Our morning ritual is rather a comedy act. It starts at 6am with getting all the humans fed and watered first, whilst the puppies waken to the noises of the kettle, mugs and bowls clattering, and doors opening and closing. They start off pretty quiet, and amuse themselves for just enough time for you to you get a quick cup of coffee down. Then as they become noisier, and watch your every move, I open the crate and it is a mass charge, me included, through the kitchen and lobby, out of the back door, remembering to arm myself with plenty of kitchen roll and poo bags, and of course I've learnt to grab a coat too, it is COLD! Wait for them all to poo and pee, which is pretty much immediately they get out, blot up the wee, pick up the poo, all as quickly as possible before they traipse through it, then whistle and put their food down. They all know what my whistle means, so we then have a mini stampede across the decking for breakfast. I hotfoot it back into the kitchen, clear the bedding out their crate, disinfect it, new bedding and newspapers in, then back outside with, if I remember, a camera, and Nelly who delights in hoovering up any bits of breakfast that may fallen out of their bowls. Next......water, easy you think! Water is for drinking, NOT playing in, though try telling this lot, paddling in it is a favourite pastime!! So when they have had a drink, we play for a while. They are very curious, chasing a leaf or a twig, play bowing to each other followed by a little rough and tumble, climbing into an empty box, chasing a tennis ball, or just having a little expedition round the garden. After a while, they realize how tired they are, and that it is much warmer indoors and scrabble at the door to go back in, where they finally go back to their cozy crate and snuggle up.
Then it's time to sort out the adult dogs! I may get another hot cup of coffee by midday!
Then it's time to sort out the adult dogs! I may get another hot cup of coffee by midday!