Puppy Story

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:35 pm

Whew! There's been some very serious conversation the past few days. For the end of the week, how about a puppy story?

I have a five month old something-or-another puppy (rescued last winter from a dumpster with his eight siblings) we got a nearby shelter. I thought he had started to get over his chewing up everything stage and shut him in my bedroom for an hour as a person allergic to dogs was visiting (it was raining hard or he would have been outside). I looked the room over and picked up a couple tempting items, made sure my CPAP machine was covered and out of sight and my Activa and hose were tucked behind the headboard.

I guess he was a bored dog. He got up on the bed, found and tugged the hose so hard it unplugged the CPAP, chewed up the strap and silicone interface on the mask, completely shredded a large book – nothing left bigger than a quarter, opened the closet and chewed through a Teva strap, and ruined an expensive pair of sunglasses. I didn't hear a thing from the adjacent room.

I don't blame him, I left him with opportunity and motive and he chose to take me up on my offer. I have back up Activa parts and a Swift so I'm covered but I think I now have karmic permission to go try an Optilife.

Have a great weekend and keep your dog busy.

Chris

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:43 pm

Snoozing Gonzo wrote:I think I now have karmic permission to go try an Optilife.

Yep, sure sounds like it!

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:56 pm

Along with the new mask I would buy a good crate for the dog. Once in a while that crate comes in handy and it is not cruel. Better to put him in a safe place to nap than to chase him around the room threatening him with a chewed up mask!

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:30 pm

And better than his chewing and swallowing something that kills him!!!

We had a Basenji, a breed KNOWN for chewing as puppies. Our little gal never gave us any puppy chewing problems! However, she always had us or our Collie around for company.

Ha! When she was almost 2 years old we left her in the house alone whilst we took our Collie to the airport to be shipped out to be bred. Hubby was at work and the kids were w/me.

We came home to a totally destroyed sofa, totally destroyed curtain, filthy, cracked window, a couple of piles of cow pie type poop on the living room carpet and kitchen floor, a HUGE puddle of piddle half on the kitchen floor and half in the living room carpet ....... and a pitifully crying, sobbing Basenji throwing herself at us in utter relief, running from each kid to me and back to the kids.

She absolutely could NOT be left alone, except in her secure crate w/a blanket and favorite toy. Ever. There was not a fence tall enough that she couldn't climb over or rip thru. The only alternative to her crate was to give her a friendly dog in the same pen.

Did I have a few visions of a DEAD BASENJI when I walked thru the door? You bet! I had a few more when hubby came home from work!!!! But she and we survived and we learned to accomodate her foible w/that one lesson. (And yeah we tried the "short" periods of leaving her alone - walking out the front door around the house to the back door. FORGET IT! Total failure). She was franctic the minute she realized she was ALONE.

tillymarigold · Post by **tillymarigold** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:34 pm

My puppy doesn't chew ... she bites! We're actually concerned we'll have to get rid of her. She's broken skin on my husband's leg a few times and bit a dog she encountered on a walk this morning (it rushed out of its yard with no leash on it, but still--it didn't attack her, just rushed over). We've been working with a behaviorist since we got her, but she's getting worse.

Unfortunately, she's also the cutest thing ever, a Lab/border collie mix, looks like a black Lab but with fluffy ears and tail and a white chest/chin. I love her. And I hate that I love her, because I'm probably going to have to get rid of her ... and when you get rid of an aggressive dog, you know it's going to be put down.

And I second the crate idea. Ours is too old (10 months, was 9 when we got her), we're having a really hard time getting her used to it. Do it while you can!

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:47 pm

can't stand those sissy cats here, besides being allergic to them along with my daughter they make me sneeze.

Besides they don't fetch, they don't play ball with you, they are very hard to take along on trips.

dogs rule! I'd like to see a cat do this, like fetch firewood:
mmm... what's he bringing in?

good doggie!

hey finish your job:

thatta boy! go get some more!

he used to be a cute little puppy too, think it only cost me $3-5k in damage from
chewed up shoes, sandals, brand new hot-tub covers, laptops etc.

