Baby Learns New Trick

I was going to clean out the playpen this morning, like normal. I fight the puppies for their food pan, and yes it's a fight. They like to sit on it as I try to get my fingers under the edge, so I can pick it up. This is a morning ritual, and one that they relish.

Next comes herding the puppies into their crate....not usually too hard...sprinkle some kibble in the crate and off they go (for you future owners of Winjammin' puppies, beware that we are training "crack dogs" If you've met Ransom, you'll understand the nickname. For those of you who haven't, the short version is, food to him is like "crack" to an addict). Some days we get one lagger and today that was Cristal.

So, she got to help me clean out the pen, pick up toys and pads, etc. Our kitchen is gated off from the rest of the house, so the puppies don't get out and the big dogs don't get in. We have to have some way to control the chaos, ya know! Anyway, I hadn't latched the gate, just pulled it to the latch, and that's where it stays. I'm in the process of rounding up the toys, and half watching Cristal out of the corner of my eye, when I see her run to the gate, sit back on her rear, and take one paw and give the gate a big SHOVE. Yup, you guessed it...escape!!!

She was off and running for all she was worth through the living room, with her littermates calling their encouragement from the crate the whole time. Round and round the dining table she went, then it was to the living room, back around the table three times, back to the kitchen, just to tease me, then back to the living room and a big jump onto the doggie pillow pile, etc. You get the picture, I hope. It took me a good 5-10 minutes to catch the little bugger.

I brought her back into the kitchen and this time, LATCHED the gate, and proceeded to finish the cleanup. She chased the broom some, another of her favorite games, but then she was right back at the gate, and banging on it, trying to get out. Once cleanup was done, she was back in her pen with her littermates, and peace, or as peaceful as we get, finally decended back on the house.

Thank goodness the big dogs were downstairs!!!