So Thurston got into my room, climbed onto the bed, and somehow pulled my sleep apnea mask down off a 5 ft tall dresser and destroyed it. That would be #6 that he has shredded, and insurance is not going to cover anymore this year. So no sleep tonight and out who knows how much money to buy some new ones.
I wish I could send him away for two years and have him come back not a puppy. And this is not a training issue. You can’t train away asshole.
redshirt
Put him in dog jail.
piratedan
this behavior will continue until you find him a mask that fits…..
beltane
Thurston is a very enterprising puppy. The worst thing my dog did at that age was chew the windowsills. Now she doesn’t do anything bad at all.
redshirt
@piratedan: No one knew who Thurston was before he put on the mask….
Jerzy Russian
Send him away to a military boarding school. That seemed to do wonders for Mr. Trump.
PST
If insurance won’t pay, don’t go to your usual DME provider. Web vendors like CPAP.com are much cheaper for self pay.
Amir Khalid
The instant I saw the post headline, I knew it was going to be about Thurston. Since no height is going to deter him, why not put mask #7 in a secure, locked container? (Oh, and hide the key.)
WaterGirl
I’m sorry, Cole. I feel your pain. People here might think it’s your fault for not putting it out of reach after it happened the first time. But you won’t get that from me. I know that my tiny little pup – maybe 15 pounds – can get to things even when I am certain I have put them out of reach.
I haven’t added up the cost of the stuff that Henry has destroyed, but I would not be surprised if it’s close to 1,000. I’m not keeping track because it would be really depressing. I know those sleep masks cost a ton of money, so I’m really sorry.
Just look at Thurston when he’s sleeping, or at least really tired, and think about the fact that he’ll be more like that in a couple of years. It really is a good thing that he’s so cute.
khead
You knew that the dresser wasn’t a good enough spot. You might as well leave some weed and beer out for the frat guys too.
Amir Khalid
@Jerzy Russian:
It would be worse if Thurston came back as an obnoxious boor with
no tastepolitical ambitions.redshirt
Now imagine a less compassionate pet owner….
Anne Laurie
He’s young, you can train him to stay in a crate when you can’t supervise him. (And I mean “actually pay attention to what he’s up to”, not “have him in the same room where I’m working/napping/websurfing on my phone.”) Per my dog guru’s advice, get a big old soupbone (one too big for him to splinter, with lots of marrow & tendon) and chain it inside the crate, so it’s a special treat he can only access when he’s in it.
He may bitch & whine the first couple times, but that’s why earplugs are cheaper than CPAP masks.
If you really can’t bring yourself to put poor widdle house-wrecking Durston in a nasty ol’ cage, get a six-foot lead you can clip to his harness and your belt, and don’t let him off the lead unless you’re actually paying attention to him. The lead will let him move around & play with his toys, but he won’t be able to sneak off and get into stuff he shouldn’t. He’ll probably demand you take him out to the back yard every forty minutes, but your doctors will tell you getting regular desk breaks is good for your physical health as well as your peace of mind.
As it is, you’re training him to sneak off and do stuff behind your back. This is NOT the kind of house-breaking you want to encourage in a smart little guy like Young Master Howell!
benw
Au contraire! We have you!
Gin & Tonic
@Amir Khalid: Why not put the dog in a secure, locked container? I seem to recall Cole crate-training Rosie.
Anne Laurie
@WaterGirl:
Pffft. My husband’s rescue cat has done more damage than that (he chews holes in fabric, the more expensive the tastier), and that’s apart from his chronic health condition (urinary stones, not eating-fiber-related). And Rocket can open dresser drawers — let’s see Thurston or Henry do that!
beltane
In many ways, a puppy has to be treated like a small child. Any object that could be enticing to a young creature needs to be made completely inaccessible. Think toddlers and firearms. At least puppies lack opposeable thumbs. That would be a real recipe for disaster.
beltane
@Anne Laurie: Cats can jump, climb up curtains, squeeze into tiny spaces, and get into all kinds of trouble that dogs can only dream of.
