A typical morning with the dogs:
I take my coffee out on the porch in my pajamas to supervise the morning potty. This morning I have pups Miles and Kohle (his littermate), Pinky the Italian Greyhound, Streak my adult male greyhound, and Vanna the foster greyhound.
Things we don't want:
Pups digging in flowerbeds
Pups pooping or peeing on tile porch
Pups peeing or pooping on rock deck around pool
Pups falling into partially drained pool.
Pups eating too much grass and then throwing it up in the house later
Pups dragging trash bags full of poo around - they are conveniently located beside the two grassy potty areas (and need to stay there).
Pups playing in mud or poo.
Pups walking under taller dogs when they are peeing or pooping.
Pups playing instead of going potty.
All we do want:
Pups and foster(s) to pee and poop in one of two grassy potty areas while I enjoy my coffee.
Doesn't seem like that should be so difficult.....
What actually happens:
Foster Vanna immediately squats to pee on tile porch right outside door while the other dogs walk through it tracking it the length of the porch.
Set coffee on outside table and get hose.
While turning on hose notice Kohle starting to squat on rock deck by pool to relieve himself.
Try to get Kohle over to grassy area but succeed only in making a trail of poo across rock deck all the way to the grassy area. He is completely finished by the time he hits the grass.
Go back to turn on hose.
Chase Vanna away from my coffee.
Hose off tile porch while making sure other dogs are going in the correct places.
Get clean up scoop and clean up trail of puppy poop from pool deck.
Chase Vanna away from coffee cup again.
Hose off rock deck.
Still watching and loudly praising other dogs for any potties in the proper spot (Maybe the foster and pups will hear it and it and learn).
Decide that leaving my post to wash hands with soap before returning to my coffee is probably not a good idea. Rationalize that I only touched the scoop handle, not any actual poop.
Rinse hands in cold hose water.
Take a swig of lukewarm coffee being sure to keep my possibly contaminated hand on handle of cup only just in case.
Notice Miles throw his ball into favorite flower bed to dig in - the one with the muddy hole.
Take coffee cup with me this time since Vanna has been eying it and head down to get the ball out before Miles takes the opportunity to get muddy.
Breath a sigh of relief that trouble was avoided.
Toss ball for Miles who does a soccer kick with his front leg that sends the ball flying into the pool.
Try to grab it without spilling coffee into the pool but it is just beyond my reach.
Hurry to pool house to get net while yelling "Leave it, Miles!" so pup doesn't jump in the pool after his toy.
Hurry back carrying long net and coffee, trying not to spill anything.
Realize I will have to set down coffee cup to use the net.
Check to see if it will be safe from Vanna.
She is on the other side of the yard not paying any attention. Its a go!
Set the cup on bricks around raised flowerbed and scoop the ball out of the pool and toss it a safe distance from the pool.
Turn to retrieve the coffee and there is Miles with his face all the way at the bottom of the cup happily getting his first taste of coffee (probably not the last).
Oh well it was cold anyway and how could I be mad at a face like this?
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