Bristow is not allowed upstairs, yet tufts of hair and glimpses of him scurrying away when I unexpectedly exit my bedroom let me know that he sneaks upstairs every night after I go to bed. I’ve been meaning to get a pet gate but have not had the time to do so. Now it’s become a little pastime of mine to catch him in the act. After getting busted once and then being summarily placed in his crate for the remainder of the night, Bristow now sneaks downstairs before I get up, using my alarm as his cue to return downstairs. I know this because he was caught unawares on an alarm-free Saturday morning.
I’ve starting sleeping with the door open to catch him in the act, but he doesn’t come up on those nights. Yesterday, with my door open his jingling tags alerted me to his sneaking up the stairs, seeing into my room through the open door and then very quietly, very slowly turning around and creeping back down the stairs. Clever dog. He knows he’s not supposed to be up there.
Later that night, I woke up around 3 Am and saw him sleeping at the top of the stairs. Busted! I snapped two pictures with my camera phone. When I went into the hall, not even to shoo him away, he sat there, gave me a, “well you caught me,” look and then slowly got up and went downstairs. At that point, he may as well have stayed. Clearly, there’s no stopping him.
I’m not sure if it’s a protect-your-master-thing or if he’s scared to be downstairs alone at night that drives him to come sleep near me. I haven’t decided if I’ll get that gate or just tacitly allow him to continue sleeping upstairs. Until then, I’ll just keep vacuuming up those tufts of hair.
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