A blog post by Clutch, the Yorkie
Has your dog ever woken up disoriented while traveling? Being away from a familiar environment can cause confusion for us pups. Let me share what happened this weekend, along with some ideas about how to create a familiar sleeping environment while traveling, so your pup doesn’t have to go through what I did.
We were visiting my puppyhood farm for a weekend with Beauregard, the Doodle who lives on that farm now. When his family goes out of town, we stay with him. You might say I’m his pet sitter, and I bring Miss Janet along as a caretaker’s assistant. She has opposable thumbs, which comes in handy. (No pun intended.)
In the middle of our second night there, I was in the bed, in a deep sleep from all our daily exercise on the farm. Miss Janet tried to move me, as she and her pillow were falling. I woke up feeling like I was in a freefall through deepest, darkest space. Everything around me was dark, I didn’t know where I was, or what was happening, couldn’t get my feet under me, wasn’t sure which way was up, and I could hear a strange beast nearby. (Beauregard, as it turned out.)
I tried to move but toppled over and nearly slid between the headboard and the bed. Miss Janet caught me. I grabbed her with my nails. My legs were shaking as I tried to find my bearings. All this in complete darkness. I hoisted myself onto her arm, which is an unusual place for me to sit, and just grabbed on for dear life.
Miss Janet kept telling me I’m okay and tried to get me settled. She sounded worried. I wished she would just stop moving so I could get my bearings. Finally, she seemed to realize I needed something steady, and she let me settle myself. I plopped my rear end at her side and stretched out along her arm. I was still unsettled and shaky, but at least I had some bearings.
Apparently, that’s when Miss Janet remembered that dogs can’t see in total darkness. We were in a basement room without a trace of light. She turned on her phone to bring us some light, and I was able to rearrange myself in a more comfortable way.
By that time, we were all wide awake, including Beauregard, who was sitting on the floor and resting his head on the mattress, wondering what was happening. Though it was very early morning, Beauregard and I needed to go outside. We had gone to bed super early because Miss Janet was worn out. So by our clock, it was time for a trip outdoors.
After we got back inside, we went back to the guest room for more rest. This time, Miss Janet turned on the night light in the adjoining bathroom and left the door ajar. We had a sliver of light coming into the room, which is all I really needed to feel oriented. We got ourselves situated and went back to sleep for a few more hours.
So, what happened to make me so disoriented? What could Miss Janet have done differently?
First of all, you may be wondering why I don’t sleep in a crate. When I was growing up, I did sleep in a crate with a covering. It was very secure, and I slept through the night.
In those puppy years on the farm, Miss Janet was my pet sitter. Whenever she visited, I was allowed to sleep in the bed. It’s like how you get to do fun things on vacation that aren’t the norm. One time, she tried to put me in the crate. I whined so much, she let me out again.
When I eventually moved off the farm and in with Miss Janet, it was a given I would sleep in the bed. That was our deal. So that’s why I wasn’t in the crate. People have different opinions about which is better, but for me, I won’t let her go back on our deal.
Even so, you could make an argument that when traveling, I might do better sleeping in my crate. It’s familiar, it’s secure, and once I get over the humiliation, I’m likely to sleep through the night.
But even sleeping in the bed, there are some things that would have helped.
First of all, don’t wake me from a sound sleep. When Miss Janet leaned over to pick up her pillow from the floor, I rolled into that open space. Now she was hanging off the bed with a dog stretched out where she had been sleeping. She moved me and woke me from a sound sleep. Big mistake.
What could she have done differently? Turned on the light and found a different place to settle, perhaps on the other side of the bed. She might have accomplished that without waking me. Even if I woke, it would have been on my own, with the light on. I could have adjusted.
When I say I was in a deep sleep, you have to realize I was getting an unusual amount of activity on the farm. We were walking through the fields all day, and just being around Beauregard takes all my energy. It’s also cold weather, and that takes energy as well. Miss Janet should have realized I would sleep pretty hard.
The next problem was the lack of light. It’s a basement room that is 100% dark at night. No wonder I was disoriented. At home, we have light that drifts in through the transom windows at night. When I wake up, I can see.
Miss Janet finally realized the total darkness was bothering me. When we came back inside, she turned on the little light in the bathroom with the door ajar. It’s a common practice to do that when traveling. I highly recommend it, whether or not you’re traveling with a dog.
Those were the major problems, but there were other things that might have helped. Miss Janet was on the wrong side of the bed. Normally, when we visit the farm, she sleeps on the same side of the bed as she does at home. I don’t know why she changed, but it threw me off. If she had been on the proper side, I might have navigated better.
She also normally brings our blanket from home, something that feels and smells familiar. The blankets on this bed are furry and warm, but they’re also hard to walk on because they’re so squishy. Our blanket from home makes it easier to stand up and move. It’s also a lighter color, so it’ll pick up even a trace of light for better navigation.
It would also help if Miss Janet kept a consistent bedtime. Or kept my bedtime consistent with the help of a crate. I can’t believe I’m suggesting that, and if she tries it at home, I will pitch a fit. But if she’s going to throw the schedule into chaos while traveling, the crate might be helpful.
The most important takeaway when traveling with a dog is to realize how disorienting and exhausting travel can be. Do what you can to create stability, familiarity, and predictability for your dog while you’re on the road together.
Happy tails!
Clutch
P.S. If you’re curious about dogs and night vision, you can learn more in my article, Do Yorkies Gaze at the Night Sky?
The Inquisitive Yorkie 