Four rainy days with Darwin

When Colin went to New Orleans for a conference last week, I was left by myself with Darwin for 4 full days.  It would not have been so bad if it wasn't for the bad weather.  I'll admit, it could have been worse (like getting the snow all our family and friends received up north).  But still, having a dog tracking wet, muddy paws in the house (a house that still has carpeting) is a challenge.

I kept trying to get him to sit still to wipe his paws each time he came in, but he loves to run full blast from outside - slamming the door open and bringing those wet paws with him.  I did a lot of vaccumming, and spot treating the carpet and exhibited a great deal of patience each time a paw print showed itself on the floor.  My type A personality was definitely put to the test!

I've also been trying to walk him in the mornings and after work to tire him out.  We have gotten into a routine of taking a 15-20 minute walk in the morning (the "take care of business" walk), and then a 3 mile (about 45 min-1 hour) walk in the evenings.

Darwin loves to carry the biggest stick he can find on our daily walks

Even with those walks, Darwin has what Colin and I refer to as "crazy time" in the evenings (usually closer to 10-11pm) no matter how much exercise we do during the day.  Our common joke when Darwin is passed out on the couch is that he is "resting up for crazy time."

The "resting up for crazy time" hour.

If you've followed the blog before or read some of my posts on Facebook, you know that Darwin has experienced some stomach issues on and off since September.  We think he's eating acorns in the back yard.  He loves to chew on elements of nature (sticks, acorns, pine cones), and he loves drinking water from puddles and the bird bath.  With the sticks and pine cones, he leaves a chewed up mess, but with the acorns we only find the outer shell. With all the rain, I also tried keeping him away from pooled water.  Although his stomach was upset 1 or 2 days while Colin was away, I am so grateful there were no messy crate cleanups.  A cleanup is definitely a 2 person operation. Colin's responsibility is to clean the crate and I give Darwin a bath.  For the past 9 months, I have frequently felt like we are caring for a young child!

On that note, I'll also share with you that Darwin just celebrated his 1st birthday on January 5th!  We hope this second year brings him out of the high-energy puppy phase.  I'm ready for the crazy time that includes chewing, barking, and sprinting to be reduced to a minimum (or at least earlier than bedtime).

One element of crazy time includes chewing. 

While Colin was away, the chew toy was the towel I used to wipe his paws.  I've been trying to get it on video, because it's actually pretty funny to see him grab the towel and jerk his head side to side with it in a very rapid motion.  I will admit we aren't the hardest disciplinarians.  While crazy time can be really annoying, it is often very amusing.

It's so hard to discipline this face too often!