I haven't had many dogs in my lifetime, but it only took one to teach me how I should be relating to them. After he ate a remote control and a brand new pair of $100 shoes I sought help. I learned the proper way to relate to a dog and how to train them how to relax and be a member of the family and not a pest or house wrecker. After this dog I had 3 others and not one of them ever tore up anything. I learned from the first one that all dogs, no matter what the breed or size, need obedience training. There are basic things all dogs need, one being training and the other thing is something to chew on 24/7 that belongs to him. Once I realized I was relating incorrectly to the dog and confusing him and not providing him with what he needed as a dog, not a human, I no longer had to worry about any of my dogs destroying my house or having accidents.

The reason dogs chew our stuff is because they have nothing proper for them to chew on. By proper I mean a pig ear, a bullie or some other hard object that is healthy and won't break off and choke or cause a blockage. Chewing is relaxing for a dog. It's their TV or a book, so to speak. Dogs need and want something to chew on daily, not just when his human thinks to buy him something. I keep my dog in chew 24/7. My current dog is 8 yrs. old. I've had him since he's 10 weeks old. I crate trained him in order to housebreak him, made sure he had all the chew things he needed, lots of good food, exercise and attention and he's been a marvelous companion for all the 8 years I've had him. He's never once chewed anything that didn't belong to him or had a potty accident in the house.

It's a shame that animal shelters are busting at the seams because humans refuse to accept the fact that dogs are dogs and not humans and if their needs are not met they will act out. Sadly that results in many of them at the shelter with no hope for a life.

Our cats have made our house a home :)

Bronwynsmom, yes they are so sweet when they cuddle together, but do you see that wild glint in their eyes? It is there, alright. Colorblind, yes, Sally is a "classic" calico, just like yours! She is quite beautiful as is her brother the tuxedo. They make a handsome couple :)

"! Sometimes I wonder why I try to make home improvements when I have a dog that does this kind of destruction. "

boy have I asked myself that question more than a few times. LOL. Compared to some people here I've been lucky (mostly I've adopted older dogs so haven't had to deal with the puppy phase much).

I've lost a few rugs and a pair of reading glasses to chewing,the cat claws at any new soft furnishings and usually leaves little holes in them. I spent months making a quilt for the bed and then got a new dog who came in heat and left blood stains on it which I never got out, hall runner got destroyed by pee stains, have had my new carpet and bedding vomited on lol, it's really not funny but goes with the territory I think, but my pets mean so much more to me than all this stuff.

I too have read the books about raising dogs and the recommendations that are supposed to keep them from chewing up human possessions. Some dogs respond by the book; other dogs do not. We had a Bichon who chewed the wood of our windowsills just in the dining room. He had plenty of the right kind of chew toys and treats, he just liked wood. Dogs have personalities, and it is a mistake to believe that if a person was just a good enough owner, the dog would have no accidents nor chew anything that didn't belong to it. Puppies chew indiscriminately, and they have extremely short attention spans. They can walk across a room away from the pig ear on their way to the water bowl, see a shoe and it's all over. We have had five dogs, all with different personalities and problems, and those we acquired as puppies ALL chewed on a variety of things until they got a little older. It's part of the training process for humans.

sueb20: Did you try to register on GW as "poohpup" but found the name already taken? That is a hard to resist face!

sonicmom: pet-resistant screening - Where do you get it? My cat likes to sit in the kitchen window, but if I have it open, she stands up and leans on the screen holding herself up with her claws. All OK until the birds or squirrels appear, then the screening gets mangled.

my3dogs: A helpful pet will always have a home. This is why Cloe remains with me despite her (ahem) misconduct:

My rescue Golden is the sweetest ever. How could I ever stay mad at her?

These stories and photos are great. I don't have any pets so I don't have any pet destruction stories. I do have one non-destructive but a bit amusing story about my friend's dog.