WaterGirl
@Anne Laurie: My dog Mellon learned how to open the fridge, that was fun.
I read your comment about fabric the other night, but I was too late to the thread to post a reply. Henry is a fabric guy, too. And yes, the more expensive the better. He ate the corners of my two down pillows – I mean, what was he supposed to do – there were silk pillowcases! Irresistible! He at the armpit of my favorite, baby soft t-shirt. Oh, and he’s a tag eater, too.
My living room is littered with soft things for Henry to chew, and he still steals stuff at every turn. But he’s adorable. When I don’t want to strangle him. :-)
Death Panel Truck
I buy my CPAP masks on eBay. They’re actually cheaper there than going through insurance (depending on your coverage). You can get lots of supplies online – filters, reservoirs, hoses. The only thing you can’t get without a script is the machine itself.
TaMara (BHF)
@Anne Laurie: Bixby was in the crate whenever I wasn’t in the same room. I started slowly letting him out when I showered…and of course the first time he ended up in the shower with me…and then letting him out for 10 or 15 minutes when I was occupied elsewhere.
I like to think we built up a trust. Every time I came back and he’d been good I rewarded him. If he did something not so great, I put him back in the crate and left the room for a while. He worked very hard to be good while I was out of sight. I think the key was limiting his time, a puppy can only be good so long before mischief takes over.
Now I only crate him when I’m out of the house and really only then because I’m worried more about him trying to go through the window and I haven’t found a really good solution for that yet. And I still block of the majority of the house because he does like to sneak off and go places he shouldn’t, like my bedroom and my closet where my shoes are. Baby gates, not just for babies. LOL.
I never had to crate him at night because one of the advantages of a dog that big, they need their sleep to grow that big that fast. He was out by 9 pm and didn’t wake up until 7 am.
Amir Khalid
@Gin & Tonic:
That might work too.
WaterGirl
@TaMara (BHF): Baby gates. Yes! My life with Henry got a lot better when I got my baby gate.
I have been wanting to ask you… I remember when you were struggling with Bixby wanting to play on the couch, and for awhile, at least, he didn’t get to go on the couch. Henry (little guy) is now finally able to get on the couch by himself, so he jumps up and taunts Tucker (40 lb.) and then next thing I know Tucker has jumped up on the couch and started to play. I keep saying down but they are so excited it’s hard to get his attention. Any tips?
sukabi
you can’t train away asshole
You sure Thurston isn’t a republican?
Omnes Omnibus
@sukabi: Dogs aren’t Republicans. They want to be liked and they believe in society.
sukabi
@Omnes Omnibus: I know, he’s doin what puppies do. Just couldn’t resist.
redshirt
@Omnes Omnibus:Like Democrats, also big fans of handouts.
Omnes Omnibus
@redshirt: No, fans of getting what they deserve.
Roger Moore
Looking at his human, I’m not so sanguine on either point.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@WaterGirl: Watch Henry with his fabric habit. It can be really hard on puppy digestive tracts, which I’m sure you know. Such dining habits must be strongly discouraged.
Omnes Omnibus
@Roger Moore: Agreed.
Suzanne
Puppies and kittens are sociopaths, and FSM made them cute so we wouldn’t kill them.
I am in a shitty mood. There is a serial shooter loose in Phoenix who is shooting people and cars on the I-10. So guess which freeway I take to and from work every day. There was another incident around lunchtime today.
Also, I am running this big project for Client A, and at the same time, my other client (Client B) is being completely demanding and unreasonable, and I simply cannot do it all myself. I am missing things because there are four projects all moving at once, all in different stages of design and construction, and I am constantly being interrupted when I try to do any goddamned thing.
redshirt
@Omnes Omnibus: Gosh I hope you got that joke.
Anne Laurie
@TaMara (BHF):
LISTEN TO THE SMART LADY, MR. COLE!
redshirt
@Suzanne: Are there any alternative routes?
redshirt
@Anne Laurie:
You know Cole seldom, if ever, reads this blog?
srv
Why didn’t you leave the first 5 masks out for him to play with?
