Can he sleep without repeatedly sliding?
Those questions tell more than whether he looks better from across the room.
Then Mochi Does Something New
He climbs onto the bed.
His chest reaches the familiar edge.
His head hangs down.
Several minutes pass.
Then Mochi wakes and lifts his head.
Instead of pulling backward and immediately dropping it again, he turns slightly.
His cheek touches the mattress.
He remains there.
For perhaps thirty seconds, Mochi's head is actually resting on the bed.
Then he lifts it and returns to the edge.
It does not last.
But the position is now possible.
A Thirty-Second Change Can Matter
Mochi has spent night after night allowing gravity to hold his head below the mattress.
Now he has briefly tolerated another position.
Staff do not repeatedly place him there to see whether he can do it again.
The important part is that Mochi chose the movement himself.
The Next Few Nights Look Familiar Again
Head over edge.
Sleep.
Slide.
Wake.
Push backward.
The unusual routine returns almost unchanged.
That does not erase the thirty seconds.
Pain and weakness can fluctuate.
Older dogs may have better and worse periods.
Fatigue itself can change how much control Mochi has late at night.
Progress does not require every night to be better than the one before it.
Daytime Movement Offers More Clues
Mochi begins holding his head a little higher while walking.
He can turn toward a sound with less of his entire body following the movement.
His front paws remain more stable when he stands.
Those changes may eventually make nighttime repositioning easier.
Sleep posture is only one window into his physical function.