Girl Insists On Sleeping With Pitbull, Vet Tells Dad To Film It

Something Was Wrong

It had always been easy for their daughter to sleep on her own. But recently, they were finding it hard to leave her alone in any of their rooms, even during the day.

It seemed that everything had changed when they adopted their new dog. At first, they were overjoyed seeing that their daughter was finally sleeping soundly, but that was before they knew the truth.

Perfect Family

Dex Pritchett worked as a lecturer at a local college in Kansas. He lived a simple life with his beautiful wife, Lindsey, and their adorable, one-year-old daughter, Mikaela. Lindsey owned her own bakery and it was safe to say that the couple did well for themselves.

Dex always thought that his life was beyond perfect. He had everything a man could ever need. But he had no idea that everything would change when Mikaela turned five.

Gorgeous House

The family lived in the perfect neighborhood in Kansas City. They had a big, beautiful house that had more than enough room for their family of three.

Dex and Lindsey were keen on filling the space with more family members. That was why they agreed to get a pet while they discussed the possibility of having another child. But their troubles would start long before they found the perfect pup to join their little family.

It Escalated

It all started when Mikaela informed her parents that she was afraid to sleep alone in her room. She woke up in the early morning hours and found herself all alone. Dex knew that it was a horrifying experience for a child of her age.

Dex and Lindsey assumed that she was only scared of the dark, but soon, things escalated. Mikaela would begin to cry whenever she was alone, even during the day.

It Got Worse

Lindsey was so proud when Mikaela started sleeping in her own room just three years before. At first, she had to stay with Mikaela until she fell asleep, but later on, the transition to sleeping on her own had seemingly gone without a hitch.

But now Linsey had no idea what she was supposed to do. Whenever she would wake up frightened, she would run to her parents’ room. But the problem only ever seemed to get worse.

Worried Sick

Dex and Lindsey grew sick with worry, they didn’t know what to do. Mikaela’s phobia only seemed to grow. They couldn’t leave her alone for even a second without her crying for them. Things were getting hard.

But before long, they decided that enough was enough, so they decided to take Mikaela to a pediatrician. But little did they know that they would never reach the children’s hospital that day.

Country Music

They were on their way to the pediatrician when they got stuck in the morning traffic. Dex decided to turn on the radio, blasting country music while he and Lindsey had a casual conversation.

But they got lost in conversation while something was happening to Mikaela in the backseat of their car. This would change their lives forever.

Looking Out The Window

Without her parents knowing, Mikaela had found a way to pull herself closer to the car’s window. Luckily, she never rolled the window down. But she did jump up and down as her gaze focused on something outside of the car.

Dex was deep in conversation when he and Lindsey heard their daughter’s shout. “Mommy, doggy, doggy!” Both of her parents turned to her, surprised to see her so close to the window. They followed her gaze, their jaws dropping open when they saw what was outside of the car.

Pet Shelter

She was staring at a pet shelter right next to their car. There were several puppies and kittens inside and she wanted to pet them. Dex wondered if he was supposed to go to the hospital or let his family play with the animals. Lindsey did want to adopt a puppy.

But just then, his phone rang. It was their doctor who informed him that they would have to reschedule their appointment. Dex saw this as a sign from above as he pulled into a parking spot. Soon enough, the family of three was walking into the pet store.

Silva

The dog that stood out to the family was a two-year-old pitbull named Silva. Lindsey had reservations about Silva, but despite this, he was the perfect dog as far as Dex was concerned.

Silva loved his new home. He immediately grew comfortable as a new member of their family. But he had a habit that stunned and scared his new owners, and he only showed this flaw at night.

Welcome To The Family

Dex and Lindsey stopped at a pet store on the way home for supplies for their new dog. They got him the best food, a bed, food bowls, and a few toys.

That night, they prepared a little welcome feast for Silva. They all cuddled up for a movie afterward, and then the craziest thing happened.

Cutting Movie Night Short

Mikaela, who rarely slept with the TV on, was sound asleep on the couch. At the floor by her feet was Silva, also fast asleep. Dex and Lindsey tried not to wake the little girl up and successfully transferred Mikaela to her room.

They expected Silva to wake up as soon as they tried to carry Mikaela, which he did, but they didn’t expect what he did next.

Settling In

Dex and Lindsey set up the brand-new bed and water bowl for Silva in the kitchen and left him there to sleep. He inspected the new bed and turned around a few times before settling in. They closed the door.

They returned to the lounge to continue watching TV for a few hours before going to bed themselves. It was only when Lindsey got up for a glass of water from the kitchen that she noticed Silva wasn’t in his bed.

Perplexed

Lindsey was perplexed – they had closed the kitchen door, she was sure of it. Although Dex had suggested that Silva stay in Mikaela’s room, she hadn’t been comfortable with an unknown dog roaming around the house at night.

How did Silva get out? And where was he? Panicking now, Lindsey began to search the house room by room.

Uneasy

After going through the lounge, dining room and hallway, she still couldn’t find Silva. It was only when she checked Mikaela’s room for the second time that he startled her. He was hiding underneath her little girl’s bed.

