How much extra time/work do the dogs add to my day?

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." --Unknown

May I just inform you how much extra work/time 3 dogs add to my day?Yes I know I agreed to these dogs(kind of), I have a soft side for animals..I don't know what that is all about. Jon also learned that if he brought an animal home I wouldn't be able to turn it away. Jons mom knows what I am talking about, she has two birds that Jon brought home. :D We have both told him to STOP it! You gotta love the guy!

My dogs add so much extra time to my day..we ♥ them so much and they are part of our family. So to stay on top of everything I get up at around 7 am everyday, let the dogs out, let them back in and give a piece of a 'Beggin Strip' for their done business. Then throughout the morning keep an EAGLE eye on them to be sure they don't need out before lunch, if they do let them out and repeat the treat process. If we have to be out of the house before lunch, I have to make sure the dogs go out one time before I have to run them downstairs and lock Journ and Jynx(the Chihuahuas) in their cage, they have proved time and time again that they can't be trusted when I am not home. Josie(the lab/border collie), I leave upstairs for protection and she is very smart! She knows her job in our home, guard the kids!! But she is very sweet dog too and did I mention smart??. She sleeps with Jett every night which I love because his room faces the street and I have always had an issue with that. Let me put it this way, if anyone tried to enter our home uninvited they wouldn't go unheard. Jon told me yesterday that home invasions are higher than ever in Utah, good luck if you enter my house and Josie doesn't know you. Then when we get home from our ventures of the day I get the kids situated, run downstairs let the dogs out and give a treat. Then keep an eye on them until afternoon snack let them out after I make a snack, let them back in and give a treat. I am sure you get the picture...it's basically like I have 5 kids but can leave 3 of them home when we leave....thank goodness! I also try to make time to play with the dogs each day and talk to them, they are smart they know what I am saying!

Some good news....the dogs have only had two accidents on the tile!! YAY! It's not warm like the carpet so they wont pee on it, I think we solved that MESSY problem. And of course it just wiped right up so nicely. The other day I was thinking what it would be like to not have any dogs....well nothing lives forever.... but for now this is our life and I am happy to give some animals a good home. Plus the kids really enjoy them and so do Jon and I. :)

"Dogs are our link to Paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent." --milan Kundera

"No heaven can heaven be if my dog is not there to welcome me." --unkown