Day Eleven, Morning - In which I decide that it's still night. I've been getting up a little earlier each morning so that I allow enough time for cuddles, clean ups, feedings and getting ready for work. All of the pups are awake early, but remain confined! It's so cute to see their heads above the top of the barricade! The baby gate holds them in. I've managed to outsmart them, for now. I scoop them up into my “puppy containment system” and wheel them toward the door. They go out and race around with the residents - it's a good thing they aren't barking completely yet - that's only a matter of time, though. Time to clean up the mess and feed the piranhas. New drop cloth, fresh newspaper, put down the food and water, and bring in the hounds. The residents are more interested in sniffing for kittens than they are in eating, at least until the gate goes up in the hallway. Breakfast is complete, th! e dogs go outside, and I can con centrate on getting ready for work. It's harder to leave the little devils each day because they've got so much personality…but someone has to bring home the dog treats!

Day Eleven, Evening - In which I review what I've learned at Beagle Camp so far:

There is a recurring theme here: The puppies eat, drink, pee, poop, play, and chew. This is what their lives revolve around, and consequently, so does mine. I feed them, I water them, I clean up after them, and I play with them.

These puppies have taxed my sanity, and then turned around and done the absolute cutest things! But, that's their job. It occurs to me that I've invited the devil in for tea....

Other things I've learned so far:

Anything that can be eaten, WILL be eaten. Or, at least the attempt will be made. Shoes, socks, underwear, couches, Newsweek, TV Guide, toys, plates, crates, it doesn't matter. (Note to self - remember to ask the vet to show you the best way to get foreign objects out of a puppy's mouth) Sullivan came inside with an oak leaf in his mouth this morning. I have observed that in spite of this, the only thing puppies do NOT chew, is their food. Puppies INHALE their food. And there is the consequence of all of these attempts at eating things: Puppies like to refund a lot of things they shouldn't have eaten in the first place.

Puppy nails and teeth are SHARP. They can leave permanent marks. Nails should be clipped, that is, if the puppies will LET you. I thought about doing this, but at the time the task involved cutting something like 100 toenails. I wasn't quite up to it then.

Wear old, or at least easily washed clothing when going anywhere near the puppies. They run through the ickiest things. Plus, I've been peed on, drooled on, and thrown up on. I'm just one giant napkin to these critters.

Puppies are COMPLETELY unafraid. These puppies have run right off my couches, they've fallen off the hay bales in the back yard, they've successfully climbed up and down Dog House Mountain, this is what I call the school of "bounce and learn".