UHM is in Pasadena, CA, this weekend watching her beloved Wisconsin Badgers play in the Rose Bowl. I dropped her off at the airport at 5am yesterday and she will be home around 4:30pm on Sunday - if all goes as planned. In the meantime, I have the care and feeding of the entire Horde.
I don't think I've ever mentioned the fact that the Horde don't all get along with each other. Sam cannot interact with Bogey or Georgia, at all. Moira and Georgia don't care for each other either. Dog movement within our home is a carefully choreographed dance of opening and shutting doors and baby gates to move groups of dogs from one space to another. It's fairly easy to accomplish with two people. Alone, you are in an almost constant state of motion to keep everyone fed, pottied, happily engaged with appropriate items to chew, etc. You would think that night time would be the easiest. Sam, Ginny & Moira sleep in my room with me. Bogey and Georgia sleeping in UHM's room - alone.
Our dogs are crated during the day while we are at work. For that reason, I am reluctant to crate them at night - even in circumstances like these where there is a lack of supervision. I should have crated Georgia last night.
Georgia has a history of chewing on inappropriate items. Even as a little puppy she and her siblings destroyed a cell phone. She's chewed a variety of inappropriate items since she came to live with us with plastics being a favorite: the dog sitter's BlackBerry being the best example. UHM had "Georgia-proofed" her room though and I made a second pass before bed last night. Everything was secure.
Moira got me up at 4 this morning. I let her, Sam & Gin outside and checked on the baby dogs. One of UHM's pillows was on the floor, sans pillowcase. The pillow was fine. The pillowcase was shredded. Ok. Picked everything up, brought the big dogs in, secured them in my room, let the baby dogs out. Eventually got everyone back in the house and secured in their appropriate rooms. Then tried, unsuccessfully, to go back to sleep.
6:45am, I heard a 'thunk' in UHM's room. I didn't bother to investigate because, what could they possibly have gotten into?
7:15am, the big dogs want to go out again. I let them out and then check on the baby dogs. This is what I found....
So, I'm up now. Bogey and Georgia are in the living room. Bogey is quietly working on a chewie - he's such a good boy. Georgia is barking at nothing. Sam and Ginny are in the office with me. Moira is in the front room, barking at nothing because Georgia is barking. Everyone needs breakfast. It's going to be a long 4 days.
Toilet paper seems to be a favorite this week. They are very inventive -- and it isn't just the red ones. Although my old red girl ate the side of a leather chair, my brindles have combined to eat two Smartphones, the legs of an antique dining room table, lots of firewood (I don't know how it fits through the dog door).
ReplyDeleteHang in there until tomorrow when UHM returns.
Oh, dear. :( I'd love to know how they managed to remove the pillow case from the pillow.) Seems Georgia and her brother Jon have a similar chewing/shredding affinity. (So sorry.)
ReplyDeleteWe need to reunite the youngsters after Jon and Dewi have had THE surgical procedure (should be in the clear by early March). Also, my family and I would LOVE to babysit Georgia anytime, if you need help. Really.
Elizabeth - yes, Georgia is a chewer, on a grand scale. We've really had to puppy proof the house with her because she's also a climber. If you leave her a "stairway" to something, she'll take it. Thanks for the babysitting offer, we may take you up on that at some point. She really is a sweet girl.
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