Before I got my new puppy, I resolved I would be firm. All the doggy experts say that crates are good things – they make the puppies feel secure. So I piled some soft blankets and towels in her crate for her to sleep in. No dogs in my bed!

I was going to put the crate in the kitchen, but she was so little – and so cute, with her soft floppy Beagle ears and her shining puppy eyes. It wouldn’t hurt if I put her crate in my bedroom. That way she could hear me breathing, and smell my smell.

Yeah. I put her in her crate, shut its grate, and climbed into bed. Said “Good night, Goody.” Turned off the light. Whining. I will just ignore it, I told myself. Right. Whining turned into whimpers. Alone and lost, the sounds infiltrated my ears as if someone poured warm honey into them, all sticky and gooey. How scared she must be. Where’s her mom, her brothers and sisters, that warm puppy smell?

Whimpering continued, and I got up and knelt down before her crate. I murmured “it’s okay, it’s okay” as I pushed my fingers through the grate, where a little tongue licked them desperately.

Who makes these firmness rules, anyway. I unlatched the crate and took her into bed with me, where she snuggled contentedly at the crook of my shoulder and neck, and where she still sleeps, every night, ever since.