You need to learn to listen to the asshole:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Language-Older-Than-Words/dp/1931498555
Suzanne
In other news, I just looked in my fridge for the peanut butter, and I found four bottles of mustard. Cole should come over.
Suzanne
@redshirt: Yes, but they add significant time and distance.
redshirt
@Suzanne: I bought habanero mustard a few months ago but have yet to find a reason to use it. Now, I’m not sure why I bought it, and wish I could somehow return it in good conscience, which I cannot.
redshirt
@Suzanne:
How significant? Because possibly getting randomly shot at does sound scary.
TaMara (BHF)
@WaterGirl: I have had no luck. And for some reason, ever since we got back from our trip, he’s been very clingy and has to sit next to me on the couch. Which means I get this«-» much and he gets this «——-» much space and still manages to rest his head in my lap. #disciplinefail
Anne Laurie
@WaterGirl:
You didn’t ask me, but the standard steps as I understand them:
Put something on the couch Henry doesn’t like stepping on — like sheets of tinfoil, or patches of double-sided tape.
If that doesn’t work, try small balloons. Or mouse traps — they’re not strong enough to hurt a dog, but the noise/snap startles them into discontinuing jumping up, sometimes. (Of course, if Henry’s a nervous piddler, he’ll soil himself & probably the couch at least once… )
There’s a wide variety of Scat Mats available, by mail or at your local big-box pet retailer…
Or you can just give up, buy a sturdy disposable throw, and only enjoy your couch in its full glory when company comes over :}
Suzanne
@redshirt: Probably an extra 20 minutes each way, at best.
Suzanne
@TaMara (BHF): I absolutely do not allow my dogs on the couch, for that very reason. If I did, they would take up the entire thing. Even the damn Chihuahua.
TaMara (BHF)
@Suzanne: I’ve been wondering if he’s the same highway shooter from my neck of the woods who maybe migrated south. It is scary and sucks because he was also randomly shooting people out bike riding and walking. Stay safe.
Anne Laurie
@redshirt:
Cole seems to read the comments replying to his own posts, mostly. (It’s how I count on contacting him, when I need to.)
Unless he’s in a particularly bad mood, of course, or when he decides we’re all picking on him.
The Gray Adder
Does anyone out there have extras? Come on, I know someone out there does. I don’t, since I’m trying to figure out which mask actually works without coming loose during the night or leaving marks all over my face, but since I seem to get a new one every few months, I figure someone has got to have extras. So how about it? Can someone spare a working mask (specify type) for John here?
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
Puppies being puppies. It’s what they do. (sorry).
OT: Wonkette has more on Judge Day in Oregon:
It doesn’t sound like he’ll be judge much longer, if the hearing is sensible.
The collage is more than a little disturbing…
Cheers,
Scott.
The Gray Adder
@Anne Laurie: It’s not that easy. I was completely oblivious to my own snoring, but my wife had this compulsion to wake me, even if I was in another room, because I had momentarily stopped breathing. I would scream at her to just let me the f*** alone for just a few more days until I got to see the sleep doc who would make it all better. Better a shitty night’s sleep than no sleep at all.
Apparently, these machines work, because the chief complaint coming from her now is when the mask comes loose and she gets woken up by the sound of air rushing through. I usually incorporate that into my dreams. I miss having my own room sometimes.
The Gray Adder
@Anne Laurie: Cats are clever, aren’t they? As for not eating enough fiber, I can’t say much about that, since they’re supposed to be eating meat, and very little else. Maybe the problem is trying to get the kitty to eat fiber when that’s not what the FSM meant for her to eat.
redshirt
@Suzanne:
That’s it! 20 minutes? That’s like an episode of Friends. Who cares? As opposed to possibly getting sniped by some psycho?
I’d be taking back roads. YMMV, literally.
Mike in NC
As somebody who experiences periodic insomnia, my wife nagged me to see a sleep specialist a couple of years ago. The sleep study was an ordeal that cost about $1700, half of which I had to pay out of pocket.
