Dog Days

My parents spontaneously decided to go on at five day trip yesterday, and consequently dropped off their two dogs at my house for me to babysit.

And babysitting is exactly what it is.  These two nuts are high maintenance.

Nemo and Lamb

You see, the one on the right used to be ours...until she bit my 4 month old first born child several years back.  Needless to say, she got shipped off to my parents.

Her brother, Nemo, prefers to do his business indoors.

It's really not all his fault...Bichons are notorious for being difficult to house train, and my parents really didn't potty train him correctly.

That's all fine and dandy when it doesn't involve my house.  Additionally, Nemo feels he has to compete with his nephew, our precious Chewie.

Chewie is a wonderful dog....crate trained, doesn't bark, doesn't mark, etc....until his mom and uncle arrive.  Then he turns into a shrieking, peeing, obnoxious fur ball.

Chewie and Nemo have a contest to see how many things in my house each one of them can "own."

They walk around lifting their back leg.

Mine.


Mine, too.


Mine, now.


Used to be yours....AND....wait for it....


MINE!!!

Who me?  I don't know what you're talking about.  I'm fixed and therefore have no interest in spraying my scent all over your furniture, Barbies, and that plant in the foyer....


I mean, uh, what plant in the foyer?


Thankfully, they haven't tried to mark one of the children yet, although Chewie is very protective of the wee one and will snap at the other two if they get too close to me or the baby.

Feeding them is quite a spectacle to watch as well.

Even though I give them separate bowls of food, they insist on eating out of the same one, resulting in a low, constant growl from any one of them at any given time, warning each other to back off.  For some reason, Nemo doesn't interfere with Chewie, but Lamb will.

Maybe it's the whole mother thing.

I am your mother and I will stand here antagonizing you if I want to.


Go ahead.  Make my day.


Ridiculous.

And then there's the whole Alpha Male thing.

This guy thinks he is a Stud. Muffin.

Chewie disagrees.

The dynamics of who is "boss" change depending on where the three of them are.

For example, at my parent's house, Nemo is top dog, no question about it.  He perpetually asserts his position and makes sure Chewie doesn't forget his place.

But here, the lines are a little blurred.  It's almost as if Nemo partially abdicates his alpha status because he recognizes that here is Chewie's turf.

Periodically, Nemo and Lamb will remember that my parents "abandoned" them and they'll fall into a whimpering depression.

Please tell me my mommy is coming back.  She IS coming back, right?  I don't like being here anymore that you like me being here...I promise.
(And, I'm sorry for biting your baby six years ago...totally my bad.)

We get so frustrated with these two.  It's like having two more babies in the house.

But just when I think I've had it with the pooping, yelping, marking, and neediness...

I'll remember that I have a perfectly fine and fenced backyard, in which they can stay until my parents get back.

Please hurry back Mommy and Daddy.

Signed,
Your daughter and your pitiful little mutts