Over the weekend I had the pleasure of watching my friend's goldendoodle puppy, Chuey. What a cutie. Yes, he is a "designer dog" a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle. He does not shed which is very nice. Chuey has an extremely soft, fleecy coat, which attracts all elements of filth, which is expounded upon by the fact that he is a puppy. We had quite the adventure this weekend. It made me understand three things: why my friend is always bathing the handsome boy, why water bowls are rationed, and the reason outside access is denied while mom and dad are away. The mature, adult dogs I normally watch don't find pleasure in the things little Chuey does.
To kick off the weekend Chuey went out in the rain, which he loves, and became wet. He then sat on a bright red folder. This did not seem like a problem, until I noticed he was sitting on the folder and made him get up. Then I noticed Chuey's fleecy coat was stained red. This sparked cleaning session #1.
Later that day, Chuey discovered the free water bowl in the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen to check on him I discovered him sitting with his face and paw in the water dish with puddles of water over the entire floor. Thankfully the kitchen floor is laminate. This solved the mystery of the rationed water instantly.
In an effort to give the Chewster a trial run of entrusting him with the privilege of being allowed to roam free in the garden, I jimmied his crate between the sliding doors so he had an outside option and an inside option. Upon my return I was greeted by this pathetically guilty face and the chaos only a retriever puppy could create. This is what I found:
Mud was everywhere. He made a game out of his water bowls and joyously played in them. Chuey somehow managed to splash mud all over the side of my house and splatter mud 6 feet into the air unto my windows.
Chewy had a wonderful romp in the garden and enjoyed himself. He failed the trial run and confirmed mom and dad always know best. Chuey wins the prize, by a long shot, for being able to create the biggest mess. The other dogs might have dug a hole or two, but never had enough creativity to add water to the mix. Maybe most dogs appreciate enjoy being mud free. It might have been the last home alone garden adventure young Chuey will experience, but he sure did live it up. This inevitably launched cleaning event #2. Chewster's poor face was slathered with mud. His velcro-like fur begrudgingly gave up the mud particles to the soap and water. Never thought I would bathe a dog so long, but I managed to get his coat back to spotless and I was beginning to understand the numerous bathing spells.
That is not even the end of the story, on the final day I left Chuey in the kitchen, never to repeat my previous mistakes. I left him a bone and a toy. This is harmless, right? When I came back I discovered he had somehow managed to get bits of the rawhide all over his paws and face. I marched the Chewster right upstairs for scrubbing #3. His mom and dad returned to a clean, white puppy.
This weekend was a lot of fun, it opened my eyes to how playful and spirited puppies are in comparison to adult dogs and their mature dispositions. My experience also helped me understand that there was a reason to the madness of my friend's water rationing, house quarantine, and endless baths. Puppies require a lot more work than dogs but it is worth the effort because they are cute and it is humorous to see all of the inconceivable trouble they manage to find.
