I consider myself a patient person, but we all have our limits, don’t we? 😉
Our dogs are seven months old now, and the female reminds me of the heartache my first dog, Lulu, put me through. My husband, God bless him, has forgotten the struggles of puppyhood and continues to be heartbroken as she chews things she shouldn’t, like her brother’s flea collar, random plants, and in her latest escapade, his sandals. 😩
Her antics reminded me of damaged leather phone cases, leather shoes, and my leather love seat (can you tell she liked the taste of leather?).
While it took me time to realize it, the problem wasn’t that she was naturally destructive but that she was bored. Once I realized that her mischievousness was due to boredom, I started to look at ways to keep you entertained.
The difference between this dog and Lulu is that this dog is strictly outdoors. I could crate train Lulu so she wouldn’t cause mischief when I wasn’t home. I’ll have to find toys to keep her from chewing or eating things she shouldn’t.
I’ve already started researching toys for dogs that are destructive chewers, and I’ve seen some toys I’ll check out when we head to Canada in a few weeks. 👍🏽
My husband is frustrated with her antics and wonders if she’s not as smart as we thought. I’ve been telling him it’s like the kid in school who’s always causing trouble; in many cases, it’s because they don’t find the work challenging.
I see so many apps designed to help people train their dogs; they’re tempting me to invest in one to train her out of her destructiveness, but I’d like to see what I can do on my own first. Call me crazy, but I enjoy researching and trying the suggestions of people who know dogs better than me. 😉
I will start the research this week and work on it before we leave for just under two weeks. I’m treating this as my summer project, and hope to have a positive report to make in the fall! 🩵