Our Christmas Dog

No, we didn't get a dog and after this past weekend's dog experience I don't know if we will ever get a dog or look at a dog or like a dog again. I have a very, very dear friend here in Iowa. Her husband is in the anesthetist program with Jonathan so we have endured a year of being widows together. She asked for a little Christmas favor... they were getting a new dog for Christmas, a puppy. We were the Santa pit stop from Saturday to Tuesday. Not a problem right? Sure we'd love to do it...

Delivery: The "puppy" was delivered on Saturday afternoon. Aaron walked in the door with the "puppy" and I turned to Adam and said, "Do you know which dog this is?" To which he replied... "A stinky dog!" Oh my, that it was. I grew up with farm dogs. Pig chasing, dead animal eating, field roaming dogs and nothing compared to stinky. He stunk. Remember this is the season of Christmas pine, cinnamon spice, and sugar cookies but for us it was wet dog. Even dry, it was wet dog.

Description: 15 week old Newfoundland=43 pound, long haired, full size, monster pup

Setting: December in Iowa, a weekend filled with ice storms and blizzard conditions for 2 days.

Dog Sitting: Preface... Jonathan took care of this dog. The first few hours weren't too bad. We warmed up to the dog and he warmed up to us. He didn't move much at first but that didn't last long. The pup wasn't potty trained which meant he had to be in the kennel or watched very carefully and you have to stand outside with it to get it to go to the bathroom. We don't have a fence so it has to be attended to at all times. The kennel was in our unfinished basement which the dog didn't exactly love. Saturday... Dog adjusted to our home, made dinner a smelly event, sat outside with Jonathan during a blowing snowstorm time and time again failing each time to go the bathroom and finally pooped on the deck. We all slept. 5:59 AM howling from the basement. Back out to the blizzard for a potty break, feed and keep from eating boys trains until church starts. We had to shovel the driveway to get out for church. Jonathan and I shovelled while the boys ran from the dog with it constantly pulling off their gloves, biting their snow pant legs and hauling off with their snow shoveling. Several times it knocked Adam down and was CONSTANTLY at his heels nipping. 20 minutes late for church we leave with the dog locked in his kennel. After church we return to howling in the basement. The dog didn't love being in the kennel. It was raised outside and had never been in a kennel in it's life. After church was get ready to feed missionaries, potty the stinky dog, listen to howling dog in kennel only to let out and explain to missionaries where the smell was coming from so we didn't have to listen to howl. Feed missionaries, potty dog, lock in kennel, arrive so late to nursing home to go carrolling we miss carolers. Return home get kids to bed, unsuccessfully get the dog to go potty put in kennel and listen to howl until 12:30 AM. Jonathan went down to check on the dog who had managed to poop in his kennel and cover himself, his blanket, his stuffed animal and the kennel with dog poop. Jonathan carried the dog outside while I did poop clean-up. We cleaned the dog as best as we could and put him back. The dog did not stop howling until 3:00 AM when I got really frustrated and took the dog back outside. Remember now Jonathan is having to carry the dog everywhere because he is covered in poop and can't be in the house. 3:30 AM return to kennel. Howl until 5:15 AM. Sleep, beautiful sleep... for 45 minutes. 6:00 AM Adam wakes up excited to see the dog and goes downstairs all by himself to let the dog out. I roll over in bed to see Adam run past my bedroom with the poopy dog at his heels. I fly out of bed and shove the dog outside. Jonathan spends the next two hours with his pants rolled up in the shower washing the dog then blowing it dry. When I came into the bathroom with steamy shower air, hot bathroom lights and then a blow dryer on that dog I thought I was going to perish. Pig pens stick but this dog WREAKED! Will my home ever be the same! It is a blizzard in December and I have the window to my home open, bathroom fan on and have quarantined the place. We survived Monday somehow. I can't remember being so tired. By now the dog has chewed our children to death, torn open gifts under the tree, pulled the tinsel off the tree and is wearing out it's welcome. We try to have our Christmas Eve story and gift opening but the dog is tearing at everything. In the kennel he HOWLS. We resorted to putting him outside and hoped he wouldn't leave the yard or get to far. We are in the middle of the movie "Joy to the World" and realize the dog is gone. Jonathan throws on coat and shoes and heads out to find the dog. Did I mention blizzard or drifts at any point in time during this story? We find the dog and get our kids to bed. This is Christmas Eve remember? Get the kids to bed still have who knows how long... can't put dog in kennel because it howls, can't leave out because it destroys or disappears. What to do with the dog? I was in the office wrapping one last gift for Jonathan and he was throwing Matthew back in bed one last time when he turns around to see the dog peeing on our carpet. That was the end of the dog. It then flew off the deck and we called our friends to come and get their dog. Santa ready or not it had to go. Santa's workshop was officially closed. A good pee scrub later, the silence of dog absence, and a Yankee candle burning we were wanting to be friends again.