It's too early to be up and going!

This is Deuce's new digs. I am not sure I like this and will probably change it quickly. It seems that the litter dust is still everywhere, even though the litter box is in the back of the kennel. I am also afraid he is going to pee all over the pad too so may take that out. I am thinking that he is going to make a huge mess all over the carpet too! Maybe I just talked myself into putting the ex-pen back up! I was just getting tired of having to clean the living room everyday as there would be litter dust and litter everywhere. The other day when I came home, he had taken the tarp and gotten it all balled up in the center of the ex-pen and in the process had pulled all the sides in so he just had a very small area to be in. He had also started peeing on the tarp instead of entering the ex-pen and going in his litter box and I don't want that to become a habit either. I am sure he was having an accident or two in the ex-pen on the tarp everyday and it was probably drying up before I got home. I am still debating about just getting rid of the litter box altogether, but not sure. There is occasionally poop in the box and I would hate for him to do that in the kennel and then smear it everywhere. I think we will transition to this for now and then a smaller kennel without the litter box at all will be next. Tony is going to kill me but that will mean yet another wire crate to buy! We just got one for the upstairs for his bedroom crate as we had moved that crate to the car so at least three dogs were crated when we drove. I don't want to leave him in the bedroom during the day as I don't think the dogs spend very much time up there when we are gone. Would much rather him be downstairs but don't want to drag that crate up and down the stairs everyday. Oh well, one can never have too many wire crates, right?

Deuce did not have a good night last night. I had moved the pad from his crate that he sleeps in at night down to his daytime crate. I had just put a very small fleece pad in there and it was slightly smaller than his crate so every time he moved around, I heard his little toe nails clicking. He seemed to be very restless all night and one time, even though he wasn't crying, I got up and took him out and he did poop. He also has had really bad gas this whole week. I am wondering if he can take half a pepto tablet. Will call the vet this morning and ask because it is really stinky! He is almost transitioned over to wellness chicken and is on wellness chicken treats for training. Anyway, I feel like I did not get very restful sleep, so hoping when he crashes this morning that I can crash too. He and harley are currently playing hard! I have the door open to the backyard so they are making the rounds, running through the living room, out the dining room, through the kitchen, out to the deck, out in the yard and back. I hope they wear each other out!

Plans for the day include watching my new dvd I finally got. Watched some last night and took lots of notes. Only got through the very first part of the hands on section. I like to pause it and try out what she is talking about and then start it again. I am a stickler for details so it may take me a week or more to watch this video!!! I also want to go to the park and work some behaviors if the weather is nice. Tony is stuck in Topeka all day taking a continuing education class so we will have most of the day to ourselves. I would also like to take Deuce to Claire and Harley's, our local dog wash place and give him a bath. He stinks! I think it would be much easier to do it there than try and hold him in my sink. I want to get a current weight on him too so maybe a trip to his favorite vet. I swear he has put on a little chunk this week and should as much as he is getting now. He is getting two cups of food and then probably another half a cup in his buster cube, plus treats for training. Well, he is crashed so maybe I should crash too!!!! Will probably post more later as the day progresses.