The doctor then decided that the results were inconclusive (maybe indicating a very minor case of sleep apnea) and wanted me to subject myself to yet another sleep study, only wearing a CPAP. I absolutely refused to have anything to do with that quack again. I sleep fine now taking a lemon balm tablet, recommended by a neighbor.
redshirt
@efgoldman:
I’m not so sure. But maybe my jokes are so subtle as to be unidentifiable as jokes? Who’s to know for sure?
Mj_Oregon
Cole – CPAP.com Send them a copy of your prescription so they have it on file and get your new mask from them. Seriously. I won’t deal with the local med equipment people anymore and get ALL my apnea equipment from them online. And no, insurance won’t cover getting stuff from them – at lease mine wouldn’t – but most of the time what I pay for stuff is only a little more than what my co-pay would have been from the local bloodsuckers.
So sorry the pupster is being a pisser, but that’s actually in their job description. As for storing the CPAP mask, get a mesh bag of some sort to put it in and an over-the-door hook to hang it from. OR put it IN the dresser drawer.
RK
Hilarious. But Thurston is too cute to stay mad at.
yet another jeff
That should be a tag too…so many potential uses of “You Can’t Train Away Asshole”
Omnes Omnibus
@redshirt: I know. efg already explained. I don’t know why you want to argue with him.
Suzanne
@redshirt: I already worked a 12-hour day and commuted 35 minutes each way. I’m not thrilled about adding another 40 minutes of driving onto that.
But I will, because apparently this is the price of FREEDUMB.
The Gray Adder
@Death Panel Truck: Getting a script for a CPAP machine shouldn’t be too difficult. It seems sleep apnea is to middle-aged people what ADHD is to school-aged children – a common enough ailment to be relatively easy to convince someone with an M.D. and a prescription pad.
Mike in NC
@Suzanne: Never heard of peanut butter that needed to be refrigerated, unlike mayo and mustard.
redshirt
@Suzanne:
Or you could roll the dice. The odds are highly in your favor of surviving the drive.
But I’d argue the psychic weight is worse, as opposed to the feeling of freedom of taking an alternate route.
redshirt
@Omnes Omnibus:
Never would except in jest or good sport.
trollhattan
@redshirt:
Few years ago I planted a habanero, nurtured it and harvested a glorious mess of gorgeous yellow-orange peppers. I managed to use two, total, myself and offered them around with no takers. Even my born-in-Mexico neighbor politely declined. My takeaway: lovely plant, lovely fruit, lovely flavor, three peppers will fill the needs of a small to mid-sized city.
The Gray Adder
@Mike in NC: This bit with the two nights in the sleep lab is standard procedure. I remember my sleep study well. I don’t think I actually fell asleep the entire night, even with drugs. The doctor insists I did and the test results showed a rather extreme case of apnea. The second night (with the mask), I had better drugs and actually got to sleep, although I was up at around 4 AM. This time, the snoring was gone and everything was all better. Well, I wear my mask every night because it makes my wife happy. Did I actually have a problem? Probably.
Bill E Pilgrim
If I might make a small suggestion, there are also these things called “drawers”. Right there in the dresser, presumably.
Put the dog in one and you’re all set.
trollhattan
Will leave y’all with this.
redshirt
R.E.M. v. Donald Trump is the battle I’ve been waiting for.
Suzanne
@Mike in NC: If you don’t put it in the fridge, it’s too runny and goopy.
Peale
Yay. I’m getting a puppy next Saturday.
I’m going to blithely ignore this idea that puppies are trouble.
Peale
@trollhattan: so…um why do Cruz and Trump feel fine? They seem the opposite of fine.
Ms. Skink in AZ
@John Cole – Have you thought about doggy day care? I take my two minions to a local place every week are two when they get too rambunctious. They come home exhausted and are completely worn out.
SWMBO
@Mike in NC: All of us in our family have CPAP machines. My husband was 38 when I convinced him he needed to be checked. The doctor told him he had sleep apnea–obstructive and central nervous system. He had over 80 episodes an hour lasting from 10 seconds to over 2 minutes. The doc said “I have patients with terminal emphysema going into ICU with higher oxygen levels in their blood.” He was getting down to 29 percent and staying there. His choices were get used to the machine or make his funeral arrangements because he wasn’t going to make it to 40. That was in 1989. In 2012 my son and I started with our CPAP machines and we use them every time except in the car. We went in for the sleep study and we had to go back for the titration study. My husband was going to go in for another sleep study to get a new prescription for a new machine and they gave him an autopap machine that sets the level each time.
