Argh! The mud!

[ChickensThinkYouCanGetStuffed]

My garden is like a bog. We're on heavy clay, so the water just sits on it. No easy way of containing the mutt. Downstairs is open plan, so he comes in from the garden and has access to the (thankfully wooden floored) downstairs. I have just mopped the whole ground floor, and the DC let the hound in. He ran a full lap of downstairs, bounced on a few chairs and even attempted to run up a wall while I frantically chased him with a towel going 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'. I could weep. Oh, and both DC are now taking Piriton as DS1 has a mucky throat which is worse around the dog and DS2 has itching skin on and off

Which is why I go out to work and let DH look after the dog.

Having said that, DH kindly leaves the mucky floor for me to clean on my return, so as to make me feel useful and part of the household, apparently. Very considerate.

I am feeling slightly less murderous, as it seems that the mutt got himself shut in the garage just now and has scraped his back legs raw on the step trying to escape :( DC are hugging and kissing the hound despite me telling them not to because of their possible allergies. So I suppose they can't feel that bad

Awww, bless. Poor dog. Just give the DCs some more Piriton - they'll be fine!

And this is exactly why when we were redesigning the kitchen and dining room when everyone said how fabulous it would be to have it all open plan I said NO! 2 big hairy GSDs and a clay based garden.

Best decision I ever made. I can contain the mutts in the kitchen, rub them dryish and keep mud splatter to one area of the house... in theory.

Jax, my next house will have containment possibilities. I have made notes. It will also have a firemans pole

lol chickens is the pole for sliding down or for dancing round?

I have a vision of when my porch (eventually) gets built at the front of the house that ALL boots/coats/dog towels and related paraphenalia related to outside wet and muddiness gets contained in that 1 area and not traipsed through the hall, dining room and then kitchen. Why DH cant use the back door for the dogs...

Ooooh, a porch. I'd love one of those. Or a utility room. Either really. [rushes off to buy a lottery ticket]

In our last house we had a boot room at the back and a utility room too. Kept all the doggy muck and laundry in one area. Oh, how I miss that house sometimes.

We all need a little lottery luck.