a chorus of shih tzus

shih tzus running up cow painted stairs.” width=”514″ height=”381″ />

Woke up a few times this morning, without a chorus of shih tzus barking, but forced myself to stay in bed. I was tired after getting up at 6 yesterday, plus, I knew if I moved, even to go to the bathroom, the shih tzus would hear me. Finally, when I was wide awake, I got up at 7:30 to go into the bathroom. Sure enough, I could hear the tags jingling, so I tried to stay very quiet, hoping the shih tzus would think they had been mistaken.

I had brought my camera upstairs last night, and set it down on the desk in the spare room, while the battery charged. I tiptoed in there to get it, but I wasn’t quiet enough. Candy came barreling up the stairs, with her shih tzu half-sisters behind her.

I made a mistake when I allowed Candy to enter her sanctuary. She disappeared inside and under the bed. I tried to snap photos of Dottie and Flower, but they moved too quickly. Also, they love to play with my hands in the morning, playfully biting them, and it’s hard to allow them and shoot pictures at the same time. Someday I need to get John up and have him hold the camera.

When I came downstairs, I was happy to see two separate urine spots on the training pad. Who would have ever thought that would make me so happy? My happiness was quickly dampened, however, by the sight of at least two sets of poop sprinkling the carpet near the pad. Sigh.

the strong willed shih tzu

Although I picked up all the poop I saw, John still stepped in some when he came down the stairs. Something about the way Flower was acting, plus a trail she was leaving, made me try to approach her to clean her butt. That was a step back.

Each time I got close to Flower, she bolted, until I finally felt my patience fraying. I finally walked out of the pen, pulled the section closed behind me, and said, “Fine. All of you are grounded!”

It was funny that the other two shih tzus knew they hadn’t irritated Mommy. They easily nudged their way out of the gate, although Flower sat in her bed, looking at me, thinking who knows what.