Ask Toto #51

Dear Toto,

I've always been curious, why do dogs sleep at the foot of the bed, instead of by their owner's heads?

- Someone's Breathing On My Tootsies

Hi Tootsies!

Well, it helps if you think about it from the dog's perspective.  Where is the dog during the day?  On the ground.  What does he comes into contact with the most of the ground?  The carpet, a lot of furniture legs, a lot of dust bunnies, that infernal cat who keeps hanging around and YOUR FEET.  Your shoes, your feet, your calluses, your cute little tootsies!  Your dog is probably more familiar with your feet than your face.  Your dog is probably more familiar with your feet than you are.

Yes, you will hear all sorts of experts talk about Alpha dog behavior, and your dog is looking to you to exert dominance to instruct the dog to specifically be at the foot of the bed, and no pillows for you and blah blah blah.

But so when it's nighty night, and time to snuggle down, your dog is gonna wanna be down by what he knows.  Which are your toes!

And if you've got one of those dogs that love to go under the sheets and you're worried they're gonna smother themselves, don't be.  Your dog is not THAT dumb, and they'll go seek fresh air when they need it.  

thanks for the question!

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Let's Talk About Valentine's Day

So!

Valentine's Day approacheth! And since chocolate is bad bad bad for dogs, you may be wondering what some great last minute ideas are for your pet to give to you on Valentine's Day.  Here's a few suggestions:

FLOWERS.  Flowers are awesome.  They smell pretty, they bring smiles to Dorothy's face, and they don't kill me if I try to eat them.  Which I don't.  Because I don't know if you know this, but roses taste pretty terrible.

CANDLES - Candles are also awesome.  They might be more awesome than flowers because while there's no point in trying to eat them, they can SMELL like food.  Like Vanilla or Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie or something.  So you can SMELL food, but it's NOT food.  Which is confusing, but remember, Valentine's Day is not about you, it's about Dorothy, or whoever your owner is.

POETRY - Nothing says "I love you" more than saying "I love you." but in different words, like your own.  I happen to be fond of a smartly worded haiku myself.  For instance:

I love you so much

And if you love me so much

Get rid of the cat

And a little reminder, humans.  No matter how much you might want to dress your dog up in some Valentine's Day ensemble.  Don't do it.  

DON'T DRESS YOUR DOG UP!  WE DON'T LIKE IT!  HONESTLY, WE DON'T!  

THERE IS A REASON THIS DOG DOES NOT LOOK HAPPY!  IF YOU LOVE YOUR DOG, PLEASE DON'T PUT CLOTHES ON THEM!

Thanks, and have a great Valentine's Day :)