We tend to buy our masks from cpap.com as well. It’s easier and we get the one we want.
SWMBO
@Bill E Pilgrim: Oh hell no! Thurston would eat the dresser from the inside out.
Anne Laurie
@The Gray Adder:
Well, you could always start eating more gas-producing foodstuffs…
Seriously: Not mocking the CPAP, not at all. Probably end up wearing one myself, if I live long enough, although (praise goddess) right now what works for me is sleeping with my head elevated.
(And the Spousal Unit also snores, so there’s a limit to how much he can complain about my night noises. What works for him is buying the BreatheRight strips in bulk quantities.)
Mike in NC
@trollhattan: These assholes do this all the time. See Palin, Sarah or Walker, Scott. Many other examples of wingnuts stealing music without permission.
JohnK
Listen to Anne Laurie. You should be able to figure out how to train a puppy. You went through a big pile with Rosie too. Jaysus how difficult could it be? That little puppy is kicking your butt, ferchrissakes.
FoxinSocks
I have a hound mix called Hope. We like to say there is no hope for Hope. She’s both the most evil and the best dog I’ve ever had. She thinks sofas are delicious. I’ve finally given up on having any in the house and roll over an office chair when I want to watch TV. Other things Hope likes to eat: Watermelons (including the rinds), pumpkins, credit cards, wallets, ear buds, strawberries, entire pizzas, cookies, blocks of cheese, etc.
But wait, it gets better. We swear she has retractable thumbs because she doesn’t rip things open. Let’s say you have a sandwich in a tupperware container in the bottom of your bag. She’ll stick her head into the bag, neatly open the container, eat all the contents, and then CLOSE THE CONTAINER. On several occasions I’ve reached for my lunch, only to discover Hope’s gotten to it first.
Oh, and all the neighbors love her and buy treats just for her, so that every walk is like Trick-or-Treating.
At the same time, she lives with seven foster cats and she’s wonderful with them. There is no introduction period. She just instantly accepts and loves all kitties. Also great with kids. My little niece would dress her up and she’d sit there and patiently take it.
The biggest shock was that this shy, sweet 35 lb dog is a fierce defender of the house too. She was at my Mom’s house and my sister’s boyfriend broke down the door to go after my sister. All Mom’s dogs did was bark. Hope leapt through the air and went for the boyfriend’s face, snapping and growling until he ran away.
I guess what I’m saying is, don’t give up on jerk dogs, sometimes they can surprise you in a good way.
Morzer
I recommend putting your mask in a secure, undisclosed location. Next to the mustard ought to do it.
And if Thurston continues to be a Bad Puppy, just tell him he’s never gonna win a Hugo.
Morzer
Speaking of assholes:
https://boingboing.net/2015/09/09/rupert-murdoch-just-bought-nat.html
redshirt
I admit I find it hilarious Cole has such little interest in his own blog.
It’s reassuring, first, of course. He’s not getting rich off this. Obviously.
But then, he doesn’t seem to care much either for replying to anyone on this,
Balloon Juice, which means Hot Air, which is an inversion of one of John’s fellow walkers back in the day. That lady? Who was she again? I’ve forgot MSM be blessed.
So in sum, can we really trust Balloon Juice, given that posts are muted, threads are bugged, and someone’s balls have been deflated since at least 2000?
mai naem mobile
I think you should get the bitter apple stuff and put it on your new cpap equipment.
WaterGirl
@JohnK: I’m gonna venture a guess and say that you haven’t raised a puppy.
