“Nesting”

Nesting is something our girls will do shortly before going into labor. Often, where a girl WANTS to have her puppies is NOT where we want her to have puppies (No, sweetie, you can NOT have your babies under that evergreen tree! Please STOP digging that hole!) A girl’s “nesting behavior” is a bit different than MY nesting behavior.

Last weekend, hubby was going to install a new 5′ panel with gate in place of the solid 5′ panel in our “dog room”. The effect of this will be able to open up two dog runs and make them one big dog run. After puppies are born and are a bit older, it will allow “mom’s” some space of their own while still overseeing the puppies. So while the project started with just increasing space for mom and puppies down the road, it turned into a complete weekend project!

In taking down the dog run panels, I decided we should “flip” our dog matting. Twelve years ago, I put down a 4′ x 20′ solid pad to cushion the area the dogs would be on when they were in these dog runs. So with help from family members, this old pad was rolled up only to find a clogged drain under the padding. I don’t use this drain because of the proximity to the drywall so didn’t think it could “back up”? Unbolting the grates that covered the drain and cleaning it out became a much bigger job than originally anticipated mainly because the bolts to take off the drain grate were cemented closed! NOT GOOD!

There was no way to reuse my old padding. Its use was just past expiration in being comfortable for any dog to use so… Off to the farm store to buy new mats (we bought horse stall mats). My dear husband methodically measured and cut each horse stall mat to fit each dog run and although these mats do have seams, I’m hopeful they are much too heavy for any dog to find the seams/decide to chew them? Am crossing fingers they don’t, at least.

My dog room is probably THE MOST USED room in our house! Consequently, “stuff” has been stashed here and there. Deep cleaning would be an understatement while the entire room was dusted, mopped, with “found” items sorted; much being stored elsewhere. I did find a Coolaroo dog bed that I forgot I had? I suspect I purchased this for puppies to play on some time ago and then, “forgot” I even had it? Olly, my “puppy” approved and so she is now enjoying this new dog bed.

My “Little’s”, other dogs that own us but aren’t Goldens, eat their meals in smaller crates. Now the Goldens LOVE meal time and ALWAYS offer to help the “little’s” eat their food too! We’ve moved their crates (and stacked them) for easy access and privacy to eat their meals at their own pace.

Spring cleaning OR “nesting”… either way, it feels good to get such a big job done! Whew!