So Many Dogs....

                                                  Henrietta conducts the singing

It's been a busy week.  My elder daughter's two dogs

came to stay plus I'm looking after Beau Samoyed

Beau rounds up the girls

whose owner is in hospital.  

Luckily the dogs all get on well with each other - and 

with Spud the cat - but the hens were a little insecure

for a few days as the incomers tended to gang up on 

them.

Nothing too awful happened but there were a few 

squawks and some ruffled feathers until the status quo

was re-established as the hens like to feel they are

in charge of the situation.

Samoyeds were originally bred for pulling sledges and for herding (and also used as nanny dogs, guarding the herder's children) and it's possible that Beau thinks the hens are small reindeer, not having clapped eyes on either before.  But he has a lovely nature and soon made friends with my girls, which is just as well as I don't know how long he'll be staying with us.                                                          

Ross, Pup and Beau, my three visitors

As you can imagine, the logistics of looking after so many animals in a small house proved difficult.  The dogs are each used to a particular brand of food and Beau has medication for arthritis and epilepsy.  Ensuring that each dog had it's nose in the correct bowl at supper time was tricky.  I had to stand over them to make sure that nobody sneaked the wrong meal and Spud had to eat his dinner on top of the fridge otherwise he would have missed out, the competition was too great.


Another logistical problem was keeping the various animals in the right place at the right time.  Visitors to this blog might have noticed a children's stair gate at the front door and wondered why it was there. 
It's to keep the hens out and the dogs in or out, depending on where I want them to be.  It seemed to be a really good idea at the time, allowing me to keep the door open in summer if the weather permitted.  But like all good ideas, it has its failings, animals being brighter than we give them credit for.
Megan can open the gate if it's not fully locked down.  She lifts the handle with her mouth (after opening the front door with her paws) and leaves it open for the hens to come in.  I've tried to explain the merits of closing it behind her but this bit of logic seems to have gone over her head.  Consequently I'm often met in the hallway and kitchen by a feathered flurry of girls investigating various food and water bowls.

Okay, where's the corn?

Henrietta has also worked out that when the gate is closed it's there to provide an additional perch, plus, if she hops down, she can investigate any crumbs that might be lurking in corners.  Mind you, with all these dogs there are few crumbs left to lurk in any corners, canines make efficient hoovers.
Which rather neatly leads me to another revelation, which is the sheer amount of dog hair that I am left to vacuum up.  It is phenomenal.  I could knit jumpers with it if I had the time - or the inclination.
But no, I don't.