One Night, He Gets His Whole Chest Onto the Bed
Mochi crawls forward farther than usual.
His front legs are no longer right at the edge.
His shoulders are fully supported.
His head still extends beyond the mattress.
But the angle is different.
There is less of his body available to slide forward.
He sleeps longer before waking.
The First Goal Isn't a Perfect Curl
Nobody needs Mochi sleeping in a neat circle by tomorrow.
The immediate goal is simpler.
Safe rest.
Less pain.
Fewer awakenings.
Enough strength to change position when he needs to.
A dog can recover meaningful comfort long before his sleeping posture looks completely ordinary.
Eventually, Mochi Begins Using the Edge Differently
He still likes it.
That may never completely disappear.
But instead of allowing his entire head to hang vertically, he sometimes rests his chin against the mattress edge.
Other nights, one cheek remains supported.
The distance between his nose and the floor grows.
The frantic little corrections become less frequent.
Then Comes a Night When He Doesn't Slide at All
Mochi gets onto the bed.
Positions his chest.
Lowers his head.
His chin rests partly on the edge.
His eyes close.
An hour passes.
Then another.
Mochi shifts once but remains secure.
No sudden awakening.
No trembling push backward.
No nose descending toward the floor.
It is one quiet night.
But quiet is exactly what Mochi has been missing.