A rescue dog's unusual reaction to her new owner's coffee table provided a rare glimpse of what the pooch's life used to be like.

Seven-year-old Billie was found by her current owner Lauren Mabra roaming the streets near her home in Florida just over a year ago. "Her owner was sick and the people who were over at her house let her and her sister out," Mabra told Newsweek.

"I fostered her to give the owner time to see our flyers and Facebook posts about Billie. Then her family got in contact with us and said she could no longer take care of her due to her health."

Billie came into Mabra's life at exactly the right time. "She arrived right after I had had to unexpectedly put Bean, my childhood dog of 15 years, down," Mabra said. However, it wasn't exactly love at first sight.

"I didn't think it was meant to be at first because she was so shy and we really didn't connect at first," Mabra admits. "I just missed Bean, but by day two or three I was picturing the rest of our lives together."

In time, Billie's true personality began to emerge and the pair became inseparable with Mabra describing her as "truly my best friend."

"She's very loyal," she said. "She just wants to be with me and make me happy."
In some ways, Billie is your typical dog. In other ways, she is less so though.

"She loves chewing bones, playing, and cuddling," Mabra said. "She's a really sweet but shy girl so it can take her time to warm up around other people and especially other dogs. She blossomed for me over time!"

One of Billie's biggest quirks, however, is her habit of lying under things, such as Mabra's coffee table, which has become a popular place for her to stretch out and nap.

Mabra has her theories. "I think she had a crate in her past life and I think being in a little enclosed area makes her feel safe and comfy," she said.

That certainly chimes with the opinion of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University who view this as entirely normal behavior.

"The concept of cozying up in a 'den' is built into the DNA of most dogs, and many like to retreat to one, especially if it's a place where they can see the action going on in the household but not have to be a part of it," they said.

"If your dog seeks out tight spaces to make himself feel comfortable and it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it."

It also chimes with the few things Mabra knows about Billie's life before. "I know her previous owner was older and from what I can see, Billie didn't seem to leave the house much," she said.

That's something Mabra is determined to change though. "I'm in my twenties," she said. "Every adventure I take her on is new for her so she's seeing the world!"

Though her previous owner might have made her a bit of a shut-in, Mabra is also grateful to them for helping shape her into the lovable dog she is today.

"I know she was happy and very loved in her last home by how affectionate and cuddly she is," Mabra said. "I don't know how they got her to be so willingly cuddly. I need to know their secret."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.