Oh, how I dreaded this morning! The weeks have flown by, and Baby Belle isn't a baby anymore. She's a young teenager, capable of becoming a mother - and we had to do something about that.
The challenge? At 6 every morning this dog is exploding with energy! She's Rocket Dog, Wild Child, Christopher Robin's Tigger all rolled into one, bouncing off the deck and walls. I can hear her and Max running, thumping and bumping their way all around the house.
By 6:30 am she's pleading with me through the French doors for our walk so she can really take off and unwind, like this...
The challenge I faced: Putting a leash on that rocket, taking it out to go pee and bringing it back into the house for a couple of hours (with minimal destruction) until I could drop her off at the vet's office.
I admit, I prayed about it. The whole thing sounded impossible to me. I needed divine intervention.
To keep her from sneaking a forbidden drink of water from the pond, she and Max became indoor dogs last night (and they'll probably be indoor dogs for the next week while she heals. Two stinky outdoor dogs in my house... it makes me glad I haven't wasted any time cleaning lately!)
We cleared everything chewable or shreddable out of the laundry room, let them in and closed the door.
I wasn't sure what I would find when I opened that door back up this morning, but it wasn't that bad... some bits of insulation littering the floor (torn away from the hot water heater) but I had predicted that.
But I still faced the worst part... the part I dreaded... taking her out to "do her business". I hooked the leash onto her collar and opened the door, expecting an explosion... and she walked out sweet as can be. She didn't like the leash - she tried chewing it - but still, she followed me out into the woods, did her thing and then followed me back into the house.
Whew!
She really is growing up. Time flies, doesn't it?
By the way, she made it through surgery just fine. I'll bring her home tomorrow evening and we only have to keep her inside and leash-walk her for... <gulp> seven to ten days. (I better start praying now.)
