While my wife is away the dogs like to sleep on the bed. Momo (rear) always invites herself, but Miko (front) always asks. I think that's why he has been telling me to go to bed lately - because he wants the invite!
I make them sleep on a towel, which I shake out and replace regularly because they drop fur.
Momo is covered with another towel because the weather is cold. It's winter, and temperatures are a bit above freezing, but I sleep with a window open because I rest better that way for some reason. I cover her in a way where she can regulate her temperature by uncurling and stretching out her paws without the towel coming off. She can also stand and change positions somewhat without the towel completely coming off. It's a very lightweight towel, but just enough to keep any breeze off and hold in a little heat. She would wake me and ask me to come to my warmer quilt if she was actually cold.
Miko doesn't like to be covered unless the temperature is close to freezing cold, but he does like to nest. So, I build up some dog towels around his back, esp in the direction of the windows. He, too, will wake up if he gets cold, but for such a lanky dog, I'm always amused at the tiny doughnut he curls up into when he sleeps.
Both dogs are rehomed - coming to me when they were each about 3 years old. Momo was an outside dog who was only brought inside on the coldest nights. Rather than sleep in her kennel, she preferred to dig a nest in the garden and sleep in that. Miko was also an outside dog but would sleep in the garage. So, both are used to cold temperatures. Now, they are both fully inside dogs. Labradors are extremely social animals, but like to be around their people. Miko especially - he's what's known as a velcro dog. If I shut him away he starts crying until I let him back in. This isn't particularly good behaviour, so I've been training it out of him recently.
Anyway, I got a good night's rest - even with the dogs moving about occasionally. I had a bit of a sleep-in this morning. The dogs are good at detecting when I'm lazy and when I need a bit more sleep. So, they won't wake me unless things are urgent.
Momo is especially good at this. One night, when my mother-in-law was living with us, Momo woke me up in a way that made it clear something was wrong. She stood over me on the bed, pawing at me. Then, she made me follow her to my mother-in-law's room. I found that Mum had fallen and needed assistance. How Momo knew that from the other end of the house I don't know, but she did. I have some other stories about just how sensitive she is, some even a bit supernatural, but perhaps for another time.
