If she deploys next week (or even in a week or two), then I think you should just do without your good night's sleep in a separate room and tolerate the dogs. She is comfortable (and comforted) by having them close by, and right now you should be there as well. Since you love them too, and will be caring for them for the next year, you have plenty of time to get pet-free sleep and retrain them over time. Keep in mind that even though they are dogs and not children, they love and depend on your girlfriend's presence and so be very thoughtful and caring about the changes you make when she leaves. It will be an adjustment period for them, and understanding this will make your relationship and retraining easier on all of you. For now, just love her and let her have all the love and comfort (furry and human) that she desires. For a week or two, it's not worth disrupting the good just so you can have a few nights of better sleep. You can sleep when she's gone. Of course, I'm assuming there will be some nice human-only time/interactions pre-sleep time as well. |