A Day With Dogs

Some things are inevitable. Take 3 dogs—one old, one slow, and one young—and some sort of mess is bound to ensue. Today we have managed several.

I've been around dogs all my 20-something years. I say 'dogs' but it tended to be one at a time. Also I'm not at home so much these days.

November Koda
(see the end for why I can't
get my camera right now)

6am. My door exploded inwards, followed by Sister No. 2 (chronologically speaking). She took a tuppaware (Christmas, pipes, aqua-kitchen, bedroom becomes storage) and left a sorry.

6.15am. The Parents and Sister No. 2 left. I drank tea and stood in the shower, missed the starlings, drank more tea, and stared at my big pile of work. Followed by dogs during all but shower (when I was followed by cats).

Brandy

8.30am. Fed dogs. Gemma first. She's about 17 now, which is about 84 in dog years or 0.1 Neptune years. She's deaf, and she has a bit of trouble back there. No, you didn't want to know that, but it's important later.

Brandy next. She's a rough collie from San Diego who seems to prefer the weather here. She's 9ish and a bit slow, except when it comes to food. Easy.

Koda. (As in). He's 7 months and I don't think he trusts me. He stared at his food, nibbled some, then stared at me, and then went and sat in the porch and waited for mum to come back.

9.30am. Pancakes and a film as part of Sister No. 1's continuing 21st commiserations celebrations.

Gemma

12.30pm. Sister No. 1 came back to the Parents'. Koda cheered up, ate his food, and tried to dismember a blanked when she hid underneath it and called him. He became extra confused when she put a phone under the blanket and called him on that. Cleaned Gemma's wee off conservatory floor.

2pm. Cat screams, Koda snarls. Shoo and shoe them apart to find they were fighting over Other Cat's sick. Get Brandy to clean it up.

Pippin and Merry
(Yes, from The Lord of the Rings)

6.30.pm. Fed dogs. As before. Let them all out to relieve themselves in the right order (I got that wrong last time, at Christmas), Koda on his lead because he has an unfortunate habit of eating things that should not be eaten.

7pm. Cleaned up Koda's poo in lounge, thankfully still a bare concrete floor (Christmas, pipes, aqua-lounge). Sister No. 1 leaves. Koda resumes place in porch. I find his squeaky ball and he chews it contentedly.

7.30pm. Gemma and Brandy doze. Chair moves. Peer under table and tell Koda to stop chewing it. He looks at me, stops, and goes to sleep too. I decide I don't really need a cup of tea and try not to make any loud noises or sudden movements.

baby Koda