Anne Laurie
@FoxinSocks:
Most “toy” breeds, hand to goddess, were selectively bred as personal protection devices. In the days before Mace and reliable police protection, delicate ladies, sensitive scholars, and elderly people might not be able to fight off an assailant, but pair them up with a Maltese/Pekinese/Toy Spaniel/Lhasa Apso/Chihuahua & you’d get a faceful of angry teeth simultaneously barking so loudly that everyone within a quarter-mile would come running, if only to make the noise stop. And unlike a human bodyguard, a small dog was very hard to bribe or intimidate.
Of course, they have many other benefits as companions — that’s why there are toy dogs going back as far as archaeologists can separate dogs from wolves — but getting a toy and complaining their bark is out of all proportion to their size is like getting a greyhound and complaining it runs too fast, or that your border collie is smart enough to out-think you.
Hope sounds like a great dog, whatever her character flaws!
Cermet
I understand, John; my rescue St. Bernard (all 130 lbs; luckily, she is small for the breed …) is terrified of thunder and that occurred this night – into the bed she jumped demanding to be protected. Poor thing. I need to get up anyway (it was 3:00 AM) so it worked out OK.
Riggsveda
@Anne Laurie: I can’t second this comment enough. Excellent advice on every level.
satby
@Anne Laurie: the throw is my solution, with a couch cover under it. The actual beautifully upholstered antique couch is actually seen about 5 hours per year.
JMT
@TaMara (BHF):
This!
Never give a puppy free run of the house when you aren’t actively supervising. Crates and pens are your friends.
Stuffed and frozen kongs are good pacifiers for teething destructive puppies.
Patricia Kayden
John, you need to call Cesar Milan. He works miracle with bad doggies. He would do wonders with Thurston, imho. At least that’s how things are presented in his shows. He shows up and the dogs are grovelling at his feet within a few minutes.
Percysowner
@Patricia Kayden: No! No! Not Cesar! Really he uses discredited methods and he has been sued for injuring a dog during training. Here’s a pretty decent article with links that talk about his methods. Positive dog training i.e. Victoria Stillwell type of training and mixed positive and gentle corrective training have much better and safer results. It takes a lot of time and paying attention to your dog, but it does work.
I will also say that 2 years isn’t exactly a Rubicon. I just adopted a 2 year old beagle because I figured that at least she would have outgrown the chew everything stage. She hasn’t and I spend half my life saying “No Shiloh, drop it!” while wondering how the heck she got the thing she is chewing. I’m pulling in a positive trainer in a few weeks after my daughter’s wedding so I have the time to focus on getting her settled. She’s the sweetest thing in the world when she’s not eating everything she can find, refusing to housebreak and chasing my cats. She doesn’t hurt them she simply corners them then happily tells me she has them cornered by barking beagles are hunting dogs who find things for you to shoot I can’t convince her that I don’t hunt.
Mobile Grumpy Code Monkey
This is absolutely a training issue. Like any kid, dogs need to be taught where the line is, and that teaching needs to be reinforced over time.
Dogs also get bored, and that’s when they get destructive. He needs mental exercise as much as physical exercise. Basic obedience work is a start, but he’s going to need more than that. You need to think of games you can do with him (like finding hidden toys or treats, making him use his sniffer) that can work his brain for a half hour or so at a time. That will go a long way towards him not needing to shred your stuff to keep him occupied.
Paul in KY
@Anne Laurie: I would say that you wait for next time he gets on the couch & then immediately correct him with a swat & repeated ‘No’. Make sure you are present anytime he is in vicinity of couch. After 3 or 4 of these, he should get the message.
Paul in KY
@trollhattan: I was at a weekend campout & chili cookoff & these people had a display of habernaros (with diced up ones to try). Also had complete pepper (which looks like a miniature orange green pepper) on display. I picked one of those up & ate it right there. They freaked out.
Called me ‘The Habanero Dude’ rest of weekend. I think I had a mild one & I swallowed it pretty fast (pro tip there).
Paul in KY
@FoxinSocks: Cool. Go Hope!
beth
@Anne Laurie: yes. yes. yes. plus bored puppies need a lot of exercise (our motto is a tired dog is a good dog) and things to do — frozen peanut butter stuffed kongs, big soup bones frozen, chewing toys, puzzle toys with food rewards, etc) — or they find things to do as you’ve learned the hard and expensive way.
i used to say no puppies ever again but crating finley when he was a puppy and we couldn’t give him 100% of our attention made all the difference. and he still ate a chair. so you have my sympathy.
