Greta is a fascinating creature. She's our first Pug and she's pretty goofy: from high-pitched yips and barking to tearing around the yard doing psycho puppy. But one of her funniest behaviors is how she likes to sleep.

I work out of the house so I get to see all kinds of poses she's crafted for sleep and certainly her favorites seem to be sleeping while sitting up and sleeping on Bella. In fact, this morning Bella was chewing on a bone and moving around and Greta still sidled up to her and put her head on Bella's back sitting up to sleep. It was quite a crack-up since Bella was moving all around and Greta's head was bobbing around; it made no difference to Greta. She still put her head on her and slept.

She's a rescue from a puppy mill and I'm sure she spent the first 3 years of her life in horrible conditions. I can't help but wonder if perhaps she was smashed in a cage with other dogs and there wasn't room to lie down. Every morning we head upstairs to my office and Greta waits for Bella to lay down somewhere so that she can literally sit behind her and rest her head on Bella.

I have to wonder, is it comfortable? Does she do this because she likes it or does she do it because she got used to it for years? So I started searching YouTube and there seem to be many other pug owners that have experienced the same phenomenon. And it appears it isn't just Pug owners either. I tried to find any research on why dogs sleep sitting up and there isn't much out there.

So who knows why they do it, but since we anthropomorphize our pets, I have to say Greta, "That doesn't look comfortable little girl.Why don't you put your head down?"

She hasn't answered me yet; maybe someday.