Four Airedales, One Armadillo, and a Shot of Tequila

Four Airedales and an armadillo, all before 7 AM.

Hudson gets everyone up at 6:25 sharp.

No alarm clock needed; he is very consistent about it.

Wednesday, we went outside like always, and I was in the kitchen when I heard a commotion that sounded different from our usual commotion.

It was barely dawn. I went to look, and the chase was already on.

I called. No one listened.

So, I threw on my emergency sneakers (the old pair I keep by the back door for exactly this) and ran out in my pajamas to find four Airedales chasing a very large armadillo around the yard.

I screamed like a girl. There is no understatement strong enough. (I am not a morning person, and this is no way to start a morning.)

There I am yelling Hudson, Erwitt, Prayerie, and Fleetwood, trying to get some kind of order.

I'm somewhere between laughing and crying, praying nobody brought me the armadillo as a present.

Fleetwood came back first, barely any dirt on him.

Hudson followed with a full dirt beard and muddy paws, because clearly, he's Prayerie's muscle.

And yes… the show champion was the ringleader. She always is.

Finally, I got everyone inside and the armadillo back out of the yard.

Four dogs, all hot, panting, and filthy, all while I'm in my pajamas.

Thankfully, all of it was done by 6:45 AM.

Everyone got a bath.

The kitchen floor got mopped.

Breakfast was served by 7:20.

The shot of tequila came later.

I'd say that's one of the more interesting starts to my morning in the past few years.

How does your dog-filled house start the day?

-Kim Opdyke