We got a semi-frantic call from our daughter yesterday about a friend of hers who is in the process of adopting a rescue puppy--the girl works in the vet's office where the puppy has been, being txed for Parvo virus. She needed somewhere for the puppy to stay for 4 days while she moves out of her mother's home. (Her Mom said, "no dogs in this house!") So the girl is searching for an apartment during the holidays. Now, I like dogs. We have OWNED 3 of them, over 39 years, but are currently w/o one as I am sick to death of the work involved with owning one. DH LOVES dogs, but did zero work at the "messy end" the pee, poop, sick visits to the vet, the final agonizing days as we lost our beloved Border Collie to cancer--he was MIA for all but the long, fun hikes and throwing a tennis ball. So, I am done with having a dog. And while I felt really bad for this girl, I was not feeling like we should house a dog we don't know, who doesn't know us, and whose owner had no idea of the puppy was even housebroken yet. I said no, but deferred to DH on ONE condition: he had to do EVERYTHING for this puppy. I have 20 people coming to dinner today. I shopped, wrapped and sent the gifts to our out of staters. I got gifts for his MOTHER who absolutely hates me and he took all the credit for "choosing" said thoughtful gifts. I do 99% of everything to ready us for the holidays---he ran to Walgreens last night to get me something, as per usual. This is normal, so I'm not upset about THAT. My own mother is very ill and I have been running up to check on her on a daily basis for the last week. She is so feeble and still very sick with some kind of GI problem--I begged her to let me take her to the ER last Sat and she cried and cried and said she would suffer anything but being in the hospital on Christmas---so I'm worried about her. After my family leaves this afternoon, I will have to go see mother and check on her again. So--my plate is VERY full. DH said "I really want to do this!" so he called the girl, who of course is ecstatic--and she's here an hour later with a rambunctious, NOT HOUSEBROKEN IN THE LEAST, puppy who is chewing everything in sight and has peed & pooped all over the house. DH was supposed to put her in her crate last night, but she whined, so he slept on the couch with her "by his side" (how sweet, huh?) and she wandered all night long and peed all over the basement, the family room--the ONLY place we have carpet. I got up this am and found hubby sound asleep on the couch, honking away, and the dog just chewing up some random paper she'd found. Hubby wakes up---just as I step into a very large, wet spot. I didn't say anything, grabbed some cleaner and paper towels (no the girl didn't leave us any "potty pads"!! and began to clean the spot. Only to find 3 more wet spots on the way to the garbage. Luckily she hasn't pooped yet--but it's only 9 am--day's young. (oh, and BTW? Dogs with Parvo have diarrhea. Delightful) Dh SAID he got up with her and let her out several times, but she doesn't have a clue what to do outside and it's below freezing here. He thinks he's some kind of amazing dog whisper or something, He said "I let her out, I told her to go potty". Needles to say, my house REEKS, I don't have time to clean the carpet (and it would ALL be wet then..before the family comes. I am FURIOUS with my hubby for not crating the puppy for the night---I don't even KNOW how many spots she hit. No responses needed, but I have to calm down before the troops arrive. DH knows I do NOT like Christmas, I get so overwhelmed and anxious, and all he says (as he is now soaking in a hot tub is "geez, take a Klonipin, would ya? Calm down!) I have indeed taken 2 Klonipin and I am artificially calm. I'm INSISTING the puppy be crated for the family party. I am also INSISTING he crate her the night or keep her in his bedroom with the door shut. Dh has been begging for us to get another dog---and this is tilting the scales towards "I do not think so!!" In the puppy's defense, she is cute as can be, it's not her fault. I am placing the blame square on DH who admitted that the owner told him the puppy wasn't housebroken very well--but he really, really wanted to house her. Well, I get new carpet next week. I guess his bonus will be well spent. Thanks for listening, if you did. Someday there will be humor in this, just, not today and not for a while. Merry Christmas to all!!
