DD and her DH got home safely last night from an 11-day driving trip half-way across the country for his mother's funeral. I am relieved in more ways than one. I spent 90% of that time at her house babysitting her 4 big untrained and undisciplined dogs and a sweet chatty cat. I've kept or looked after mamadog and the cat for a decade as she's taken frequent business trips in years past. I baby sat for cat, mama dog and 4 pups since they were literally 2 weeks old, but not all together at her house since she got married almost 2 years ago. My biggest gripe is that they are not obedience or leash trained and just getting IN the house is having to shove through all 4 of them just to get in the door and pray one or more of them doesn't take off in the process, then enduring 15 or 20 seconds of big dogs jumping all over you ripping whatever you're carrying out of your hands in the process. It's literally a physical gauntlet. Same for letting them back inside even after just a few minutes out. They will sit for a couple of seconds but then jump when you reach over to pat their heads (knocking you in the chin) or into the middle of your back if you turn away to "ignore" them. It makes me so angry I want to slug or kick the dogs (and DD), though I would never do it, but I feel like it just the same. I am furious with daughter who just never took the time to train them. They are big, happy dogs who don't know any better and it infuriates me to no end. I've tried unsuccessfully when I was around them for a few days in the past, but working with 4 of them together is something I can't do, which is her excuse now that they're grown. For Christmas after the pups were born I'd bought DD 3 different dog training books. I doubt she ever looked at them. Don't get me wrong. I love the dogs, but am furious they've never had even basic training. I WISH, WISH, WISH that the lady who trains dogs would visit DD and get DD and the dogs in order. Long before now I was at the point of "Don't ask me to sit with them ever again until or unless you get them some basic NO JUMPING training!" I was very reluctant to do it this time for that very reason, but under the circumstances felt I had no choice.
I'd taken several small cross stitch projects with me. I read 4 or 5 Aunt Dimity books, but did no stitching. I just never felt like it. It's not like I was doing much of anything but sitting there most of the time or letting the dogs in and out, but the fact that I ended up sleeping there all but one night and the fact that even being there disrupted my own life - even if I had nothing else planned or had to do ... it wore me out. Still I was sad to leave the dogs since it'd been so long since I'd been with them, and the dogs were very sad and morose and dejected when I left barely an hour before DD arrived home. My cats, left alone 90% of the time in return, are very very happy to have me back. It's only a 20 minute one-way drive, but in another city, and though in years past I was willing to make that trip 2 or 3 times a day, not so any more. I find it just to wearing to go back and forth and try to "live" in 2 places at one time, as "near" as they may be. Now back home, I've got to tackle MAJOR cleaning and organization. That'll consume my free time (or at least as much of my "free" time I am willing to give it), for the next several months - or years.
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