I just cleaned these floors!

Rule #1 of Labrador Retriever owners should read something like: "Never leave the water bowl full for your pup unless you are prepared for the consequences." What do I mean? Picture this - you are walking through your house, barefoot, and as you walk into the kitchen, you fall straight onto your rear end. No, no banana peel here - just a ton of water all over your nice clean floors and a painful bum to remind you that you have Labs!

Sound familiar? Well, I speak from experience. Cheyenne isn't that bad but Dakota, oh Dakota, she cannot drink water like other dogs. No! Our Dakota needs to have enough water in her bowl in order to dip her whole chin in it while she is drinking. The water must be cold and there must be lots of it or she will paw at you until the water bowl is full. As we place the water bowl on her elevated platform (cause if it were on the floor, she would swim in it), we can't help but laugh. We have placed it strategically in front of the dishwasher because not only does it get all over her chin but she makes sure to splash whatever is in front of her!

Next, we have to grab one of our bath towels, that has now been downgraded to the "dog towel", and stand over her as she continue to drink. Occasionally, she will glance up at us to see where we are exact with that towel and just as she removes her chin from the water and we go to dry it off, she dives in deep for another 30 seconds of soaking her chin. We place ourselves with one hand on either side of her head - half of the towel in each. It is like a tender operation - you only have one chance to get it right or the end result is a mess! Alas, our Dakota is a smart girl - she will wait until we glance away and in that one second, she will take her head out of the water, dip her head slightly to avoid our now tiring hands, and make a run across the rest of the clean kitchen floor and towards the living room carpet!

We run after her, slipping in the waterfall of water that has cascaded out of her mouth and over her soaking chin. We grab her, but the 83 lbs of Lab keeps pulling; resisting feeble attempts to wipe the flowing water and drool off of her face. Finally we wrap the towel around her entire head so she is stuck and dry the chin off as fast as we can.

Now short of breath, we turn and wipe up the ginger bread trail of water Dakota has left behind. As we hang up the towel to let it dry properly from the battle of watered Lab, our ears hear a distinct sound and our heart drops - not only has Cheyenne decided now is the time to attack her own water bowl but Dakota has returned to her own water bowl - determined to win the next battle between her and the dog towel!

Welcome to 5 minutes of our daily life with our own Lab Brats! Water and Labs do indeed mix - it is water and kitchen floors where the battle still wages on!