animal house...

when friends of mine contemplated canceling their regularly scheduled plans of heading to dawson city music festival because of three furry companions, i had to step in... i agreed to watch the critters -- make sure they'd be fed, clean up after any mistakes and generally indulge in their company...

it's no secret that i am very much a dog person... i adore pups and have a penchant for referring to them as "baby dogs" affectionately... i love the ugly ones, big ones, little ones, tough ones and wimpy ones... my company this weekend: a terrier named riley with a bit of an attitude and a deep-throated snarl... vinnie, a squishy faced shih tzu/pug cross that resembles an old wise japanese man... and bill murray, a black and white newfoundlander that is only a goofy puppy, but could still break a door down with his meaty paws...

my biggest problem when taking care of dogs is my inability to really get mad at them... i look into bill murray's freckled face, with his innocent baby dog eyes and while i want to smack him on the nose for breaking the rules, i'm lost in his cuteness... although after spending a weekend with this trio, i've had to succumb to discipline... chasing them around making sure they don't get a hold of something; pushing bill off of vinnie as he begins to learn "how his body works"; calming grumpy old riley down as he barks at the other two gallivanting around... sopping up messes, while trying to convince bill not to bark at me through the glass door... eating with a constant audience at my feet... feeling guilty at times for leaving them alone and then rushing back to apologize and play...

my favourite times are those when everyone is tuckered out from playing or general breathing and we each get a nap in... that's exactly what's happening right now and i am thrilled about each moment of it... i'm not saying that my love for baby dogs is fading... oh no, never... but like many things, you don't often know what it takes until you're faced with it... dogs are hard work -- like babies with tons of hair... and perhaps my biological clock isn't quite ticking as much as i'd thought right now...