A blog post by Clutch, the napping Yorkie
I had a very full week of vacation last week with my giant doodle brother, Beauregard. We were all so active. It took a lot of energy to keep up!
Napping Is Necessary for Vacation Recovery
Do you ever come home from your vacation feeling more tired than when you left? If so, then you know how I feel. I’m exhausted!
Yes, I had great fun, but it took a lot out of me. I was awake a lot with fewer naps than I get at home. My first morning back at home, I was still sound asleep at 9:30. Normally, I’m up at dawn. I would have kept sleeping too, but I woke up when Miss Janet started getting ready for an activity in town. And I didn’t want to miss my morning dinner.
But now, I need to catch up on my napping. I expect it will take at least two full weeks of constant napping to recover. Maybe more! I enjoyed my vacation, for sure, but I also love nap time.
Why Do Yorkies Love to Nap?
I can’t speak for all Yorkies, but I can tell you why I love to nap. First of all, I am very alert to things going on around me. I listen and respond to sounds, and I’m aware of every scent carried on the breeze.
This hyper-awareness takes a lot of effort. I have to nap to recharge. If I don’t nap, I won’t be at my most alert, and that would be bad. An intruder could sneak up, for one thing. And I’d miss out on so many goings on. So, I nap to stay aware.
I also love to show my excitement. When Miss Janet walks in the door, I like to greet her with great enthusiasm. I jump counter-high when my food bowl is being filled. I love doing zoomies around my apartment. All these things take a lot of energy, which must be replenished through naps.
When I nap, I dream. It’s very exciting. I go on all kinds of adventures and chase after cool-looking creatures. All my senses are more finely tuned. In my dreams, I can even fly! It’s like watching a movie but better because I’m in it. Nap time is entertaining, and I look forward to exploring those dreams.
Nap time breaks my day into lots of smaller days. I get to do more things and enjoy more because my energy is always being renewed. Nap time makes my days richer. After each nap, I can choose my next adventure. Nap time gives me more adventures every day. I love it!
Taking frequent naps keeps me on my best behavior. If I can’t get enough naps, I get crabby. Then I do something bad and end up in time out. That’s no fun. It’s better to nap a lot and appear all sweet, cute, calm, and fun. Then, when I decide to do something bad, I can be more clever about it and not get caught.
My Favorite Places to Nap
I love napping any place, really. I can make do. I can even nap on the bathroom floor during time out. It’s quiet and cool, and I can roll around and relax all my muscles.
I’ll bet Miss Janet has never considered how I take full advantage of that opportunity. When she puts me in time out, she thinks I’m contemplating what I did wrong, so I won’t do it again. Nope. I’m napping.
My favorite napping spot is in my dog bed. It’s a little round bed that sits on our couch. Miss Janet sits on one end of the couch, and I curl up and nap in my dog bed on the other end. It’s quite comfy and cozy, and I feel safe and relaxed for my nap. I get real quality sleep in my dog bed.
I also like variety, so I will sometimes nap on any and all of the chairs in my apartment. Until someone visits and sits in one of my chairs. That’s very disruptive to my napping abilities.
Don’t get me wrong. I love visitors who come to see me. It’s very exciting to have company. But couldn’t they sit on the floor? I could spare one extra pillow for them.
Another favorite nap location is under the couch. It’s nice and cool, and I love stretching out my legs and wiggling my toes. I love how the carpet feels on my skin. Like getting a great back massage every time I move around.
Miss Janet laughs because she never knows from which side of the couch I’ll crawl out. She says it’s like a mini apartment for me with lots of doors.
I also take great naps on the bed. I can stretch out on the soft blanket and get in some really good zzz’s. I have a designated pillow on the bed, so sometimes I’ll curl up there and nap. It’s cooler than the blanket and more cushioned. Occasionally, I’ll stretch out on Miss Janet’s pillow too. Shhh, don’t tell her. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
The bottom line with a nap is that I need to nap often to feel refreshed. But I also nap lightly in case I need to spring into action. No nap in the world will be so deep that I can’t hear Miss Janet pull a bag of shredded cheddar from the fridge. I’ll be jumping up and down, right next to her in 0.2 seconds.
So, how about you? Do you like napping as much as I do? If you’re a canine, I can guess the answer is yes. If you’re a human, napping might not be your thing. But I would encourage you to try it. I think humans would be a lot happier overall if they took more naps. And remember, napping is especially helpful in recovering from your summer vacation.
Happy snoozing!
Clutch
The Inquisitive Yorkie 