Happy New Year! I was planning on writing an article about car travel options for your dog(s) since many of us travel with our Springer(s) over the holidays but instead I find myself distracted by thoughts of New Year’s resolutions. I should clarify that I don’t mean resolutions for myself. I rarely make them. I’m distracted by resolutions for my dogs. I know that sounds crazy so let me give you a little background as to why this occupies the gray matter on a cold gray Saturday morning.

Each day Lila and I play this game. She steals my stuff and drags it through the doggie door while I sleep. In the morning I pick it up and bring it back inside. I’ve found various articles of clothing, bath towels, toys, grooming tools, remote controls, my asthma rescue inhaler, scissors, all kinds of paper products, credit cards and my checkbook in the backyard. Today I recovered an antler, various pieces of cardboard, my new box of k-cups and Linus’ dog bowl. Apparently she couldn’t get the stand outside. It also appears she’s not a fan of decaf since only one k-cup was punctured. Thankfully my caffeinated k-cups are in a drawer that she can’t open.

We’ve been playing this game for months. I sleep through all of it and have an extensive nightly process to ensure doors are closed and things are put up. Some how she always finds new articles to take outside.

We visited family for the holidays and since we’ve returned home, the game has stopped. I’ve retrieved nothing from the backyard. I thought perhaps she made a New Year’s resolution, but if that had occurred, like many New Year’s resolutions it didn’t last long.

If it were Linus, I’d suggest that his resolution be to stop barking at the variety of delivery men that appear in the neighborhood or perhaps just stick with those deliveries that actually come to our house instead of any house on the block. That resolution would have failed yesterday though. It was a big day for Amazon on my street. I could always work on training to change his behavior but then that becomes my resolution and I’m trying to avoid those.

Does anyone else have these thoughts or games that they play with their Springers? What resolutions would you suggest for your Springers in the year of 2020? I bet counter-surfing is in the top 10. It’s a self-rewarding behavior like barking at the delivery man.

If you are interested in the travel options blog, don’t worry as I still plan to write that one. I’d also love to hear suggestions of other topics that interest my readers. The email is springerblogger@gmail,com.

I hope everyone has a joy filled Year with lots of Springer or Springer wannabe kisses and snuggles and I hope to find less of my stuff in the backyard courtesy of Lila.