This is Why Fudge and Vern Need a Walk Every Day!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Saturday, my husband and I got up early and we were out the door and off to West Virginia to see family. The dogs did not get their morning walk.  We left Fudge and Vern in the care of our youngest daughter.  I have written before that I have my dogs on a pretty good schedule and rain or shine we walk our dogs at least two times a day.  I am like the postman and get the job done.

 

We got home right when it was getting dark outside, but nonetheless, we went to the park and gave the dogs a quick walk. Now, our daughter said she had exercised Fudge and Vern throughout the day, but she also said they drove her nuts wanting to go outside.  We interpreted this to mean that our daughter took them outside a couple of times and threw the ball once or twice and then told them her arm hurt and brought them back inside. We came to this conclusion because A) the dogs were beyond excited when we got home and B) the last time this daughter walked with us she asked, “how much farther?” when we had only gone three feet from the car.  Once on the walk, we tried to get her to increase her walking pace from snail to turtle and told her we thought there was a moving walkway just up over the next hill, but we soon learned that not all tired hikers appreciate humor on a walk or want to hear that there are hills up ahead.  

 

It didn’t take us long Saturday night to figure out that our dogs missed their two long walks and did not get enough exercise during the day for us to get a good night’s sleep.  They went to bed at their normal time, but within one hour both were up and ready to go. Fudge is our dog that likes to sleep, but even she did not seem tired. It started with Vern walking from my side of the bed to my husband’s side of the bed. He would then go out into the hall and we assume tag Fudge, because next she would come in and do the same.  My husband was reading his Kindle and/or doing a great job of pretending he did not notice two large dogs alternating tag teaming us and enjoying their own Doodle romp inches from our bed. Sensing I was the weakest link, they upped the ante and at one point, Vern laid his head right by my feet and gave me his best hang dog look like he was saying, “do either of you know when we will be going for our second walk?”

I tried to out wait my husband and see if he would get up with the dogs, but he has honed his skills over the years and when I said, “are you going to make your beloved wife go out into the frigid cold with your dogs?” he didn’t answer back, because he knew it would blow his cover on his pretending to be asleep act.

 

So, out into the cold we went and I meant business. I told Fudge and Vern it was bedtime and they needed to get their business done and then we were going to sleep. Unfortunately, they heard little of what I was saying because they were chasing each other at full speed. Round and round they went, through the leaves, around my van, from one end of the yard to the other. At one point, Vern stood out in the yard with a toy skunk hanging from his mouth trying to lure Fudge into a game of tug-a-war.

Imagine this in the dark, sometime well after midnight:

Fudge would play bow and then run in for a quick tug, but didn’t stay long because she sensed by the crazed look on Vern’s face that a game of “Yank Fudge by the Collar,” was next on his agenda.  All this fun was happening well after midnight and I made a mental note to myself to take Fudge and Vern for three walks the next day or call the vet and find out if Sleepy Time Tea is effective on dogs.

 

I fell asleep that night to the sounds of squeaks and was too tired to care if the Doodle party continued.  

There was plenty of evidence to suggest Fudge and Vern did not go right to sleep and had spent some time raiding their toy box. 

So, the next time someone asks me if Labradoodles need lots of exercise, I am going to answer back, “Only if you value your sleep.”

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

JD is a very easy-going guy, but he does insist on his two walks a day. No matter how early I have to be somewhere, I have to allow 30 minutes for JD's a.m. walk. and no matter where I go in the evening, I have to fit a walk in there somewhere, too. They know if they've missed a walk, lol, and they're going to get what's due them one way or another, even if it's the middle of the night!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

How about a pair of treadmills and teach F & V to walk themselves?

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

So true!  If Peri misses her walks, she will be up pacing in the night OR wakes us up super early by standing next to me and doing these deeeeep sighs.

[Doris, Knox & Flash]

It must have been some party!  Love how "they" stacked the cans!  (where you get your pics, I'll never know!)

Knox loves his walks too and is a different (pain-in-the-bootie, actually) dog without them!  Love your blog, like always!

[Pat and Traveler]

Har, har, har....I love the photos of Fudge and Vern!  Are you saying the dogs carefully stacked the cans?  What brilliant animals!

[Anna and Achilles]

Too funny! Achillles also needs the routine of a walk or he gets into trouble doing things he would not do when he has enough exercise.