you know that thing dogs do where they look like they’re running in their sleep?

in the past year or so, atlas runs more and more often, and his running is becoming more and more intense.

how do i know? he kicks harder.

atlas sleeps on the bed so when he starts running at night, there i am, in the way. usually, his feet are by my legs so my legs bear the brunt of it.

i read once that it’s not good to wake dogs up when they’re dreaming so i don’t anymore. (i used to. he’d let out that little whine and i would decide he must be having a bad dream so i’d wake him up and hug him.) (if i remember correctly, the argument against waking dogs up while dreaming was related to an increased likelihood of being bit, which makes sense.)

once upon a time, it was soft, light kicks. now, it’s not. you would not believe how hard he kicks while he’s running now. it hurts! and it seems to go on for ages.

i’m already on the end of the bed so there’s really nowhere for me to go. instead, i wait not-so-patiently for the kicking to stop, while secretly hoping that if he is chasing something in his dream, he catches it quickly.

i wonder if it’s an age thing. maybe he’s reliving his puppyhood. awwwwww. my cute-old-strong-legged-puppy-dog.

anyway, if you ever see me in shorts and my legs look bruised, you will know why.