I have my life back!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

This has been the best day in a very long time.  Got up at about 5:15 with 2 doodles both of whom needed to go potty BAD.  The boys ate their breakfast while momma and dh enjoyed a delicious cup (or 5 of coffee), then we leashed them both up and walked the 3 mile loop through the marsh.  Stuart is doing so well on leash and that is a good distance for the little guy (4 months on Tues) - thank goodness no gators today.  We got the boys in their "places" and dh and I set off on the 8 mile around the development loop on our bikes.  Laurie's blog was my inspiration as I sweated my a$$ off in the FL heat.  Lets just say that dh finished his loop well before I finished mine.  Sadly no one was wearing the spandex biking shorts.  Coming home and actually have gotten my chubby self moving, I was feeling pretty full of myself.  I decided that I am sick to death of my house looking like a puppy daycare.  Stuart is fine after his neuter and he is potty trained now so I took the huge gating down (that I have had to climb over 1,000 times a day) to get into the kitchen.  I moved the swinging gated door to the back hallway/laundry room.  The ex-pen was taken down and put away.   The house actually looks normal (if you don't notice the dog toys, bully sticks and shin bones strewn about).  I put the little gate in the back hallway and the boys have a large area to stay when we need to leave them that is safe from causing any damage.  Then we left the boys in their new area - Stuart was cool - Rooney was a little bit nervous - and we went to hit golf balls.  My life is back!  Stuart will be old enough this Sept./Oct. for me to jump back into the golfing season without my having to worry.  This timing with him has really worked out so well - we are through the worst of the puppyness stage.   Yippee - life is looking pretty sweet with my doodle boys!

[Sharee & "Hope" Peterson]

Thank you for the sweet story & encouragement-there is life after (when ever) thank goodness!

[Melody & Bruin]

you are scaring me!  glad you have your life back, your house back, and back on that bike!  good for you and those precious pups

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

It is great to hear these positive stories, Jane, especially those of us with young puppies.  It does give me hope that I can do more activities with Bexter (those darn shots are ALMOST done) and also without him too.  Having a balanced life is my goal.  So basically your message for all of us young puppy owners is to have hope...we'll get through all the puppyness soon enough?  Sounds great!  I am happy for you and your doodle family.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Puppies are so cute but they ARE so much work - when they start to come out of that baby stage - life can be so much better.  A little bit more sleep, less accidents to clean up after, more of a life for ourselves.  But just so you know - there are still those challenges.  Yesterday Stuart (somehow?) got ahold of one of my bras.  He was dragging it across the bedroom carpet when I caught him but one of the hooks had snagged and made a huge pull in the carpet - arrrgggg.  Wasn't his fault.  But just now - there went baby Stuart setting right next to the front door saying "mom I gotta go" - what a good boy he is.  I'm in love!!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jane, This is wonderful. I wish I inspired myself to get on the bike today :) We did take the dogs swimming at the nearby lake, but that is not much exercise for me. I bet you love having your house back :) Enjoy those doodles.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, the worse is over and now you get to relax (well almost) and really enjoy your boys....and take some time for yourself and DH too!

[Sue, Lola, Pongo & Hubby]

Great news!!! It must feel so nice to be able to go out and do something without feeling the worry/guilt of "whats going on in that house right now"? LOL. Congrats for getting through it! Stuart's getting so big, he's such a cutie!

[Jennifer and Jack]

I am laughing my butt off, because I remember as clear as a bell the day I decided my house was done looking like a doggie day care, I am very OCD about clutter and messes.. They make me insane... I had playpens, toy boxes, spray bottles and every imaginable puppy accessory including tunnels, sand boxes and the works.. (outside)

 

I never felt organized or clean.. I remember oh so well putting it all way, Jack had full range of the house. I would close my office which hold all my dangerous medications in it, but other then that, my house looked so, so normal...

 

Fast forward to today.. My mom is moving in on Friday.. Most of her stuff is going to storage until her house is done at the end of September, but she has filled my garage and some spare closets with stuff.. and guess who just dragged out the puppy play yards.... the puppy toys, the puppy tunnels, the sand box, the grass chairs for outside. Yup me!!! Today..

 

We are back into puppy mode and while I will enjoy each and every day, I will for sure look forward to the end of September early October, when  I too will have my house back!!!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Jennifer - I'm a neat freak but since getting Rooney - I have had a reality check - lol.  I am so happy to have my home as close to normal as it can be.  Next weekend I think that we might pack up the training crate too!  I'm a new woman!!

[Doris, Knox & Flash]

Yay! Things are looking up! It's so nice to get past that difficult puppy stage! What did you decide about an e-fence?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

The e fence guy was here Friday and it is a GO!!!!  We are holding off for a couple of weeks as they are doing some work in the common areas of our development that might include some digging near our boundry line but as soon as that is over is shall be done.  This is going to take some serious training - which I can do but the part about letting them get a small shock - I'm having a hard time with that.  It helps to know that I won't be the one with them when it happens.  The fence trainer will be on their hate list - not me!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Sounds awesome Jane and really it didn't take that long. I have to stop reading these positive 2 doodle posts it's killing me!