Doggy Day Care

This past summer, my husband and I looked after two incredibly cute, energetic dogs.

Cooper & Jackson

We used to take care of my mother-in-law’s dog from time to time, but she was a fraction of the size of Cooper (the white labradoodle on the left), and so the worst trouble she got in was eating used tissues out of our garbage.

However, we were clearly forewarned to keep our breads out of reach (we have them on an open knee height shelf in our kitchen), and to keep our plants out of digging convenience. We obliged, but we knew that we couldn’t simply leave our things haphazardly strewn around the house, as we might be inclined after a late evening of activities. If we did, then the temptation for these cute pups might be too strong, and the results could be messy. One quick lapse in judgement provided some fun chewables for the dogs, but a mess to clean up for us (we left our recycling by the door to be taken out).

Our second set of visitors that we were blessed with last week posed a similar reminder:

Ceilidh & Logan

We were, again, fairly informed that little Logan (the mixed breed on the right), may pee on things left on the floor. Again, we were encouraged into a good habit of putting things away as soon as we got home. (FYI, we thankfully avoided any “situations”).

Why do we put these things off? On average, it will take all of an extra 3 or 4 minutes, but we simply can’t be bothered because we are “too exhausted”? I say that we are too lazy. And how long do we let those things sit there, on the floor, reminding us that we should put them away? If you’re like me, then a lot longer than they should.

So, my challenge to you this week is this: put it away, right away. Try it. I think that you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly this can be accomplished. Also, those items on the floor won’t be able to threaten to drain your energy any longer.

What motivates you to pack it up and put it away?

- I’ve written a response to some constructive criticism here.