Peeing and Feeding five dogs & two cats!

Good Lord, even peeing the dogs is a challenge with five! Early on I knew that its best to put all out at once, instead of one at a time. However, this is easier said than done with three geriatrics among the mix. Keeper always needs out first and goes willingly enough but sometimes just stands there and forgets why she is out.(Dogzheimers I am sure) At this point in time I think all have been out but can't remember if Teko was on first pee trip or not. I imagine he will let me know and letting dogs in and out seems to occupy most of my day anyway-he can catch up on the next trip. Keeper never ate her supper last night so no “assidents”(poop) to clean up this morning. Solution: don't feed her! But I want her to eat as she is far too thin for my liking. Rocky is a bit of a piglet so can't put it down at this point in time or he will have it gutzed down in record time. The two young dogs are out

in the back yard, for hopefully a good romp!

I was thinking this morning about writing about Teko and calling it “He walks among Giants”. As a twelve pound longhaired chihuahua he does very well. HE doesn't think he is little and scoots about going in or out the back door regardless of the bigger dogs. And to him they are all bigger dogs! He gets along well with all dogs until they are near his food. That's why he is fed in the bathroom. He has taken it one step further and when I put a heavy plate on top of Keepers leftover food(only she seems clever enough to nose the plate away when she wants it again) he will guard that as well. Of course if it isn't covered he will eat it all. But I don't trust the younger dogs not to knock the plate off as they are far more rambunctious.

Oh and now we approach the bewitching hour of BREAKFAST!!!! I am smart not to make a move as the remaining five charges will be immediately at ATTENTION! And very much in ATTENDANCE! I did manage to get Keepers bowl down and she is cleaning up her last nights supper.

There is quite a cycle to feeding all these animals and yes, it is rather like a zoo! First the cats are fed their dry food on the cedar chest in the dining room. Then it is imperative that Jiggs be fed. He takes only a few nano-seconds to eat and by that time Maddie has hear the tinkling of kibble so she is next and takes about the same amount of time to finish. Then its on to mixing up Rocky's food. One thyroid pill and a cup of dry “Medical”dry food and two tablespoons of wet dogfood.(again medi-Cal)Finally, I can feed my own two dogs. Keeper gets smushed up wet “Old Roy” with half a cup of dry kibble and then chicken on top. Teko gets about five of the larger kibble and chicken. I put a bit of water with Rockys' food and Jiggs' and Teko'sT as well. It's inconvenient to do so for Maddie and she doesn't like it that way anyhow. What a bloody rigamarole but not nearly as bad as when I worked at the dog farm and fed 250 dogs! Now that took quite awhile and one always had to be listening for fights starting. So I guess I could say things have improved a lot.

I never thought I would be feeding my dogs chicken and it bothers me when I think of starving children. But I fell into this because Teko has always been fed chicken and rice. I absolutely hate making rice so have started him on dry dogfood(which he really thinks is beneath him, but the truth is –if he is hungry he will so bloody eat it!) Luckily I have been able to find chicken at a reasonable price in our local grocery store and it costs me about five bucks a week to feed them that. And now I am all of six minutes PAST feeding time so had best finish this up and go and do my job! Happy animalling!