Life before children, life before puppies: all too soon, they grow up. The chaos, the joy, the mess - replaced by something less chaotic but, we hope, no less joyful. Your Hazel is SOOOOO cute!!!
Love the story of the dark floor that makes certain deposits harder to see.... I can relate. :)

Have you tried crate training? I never did. Just not my style. Somehow, the collies all figured it out. Prince rings a little Christmas bell I never took down after the holidays. It's now been there for six years. Somehow he just figured out how to tap the bells with his nose to indicate "Let me out." He's the dog born to working parents, real collies, minus the paperwork to prove it. He is truly a prince. The other collie, born to a champion, with all the papers, is the court jester... none of Prince's majesty or smarts. Bear was a rescue, so I blame his first ten months with a negligent (if not abusive) owner for Bear's deficits. You get to start with a clean slate, a new puppy, no bad habits to un-learn, no Bad Human-induced anxieties and fears to overcome. Sweet, innocent Hazel: what is your excuse for any misbehavior? Bear gets to fall back on, "But my first ten months were so traumatic!"

No excuses necessary. We live and learn and love.