Give or take a minute or two, at 5:20 AM, the bathing ritual begins.

Chief leads the parade with his noisy, sloppy lapping that echoes loudly throughout my bedroom.

Before long, Erma follows with either her own bathing, or she begins gnawing on the community bone – which she always does every night when the lights officially go out.

Colonel Deeds hates to be left out and makes it a trio with Harrigan promptly joining. Haaskins, who is generally snuggling on my pillow, turns on to her back and moans and grunts while wiggling a bit, imitating her mother, Bailey.

Before long, I shout, “Stop!”

There’s an immediate pause to the bathing.

I can probably time it to six or seven seconds when it slowly picks back up.

My morning hope of sleeping straight through to 6 AM is always thwarted by five dogs bathing.

Two photos of Colonel Deeds snuggling before a nap begins.