Let's hear it for Bridey!!!

After living with me for nearly two years, Bridey slept the entire night last night in my room on her doggy bed for the FIRST TIME!

(Usually she starts the night ON the bed, then whines to go to her crate after a couple of hours)

I've been working hard with her for the last couple of weeks, trying to accomplish this for a lot of reasons:

1. I'm weird and I like my dog near me at night.
2. The other two dogs are uncrated at night.
3. When my spouse goes on a week-long business trip next week, I want all three dogs loose in the house at night. We live in a nice neighborhood, but still...

This has been hard for Bridey, a retired show dog. I had no idea how not-ordinary show dogs' lives were until I adopted one (did you know they're taught NOT to sit??). Housebreaking just isn't a priority for show dogs -- she was the only one I found available at the time that was even "housetrained with a doggy dooor."

But with nightly pre-bedtime walkies and treats for staying on her bed, I think we've made it.

Note to self: Get new dog bed. This one has been peed on by an elderly cat (now over the Rainbow Bridge) at least 5 times (and washed each time, of course), was used regularly by another dog, and was the "catch-pillow" by my daughter's bed when we took the rails off her toddler bed.

Let's hear it for Bridey, a retired show dog who is learning how to be a real beagle!!