Although her husband had grown up with pitbulls, Lindsey felt uneasy. She shooed Silva out from under the bed and locked him back in the kitchen. But Silva’s strange habit was just beginning.

Escape Artist

Even though Lindsey locked Silva in the kitchen every night, he kept escaping. Lindsey would panic each time she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t find him.

And every time, she found him under Mikaela’s bed. This continued for weeks. Lindsey told her husband but he, frustratingly, didn’t seem concerned at all.

Old Habits

Although Dex and Lindsey let Silva into Mikaela’s bedroom during the day, Lindsey continued to shut him out at night.

Having had dogs before, Lindsey knew that it was important to teach their dog obedience by not letting him have free reign of the house at night. What had happened in his previous home that made him refuse to sleep in his bed?

An Accident

Lindsey had made a habit of getting up every night to take Silva back to the kitchen, but this couldn’t go on forever. She had tried to train him to stay in his bed during the night, but he was insistent.

The only other option she had was to keep him outside from now on – but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Then, after a particularly exhausting day, she accidently slept through the night.

Change In Behavior

After all the sleepless nights that Mikaela had in the last few months, the Pritchetts usually kept close to her room to rush in when she woke up.

But that night, Mikaela didn’t wake her parents up. She only showed up early in the morning, well-rested and with a wide grin plastered on her face. Lindsey was relieved to see that Silva was in his bed. What was happening?

An Interesting Development

Dex and Lindsey didn’t know what to make of this development. Mikaela was barely an early riser and most definitely not a smiling one, but today everything was different. Dex looked to uncover the mystery and installed two cameras – one in Mikaela’s room, and one in the kitchen.

Dex intentionally sent Mikaela to bed with the cameras in place. What they saw on the footage that evening would leave the couple speechless.

To The Computer

Dex and Lindsey rushed to the computer to uncover the secret behind their daughter and dog’s behavior. In real-time on the monitor, Silva seemed to sleep soundly in his bed in the kitchen where they had left him.

Lindsey noted that the door to the kitchen was closed, and they watched as Mikaela fall asleep relatively quickly. But she didn’t stay asleep for long.

The Footage

Mikaela began to toss and turn, then she bolted upright. She pulled her blanket up to her chin and stared into the darkness with wide eyes.

Lindsey’s immediate motherly instinct was to go and comfort her daughter, but she fought the urge, She wanted to see what would happen. After a few minutes, the little girl did something completely surprising.

What Was She Doing?

Mikaela carefully slid out of the covers and got on her knees to look underneath the bed. She was doing something Lindsey always did for her to reassure her before she tucked her in at night – she was checking for monsters under the bed.

After checking, Mikaela toddled to the open door. Lindsey thought she was coming to their room like she usually did, but she walked down the hallway instead.

Going To Silva

With her parents watching her on the camera, Mikaela toddled into the kitchen and quietly opened the door. Silva’s head rose immediately as if he had been waiting for the little girl.

When they realized what was happening, Dex let out a little chuckle and Lindsey began to smile. They watched as Mikaela lead Silva back to her room.

Their Nighttime Routine

Silva followed Mikaela to her room and climbed onto her bed, carefully laying next to the girl. Mikaela cuddled into the dog in the cutest way possible and fell asleep within minutes.

Although buying the cameras had been expensive for Dex, he was glad he’d done it to witness such a beautiful thing. He was about to turn off his computer when something else happened.

See It To Believe It

Mikaela woke up with a start, and so did Silva. Mikaela looked around her room with drowsy eyes, her brows furrowing as she realized her parents were nowhere to be seen.

Her lips began trembling as her eyes grew wide, but Silva whined at her and licked her face, pawing her lovingly until she lay back down. The dog licked her again and lay next to her. Dex and Lindsey watched with their mouths open as everything unfolded.

Keeping Her Company

Mikaela smiled, petting Silva until her eyes became heavy and she slept. Dex and Lindsey couldn’t believe it.

And, in the morning, they found Silva sleeping in his own bed. He was trying to be obedient, so he must have learned to sneak back into the kitchen early in the morning.

A Strong Bond

When they finally took Mikaela to her pediatrician, the Pritchetts learned that their daughter had a case of monophobia, the fear of being alone, which Silva was helping her get over.

Although Mikaela would soon outgrow this fear, her bond with Silva would only grow stronger. Lindsey was worried about the sleeping arrangement in the beginning, but she soon learned that sleeping with a four-legged friend has many benefits.

Benefits

There have been numerous studies on how pets can relieve their owners’ stress and anxiety. When Mikaela felt the presence of Silva next to her, her cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure decreased.

Having a dog sleep with her daughter seemed like the perfect solution to her monophobia – but was Lindsey ready to trust a pitbull completely just yet?

A Misunderstood Breed

Pit bulls are seen as the most dangerous breed because of their wide jaws and powerful bodies, but these dogs can also be lovable, caring, and loyal – it all depends on the way they were trained and raised.

And yes, while any unsocialized dog can be dangerous, Lindsey grew to trust her daughter’s loyal companion with her daughter’s life.