This is mostly since moving to this home. At the old house, we had back stairs & a patio. I could let them out to go crazy and I could keep an eye on them from in the house--away from them.
Since moving to this house, Tuesdays and Thursdays ...I dread them with a passion and here is why....
Tuesdays and Thursdays I work in the office, so the dogs are left home all day. All four of them (whether it had been Duchess or Volos in the mix-doesn't matter) are here and await for me in the foyer. Peryn & Lada usually do not go to play care these days.
This house the foyer is wide open and room for all of them to be there to greet me. At first, this is a happy thing-all of them so excited to see me. All of them wanting my attention. But here is the reality of things.
Peryn & Lada --they are Australian Cattle Dogs. These are working dogs that need to burn off energy every day. They cannot be left alone to do nothing day in and out because they will wreck havoc on your home and life.
However in this case, they are now wound up and super excited to see me. Peryn will get up on his hind legs to greet me and I'll love on him for a few seconds.
Lada on the other hand, no she cannot just be a normal dog wanting attention, no. She's Lada. She jumps and jumps and jumps up on me trying to get into my arms. She's INSANE until I catch her and then try to calm her as she assaults me with kisses.
Meanwhile Volos is doing a little jig because he too is happy to se me. He's trying to get in to rub up against me-trying to find a space in between the overly excited cattle dogs.
While all this is going on, we have Athena stuck in one of her 2 beds (one in my office or one in the living room) barking up up a storm because she's stuck and she wants up.
I try to make my way to her and lift her behind up and we move to the door. I then open the front door and the 3 mobile ones scamper out and I follow behind with Athena...who may or may not be peeing as we go.
We make our way to the grass and then I have to unpretzel Athena's legs. The disease causes her legs to stiffen and cross underneath her. It's a fight some days to straighten them out , pull them back along with her hips. We try to place her on her feet, but sometimes it's actually her feet knuckled under.
If we're lucky, she'll stay on her feet and move on her own. However, if she didn't leave a present on her bed she will collapse because she needs to go #2 and the strain on her back muscles is too much for her to hold herself up. We then have to hold her in such a way that she is able to release.
Meanwhile, the other 3 are off doing any of these activities: wiggling on their backs, going to the bathroom, sniffing up a storm, bothering walkers on the path or trying to get Volos to play or me to play with one of the numerous balls they have out there.
Next we try to corral them all back inside--probably needing to assist Athena back onto her feet. We try to keep her moving of her own devices as much as possible.
Once we all are in, I shut the door and immediately have Peryn & Lada jumping on the basement door wanting to go down. I open the door and they fly downstairs to unleash mayhem on the ball and the basement.
Either Athena moves herself to a bed or I do and Volos and his wiggle butt try to get some loving from me.
Now I have a moment to use the restroom and Lada comes flying back upstairs to check on me and make sure I am not loving on Volos.
Once I'm done, I head over to the dog bowls to refill the water (because heaven forbid they drink from the gravity water bowl) and fill the food bowl. We have an open food bowl policy in this house. Each dog is pretty awesome at letting the others eat by themselves.
Today I tried to sit down, but Lada is jumping up with her demanding kisses (those that know Lada know how physical of an exercise this is trying to stop her), Athena is whining and starting to bark because she hears Peryn going nuts in the basement.
Volos is pacing because he wants my attention, but Lada is preventing him from getting close. I move over by Athena and now Volos is getting his attention and now I've set off the jealous little girl who is trying to push her way in front of him so I will pay attention to her. Athena is still barking...Peryn is barking and going to town on the herding ball and I just want to sit and relax.
If Athena left any presents while we were gone, now is when I would clean it up.
FINALLY I give in and place Athena in her cart. Lada gets super excited and we all make our way downstairs--except Volos who doesn't do stairs.
I let Athena go, then Peryn and Lada go insane with the ball and I try to head up to the top of the stairs to sit with Volos --who really really is starting to look like he wants to join them or at least see what the fuss is about.
Now because they no longer have an audience, Peryn & Lada come to the bottom of the stairs, see I am there and proceed to just stop what they were doing. Lada has to run upstairs to interupt Volos' attention time. Athena is barking because she wants to chase her siblings who are no longer playing with the ball.
Eventually this leads to me going downstairs to sit so they can continue with their insanity. Volos is pacing and going to the top of the stairs because he's curious. Now the dog who could herd that ball all night by himself is getting stuck in places that require Mommy to assist. When this happens all action stops and Athena is there barking.
After 15 minutes of this start and stop action I say "ENOUGH" and we all head upstairs and back out the front door for another outing.
Meanwhile, I leave the front door open when we do this so those who finish first can head inside. IN this case, they have and you can hear the dog and his ball in the basement all the way in the front of the house.
At this time, it's usually time to start dinner. They tend to back off while I do this. Peryn is usually in the basement with his ball and Lada may or may not join them .
As I finish with dinner, Rich is walking in the door from work. If there is 10 mins or so left before I'm completely done, he takes Peryn & Volos on a walk. This is to allow them some bonding time and to make sure Volos goes #2 if he didn't any of the 2 previous times.
By this time, it's usually after 6:30. I now have about an hour and a half before I head to bed. It is during this time that anything I did not get to do prior is done.
IF Athena did not go downstairs earlier--she would now. The days when she goes in the afternoon, I get a bit of time in the evening.
I also have to do the after clean up inspection to make sure Rich didn't miss anything during his clean up (Guess what--he often does!)
This or some variation of this is my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings. I love my fur kids, but they are too much some days.
The days I run late or make a stop after work are even worse......
So if you ever think of getting a Cattle Dog-- you better have time to exercise them or play with them.
I will admit in the summer/spring is easier as we head into the back yard. I sit down and play with the chuck it. A win-win for us all.
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