He adjusted pretty quickly and seemed to love his new family. They named him Max, and the couple was pleased about their choice. But soon, they would see his true colors.
In the daytime, his behavior had been perfectly normal. It had been during the nights that he had started acting weird. They knew this had been abnormal, but they did not know how to approach this situation.
Childproof
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Everything started the night that they brought Max home. He stood at their bedroom door all night while they were sleeping. They had no idea why.
The childproof lock they put on the door didn’t seem to work. No matter what they did, he would not sleep in his bed. And this had only been the start.
Staring Problem
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Although they had been a little creeped out, they were more stressed that the dog didn’t seem to sleep at all. He would stand at their door for hours, staring at them. Every single night Max did this. They had no idea what to do.
They didn’t know what to do. Was this only the tip of the iceberg, or was he trying to communicate with them? The truth would break their hearts.
Small Naps
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It could not continue this way for much longer; they had to kick this habit. At that point, he had been living there for nearly a month.
At least he seemed to rest during the day, but it could not be enough if he had stayed up all night. How could they solve this problem? They were getting more concerned every day.
Boundaries
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he could go anywhere in the house where he wanted throughout the day. But they had been apprehensive about letting him into their bedroom while they were sleeping. They were experienced owners and knew it was necessary to enforce boundaries, especially in the early stages.
They had no idea what his life had been like at his previous home. What rules had been enforced, and what had he become accustomed to?
Unbearable
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The weirdest part of this strange habit was that he had been doing it while entirely silent. That usually indicated that a dog was waiting for something.
But this had been different from anything they’ve experienced. He didn’t seem to want anything. He just wanted to watch them sleep. It became unbearable and the couple felt so uncomfortable that they had to find a way to put a stop to this.
Hidden Cameras
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They’ve tried everything. The only thing they could think of was to put up hidden cameras in the room. Perhaps they could see if he had been doing anything strange while they were sleeping.
What they saw while watching the recording the next day didn’t reveal much. The dog just sat there staring at them the whole night. He didn’t move at all or make a sound. It had been to no avail.
Hopeless
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They had been desperate. What could they do? Perhaps it had been his diet, so they got him different food. That did nothing, so they brought him a more comfortable bed. This also did not work.
He had been so set in his ways. But finally, one day, it stopped for an unforeseen reason. How have they not thought to do this?
A Visit To The Vet
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The couple eventually took Max to the vet. The vet looked him over and gave them an answer they didn’t want to hear. She had no idea what was wrong, if anything. The dog appeared to be perfectly healthy. He was also happy, reactive, and highly obedient for a dog his age.
His owners were utterly baffled. What could it be if it wasn’t an undetected health issue that was causing their dog’s strange behavior? Would they ever get the answers they were looking for? That’s when they decided to visit the shelter that the dog had come from. But what they discovered there left them speechless.
Looking For Answers
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The dog’s previous owners had realized that they couldn’t handle the responsibility of caring for a dog while they were also expecting their first child.
To spare the dog some heartbreak, they had packed him into the car carefully and dropped him off at the shelter while he was still asleep. But this would later prove to be a terrible decision.
Left Alone
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Taking the poor dog to the pound while sleeping was a traumatic experience for him. When he had gone to bed the previous night, he had been safe and comfortable in his home, with the humans he loved dearly.
When he woke up, he was in a cage at the pound, surrounded by strange people and dogs he didn’t know. It was far too much for the poor dog to handle. No one deserved such a fate. After his new owners learned about his tragic story, they knew they had to be extra careful about his feelings.
New Routine
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The couple decided to show their new dog that he didn’t have to worry about them abandoning him in the middle of the night. He was safe with them. So, they gave in and let him sleep in the bedroom with them.
Although the dog seemed reluctant to lie down and go to sleep at first and preferred to continue to watch his owners, he began to fall asleep earlier and earlier at night. But would his new routine be enough to make him change his ways, or had his past trauma changed him for life?
Settling Down
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Letting Max sleep with them in the bedroom was exactly the change that the dog had so desperately needed. Now, he was sleeping soundly. He had given up on his unsettling habit of watching them while they sleep.
This story just goes to show that dogs are very sensitive to their environment and that they have a high level of emotional intelligence. All dogs need and deserve special care and a loving home.
