My foster dogs have taken up weightlifting and are conducting an extended excavation in the backyard.

You probably think I’m kidding.

Week before last, I was, well, dog-tired. I shut Ava and Braulio out of the guest room so I could nap for 15 minutes without “assistance.”

While dozing, I heard a couple of thumps. No sounds of breaking glass, yelping dogs or other potential disaster followed, so I didn’t investigate.

After I got up, I found a pair of 2-pound hand-weights on the far side of the master bedroom. The mini-dumbbells had been in a closet across the house.

One or both pups found the closet door open a few inches, selected the weights from among everything within reach, carried them to the other side of the house and, after minor chewing, left them there.

I have no idea why.

Unless they were building muscle for their dig to China.

When the weather’s pleasant, I often leave Ava and Braulio in my secure backyard with plenty of water and peanut butter-laced toys when I go to work. Braulio is excavating a flower bed — mostly the same one.

I know it’s him because he greets me at the back door with dirt on his muzzle.

That flower bed has a plant I can easily replace for free at one end and buried kitchen scraps I was trying to compost at the other end.

Braulio digs in the compost end, considerately leaving the plant in place, albeit covered with loose soil. I’ve pushed some soil back in, but he has a hole nearly a foot deep in his flower bed.

Yep, it’s his now.

But I have convinced him to stay off the couch. Score one for me.

The dogs can have the loveseat. Ava has figured out how to climb on furniture despite her torn ACL — we’re still trying to gather money to have it treated.

She spends a lot of time curled up on the loveseat with her head on a pillow, wagging her tail if I stop to pet her.

Braulio joins her but occasionally checks on me in other rooms. He walked into the kitchen one day and said, “Grrrr?”

I swear that question mark was really at the end. He had a relaxed, friendly expression and posture, so I guess he was wondering what I was doing, or if treats were forthcoming.

With furniture-climbing mastered, Ava has decided to sleep on the bed. How can I refuse since I already conceded defeat in letting Braulio sleep there?

So, I’m sharing sleeping space with 105 pounds of curled-up canines.

Score two for them.

The dogs are winning, but they’re sure cute and appreciative of it.

Ava, Braulio and other adoptable dogs are set to be part of the Sandoval County Animals Services adoption event from noon to 4 p.m. today (Sunday) at Tractor Supply in Bernalillo. Ava, Braulio and I will probably get there about 1 p.m. because of my church schedule.

Come say hi. Maybe you’ll meet your new best friends.