CONGRATULATIONS!
It absolutely is a training issue. And you are lagging on the training, big time. You need to fix this now or the dumb little guy is going to kill himself by ingesting the wrong thing. He’s also teething and you need to give him lots of things to chew on that are NOT your CPAP. Nylabones are very good for this.
Get the Monks of New Skete books for starters. READ THEM, both the one about puppy raising (do that first) and then about adult dogs. And treat those books like the Bible, re-read them often. They don’t cover everything but they have enough. Put what you read into practice, daily, and for all your dogs. And then find some local obedience classes and take him and you there, regularly.
Training is not turning your dog into a slavish robot. It’s necessary and they both need and appreciate it, even though they’ll fight you every step of the way. They are pack animals and need a pack leader. That’s you. Act like it and they’ll stop wrecking shit.
You have my email if you’ve got any questions, I do check it every now and then. I raise guide dogs, if you’re wondering “who is this asshole trying to tell me how to raise a dog?” You’re not going for that degree of perfection, you just don’t want your little guy to kill himself or run up your CPAP bill any higher than it already is.
Miss Bianca
I feel your pain too, John Cole. My Siberian Husky Luna is three years old, and I still get chewed shoes (always my favorites). From pup to now, she’s caused at least a couple thousand in damages (Including a $900 security deposit that went south because she chewed a hole in the brand-new carpet my landlord installed just as we were moving out – altho’ that was my fault, I never should have left her there unattended while I sneaked out for Chinese). Crate, for sure.
Irony Abounds
It’s a shame someone held a gun to Cole’s head to force him to take another dog.
CONGRATULATIONS!
@Anne Laurie: Can you come over and knock this into my wife’s head? She thinks petting the dog while surfing the web is “paying attention to the dog”, which it most certainly is not.
Of all things, dogs need eye contact and conversation, just like humans do.
Eadgyth
I’m kind of shocked with all the dog lovers here no one is pointing out the obvious: Thurston is bored and restless. Dogs need a minimum of an hour a day walking, by and large. Bigger working dogs need more, smaller dogs need less, but they will only be well behaved when their needs are met. Once you walk a dog regularly and you see just how much it means to them you can’t go back to ignoring them or forcing them to cope without the joy that is being outside. They really need that time out of the house.
I recall a period of my life when I was unemployed and had no money, so there was no reason to leave the house most days. It wasn’t too long until I made it a rule to leave the house once a day to do something. It was critical for good mental health I thought. It’s the same for them.
Another great piece of advice I received about puppies is to have toys and chew items all over the house. A puppy will not leave the room to go to their basket when they want to chew. A trip hazard yes but using regular walks and wildly scattered toys has meant I haven’t lost more than one or two items in the course of raising several puppies.
I strongly advise watching the no longer aired series “It’s Me or the Dog” with Victoria Stilwell. She also has a website with training videos; I have watched a few. Her show was great as the original ones were set in England so there were great accents to listen to and you got to see all this countryside and English houses. Anyway, she goes after a lot of the myths that surround dog training, like the whole dominance thing.
Dogs really are just independent beings trying to while away their day while having no computer, video games, substances to abuse, books to read, etc. All they get to do is explore the same old space again and again and again and sleep and occasionally eat. Give them a few regular fun things to do, – and walking is way fun for them- and they can cope with the boredom much better.
Kate P
And this is the reason I only adopt senior dogs. Puppies are cute as heck but way too much work.
PaulW
I wouldn’t blame the puppy.
I have sleep apnea, and I always put my mask and hose away in a drawer so that my two cats do not chew on the plastic.
You need to own up to the fact that you’re leaving out items that can be viewed by a puppy (or a kitteh) as a potential chew toy.
And you should be able to ask your doctor to proscribe a replacement mask when there’s damage to an existing one.
PNW_WarriorWoman
We love you so…John. Really. You make my day!