Brand new Hot-springs spa cover made it a week before the corners were chewed off it and handles gone. One time I had a full glass of ice tea sitting next to a new Toshiba M55 laptop, he came running in, starts his jump about 3ft away from me over the laptop hits the glass of ice tea and dumps the full glass of tea into the laptop, the keys were actually floating in the ice tea, I quickly unplugged everything, took it to the kitchen sink and turned it side-ways to dump out the tea. I figured oh well, its toast, took the sprayer and rinsed it off (tea had sugar in it). After a few days the keys got real sticky. Stuck that new laptop on the shelf and bought another. I eventually ordered a new keyboard and replaced it but the touch-pad was shot.

But he is now about 3yrs old and all those teen-age habits are gone, he is by far the smartest and best dog I have ever had, going to miss that little guy when that day finally arrives. He goes everywhere with me even on 9 or 10 hour trips to Mexico, I'll stop every hour or two so he can take a leak, he won't go, he holds it until we get there.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:13 pm

Hey! I had a Siamese cat that would play fetch w/anything of a reasonable size. His name was Jonesy. (We couldn't think of a Siamesey sounding name so temporarily "along came Jones"). By the time we came up with "meh-ni-yen" he - and we - were used to Jonesy.

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:14 pm

Snoredog wrote:
But he is now about 3yrs old and all those teen-age habits are gone, he is by far the smartest and best dog I have ever had, going to miss that little guy when that day finally arrives.

Needless to say, Snoredog, enjoy him while you can.

My German Shepherd was a terror when she was a puppy. When I put her in our big back yard, she would sometimes get bored and pull the shingles off the side of the house! Finally I enlisted the aid of a animal behavior specialist, and it was the best thing that I ever did (for her and me)
She turned out to be the greatest friend, and the smartest dog I ever had.

She passed away at age 12, just about a month ago. It sure hasn't been the same here without her.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:16 pm

My condolences, Vader! It hurts. They are with us much too short a time.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:25 pm

Lovely set of dog stories

My father used to breed labradors. Self as a tiny tot had 4 parents, mum & dad & the family labrador pair. They sure knew how to keep my bro sis & I in line & would regularly 'retrieve' us from trouble. Am sure anyone with children who has had a labrador and has taken it swimming in a waterhole with the kids will have experienced seeing them being 'rescued' by the dog.

As for cats. There is a mis perception all round. No one owns or has a cat. The truth is a cat lives somewhere & has one or more staff.

DSM

(A farm community truism is that pigs have friends, dogs have masters & cats have staff )

dieselgal · Post by **dieselgal** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:39 pm

No...my cats don't fetch plain old sticks. The indoor cats fetch me all kinds of bugs they kill if they dare come in and they sleep alot but the outdoor cat fetchs me all kinds of little dead gifts he hunts and kills then brings and leaves at the door! EEEEEEWWWW. I would prefer a stick!

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:42 pm

Slinky wrote:My condolences, Vader! It hurts. They are with us much too short a time.

Thanks, Slinky. You are so right. They truly are with us for too short a time.

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:21 pm

dsm wrote: As for cats. There is a mis perception all round. No one owns or has a cat. The truth is a cat lives somewhere & has one or more staff.

The trick is to get a cat that doesn't know he's cat
Maxwell can out catch my 70# pound puppy any day, and is totally the top dog of the house. Poor pup can't do anything unless Maxwell allows it- Maxwell has even been known to kick the dog out of her crate-lol.

The way Maxwell catches treats is too funny too- he grabs treats out of the air between his front paws and throws them in his mouth. If he misses and it ends up on the floor, he puts his paw on top it & picks it up between his pads. And considering he's alerted me two different times at night when an electrical appliance had went kaput, he's more then earned his keep.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:42 pm

Tillymarigold - have you considered finding another trainer? Seems to me if things are going backward your present one is either having a good life on you, or else may not be the best teacher for your dog. There are ways of dealing with aggressive dogs, and while some (hard-core pits, etc.) that have been trained by all the wrong people with the wrong methods, yours doesn't sound like she belongs with them. Don't just give up on her, try someone new.

kavanaugh1950 · Post by **kavanaugh1950** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:03 pm

-snore dog- you're dog is so cool. my daughter has a jack russell .
Vader- I am so sorry about your dog, I lost my nine year old min pin last month and my heart was broken.
Tilly- I sent you a pm, but I got an older dog who was never crated to actually like it by feeding him in the crate and getting him used to it in short bursts by pytting a kong with a treat in with him and increasing the time he would be in there and lots of praise.
Snoozing Gonzo-thanks for starting this great thread. pat

Mask

Mask

Mask

Mask

Puppy Story

Puppy Story

Re: Puppy Story