OMD (Oh My Dog)!!!

Well, actually not my dog …. but rather Frank’s dear bulldog Arnie!

Anyone who knows me well, knows that sleep is very important to me. As is having a relatively stress free “home” space. I guess they go hand in hand really.

Before setting off on this journey, I was a little concerned that dear Arnie may hinder our vanlife experience (or perhaps just mine) as he can be a bit of a handful and being a larger dog, and a bulldog, he can tend to be a bit stinky!! Small space, stinky slobbery doggy…..eiiiiihhh!!! But, he is family, so, I must accept him. Little did I know, these reservations I had would be NOTHING in comparison to his damn snoring!!!! I am not a light sleeper by any means, but, I absolutely, positively loathe repetitive sounds!!

We have trialled moving him down the opposite end of the van, a different bed, a different blanket, making him sleep on his side, his front, his other side, another blanket, a chin rest. I’ve tried ear plugs, cushions, pillows, meditation, acceptance……EVERYTHING!! And still….our sleepy boy snores….URGHHHHH…….URGHHHHHHH…..URGHHHHH…. generally a 5 second pause in between snores. The real annoying, repetitive, mono tone sound that eats at my inner peace and makes me want to turn inside out with rage!!  I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I’ve screamed and everything in between…and still he snores.

Interrupted or lack of sleep is really not good for you. Sleep is crucial for your body to renew and restore, for your mood, your metabolism, your complexion, and I recently learnt from Triple J’s Doctor Karl on the radio, that sleep is crucial for our brain to erase thoughts and thought processes from the day, in order to make room for new thoughts, processes and for memory function – how interesting!

Arriving in Sydney recently and staying at a friend’s house, I was quietly overjoyed that we would be in a bed, upstairs, with the dogs downstairs. Yippeeee!!!! Sleepy time, here I come!! First night, I can hear a soft hum of mono toned snoring seeping up the stairs. I still manage to get a great sleep (thanks Jeffrey & Alison for your hospitality by the way!). Second night, I fall asleep peacefully and enjoy an uninterrupted 4 hours of sleep, until around 3:00am. I cannot even begin to describe the volume and tone of snoring. It is beyond description (and I’m rarely stuck for adjectives!) a gigantic ogre, on an oversized freight train, revving the engine….every 5 seconds. I cannot bare it!!! By this stage Frank is awake, as I sit up in bed contemplating what to do. Never has something so simple upset me in such a way that this does. I think it’s the feeling of not being able to do anything. I feel helpful and out of control, which is very foreign to me. We need a solution!! Surely Google can help!! Out comes the phone as we start Googling pet tents. Yes, a tent for a pet! The only place Mr Arnie can be when we need to sleep is as far away as possible. Namely – outside!!!

So, the quest commences for a single man/pet tent. Just think how comfy he’ll be…his own space, he can move around, dig his bed, snuffle and snore til his heart’s content. And we ….. can sleep!!!

JT xo