Juggling Dogs…. Thirteen reasons it’s just insane to have 4 dogs around the house… especially when you’re pregnant. First let me introduce the players.
Gracie, a temporary addition to the family – a 4.5 month old miniature poodle puppy, that isn’t quite house trained 😛
Rusty, our favourite! He’s well trained, fun loving, calm and obedient. The most awesome dog in the world – a Golden Retriever.
Honey, the hapless teenager. She’s a bit like Denise the Menace whose always getting into mischief without quite realizing what’s she’s doing is bad. Also a Golden Retreiver.
Kre (aka Dr Pepper), a Miniature Pincher. She’s the old biddy of the family, sometimes she’s sweet (with people), sometimes she’s a terror (with other dogs). Watch out ,Gracie! She might be small, but she’ll kill you if she gets the chance….

I’d up load photos, but since coming back to Thailand, I’m back on scubry dial up until my wonderful husband is able to twist the arm of some telephone company official to get ADSL in our neighbourhood.

1. Whenever Gracie needs to go to the bathroom, I have to put my other dogs in their crates, or Gracie is too distracted to do her business. It’s also to protect her from Evil Kre, who only rears her ugly head when there’s a new dog in town. Rusty and Honey just want to play, and despite being 10 times Gracie’s size they all seem to get along.
2. Honey is very needy, and wants my attention all the time. She thinks I’m her playmate, not a master. She learns quickly but forgets just as quickly.
3. When I sit down to cuddle Kre, I end up with 2 other dogs vying for my attention. Rusty with his tennis ball saying, Let’s play fetch!, and Honey’s just out of control, screaming, Me! ME! Pay attention to Me!
4. Kre has wander lust – she loves to escape the yard and go meet her boyfriend or something. She’ll take off in the morning, just after breakfast, and come back in the evening in time for dinner. I don’t mind, as long as she doesn’t lead Rusty astray as well.
5. Back to Gracie. This little dog looks cute, but she’s a terror! I’m not much into inside dogs, and have given responsibility for her care to my Mother. But Mum isn’t always on the ball, so I have to juggle her, too!
6. Pooing in the dining room, just after she’s been taken outside to do her business (and remember, I have to lock up my outside dogs before she can go out!!!!).
7. Jumping on my furniture – urgh!!!!
8. Jumping on my dining room table and eating off my plate when I answer the phone. She gets serious crate time for that offence, but I think she’s not quite getting the reason for the punishment.
9. She runs into rooms she knows she’s not allowed in, like the bedroom, and either jumps on the bed or hides under it.
10. Okay, I’ve been ragging on Gracie for a while. The little tyke drives me crazy! But she is somewhat cute for a small dog (I’m a BIG, outside dog person). She’s cute when she wants to play tug of war.
11. She’s decided that the mat under the Christmas tree is her spot, and she’ll happily sit there and chew on her rawhide shoe as long as I’m at the computer or Mum’s close by reading. So our Christmas gifts have found a new home on top of the filing cabinet. So much for tradition.
12. Having Gracie around has given Mum the chance to see what it would be like to have a dog of her own – she’s always wanted a Miniature Poodle. Although, I’m having to train my Mum as well as the Little Rascal on the finer points of house dog ettiquite.
13. The last word: All dogs, no matter how big all small, should be kept outside! And, just for the record, newspaper house training stinks and doesn’t work!

Bonus: Having just 3 dogs is crazy, so we are seriously considering giving away Kre and Honey to good homes. With a little one on the way, my puppies are no longer my babies and I feel bad that I can’t give them the love I once lavished on them.

Disclaimer: Don’t worry Jenny, I’m just venting. But I really don’t know what I’m gonna do when my Mum leaves at the end of December. Pray that someone comes along who can give Gracie the same love you and my Mum give her.

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