My friend asked me to wait at her house to let the propane guy in since they were all out at school & work. When I arrive I hear Baxter, an 8 yo yellow lab, jump down off her bed and sleepily come downstairs to see who is coming into the house. He sees it's a friend so he goes into greeting mode - searching around the floor for something to bring to me. I say hey Bax, pat his head, take the sneaker he is offering me, and then sit down to read while I await the service guy. Baxter keeps trying to engage me by bringing things over but I'm not interested in dog-slobbered toys. Eventually he drops the last offering, turns, and goes back upstairs to bed.

I had to laugh thinking about him thinking "I got up for this? Where's Mike (our other friend who does play with him)?"

Boston Terrier Pups:

Unravelled an entire room of berber carpet
Ate a heated dog bed, leaving only the wires
Chewed baseboards, two antique chairs, and a windowsill
Scratched out leather furniture; patina indeed
Scratched up a french door looking through to the front door
Ate innumerable Legos
The usual pee, poop stuff
Patina on our oak floors as well
Severly scrathed up pine benches meant for sitting on by the doors
Dig holes, of course, in the yard
Empty the wastebaskets. (DH put a tiny mousetrap in one and Tucker ran around with the trap hanging off his dewlap. He thought it was fun. Went right back to the wastebaskets.)
DD's Boston got up on the beautifully set
Thanksgiving dining table and ate a pound of butter.

"It's a shame that animal shelters are busting at the seams because humans refuse to accept the fact that dogs are dogs and not humans and if their needs are not met they will act out. Sadly that results in many of them at the shelter with no hope for a life."

Yes indeed. And it's also a shame that some people don't understand that cats are cats - and will always be cats. I wonder how many cats have been dropped off at shelters because they scratch the furniture? (And don't even get me started on declawing!) Some cats like to stretch out vertically when scratching; others, horizontally. So we have both kinds of scratching posts: They have a 6+ foot tall cat tree, with one of the vertical posts covered in sisal; this is for stretching upward while scratching. Plus, because they generally, but not always, prefer to stretch out horizontally, there are horizontal scratchers scratching in multiple rooms.

"One of my current dogs has a tendency to steal things"

Cindylou, one of my cats stole things when he was a kitten, and many of the things were just...weird. The weirdest - I saw him trotting down the stairs with a bar of soap in his mouth.

Most amazing - middle of the night, he pushed open a sliding door to a hall closet and somehow pushed (pulled? rolled?) a long metal curtain rod out of the closet, around the corner, down the 15+ foot long hall, around another corner, and then down the 13 or 14 steps to the first floor. I didn't see any of this, but I was home alone that night and sleeping in a spare BR at the head of those stairs. I almost had a heart attack at the sound of the curtain rod bouncing down the stairs!

Like most cats, he likes to knock things onto the floor, and watch as they crash. Funniest: He knocked a small, unopened can of cat food onto the kitchen floor and then, like a tiny soccer or hockey champ, sent it flying through the DR and on into the LR beyond.

Most potentially dangerous: Same cat almost knocked a heavy brass weight (the kind that would have come with a set of scales) off a table. Had I not seen it and grabbed the weight at the last second, it would have landed directly on the head of cat #2.

All these things were done by the same bad kitty that knocked our oil painting off its hook. Let's just say he is a VERY entertaining pet!

Our Jack Russell Terrier broke a plate glass window trying to get to the squirrel on our back deck. Thankfully we were home, he was not hurt, but I think the squirrel had a heart attack.

"""""I haven't had many dogs in my lifetime, but it only took one to teach me how I should be relating to them. After he ate a remote control and a brand new pair of $100 shoes I sought help. I learned the proper way to relate to a dog and how to train them how to relax and be a member of the family and not a pest or house wrecker. After this dog I had 3 others and not one of them ever tore up anything. I learned from the first one that all dogs, no matter what the breed or size, need obedience training. There are basic things all dogs need, one being training and the other thing is something to chew on 24/7 that belongs to him. Once I realized I was relating incorrectly to the dog and confusing him and not providing him with what he needed as a dog, not a human, I no longer had to worry about any of my dogs destroying my house or having accidents.
The reason dogs chew our stuff is because they have nothing proper for them to chew on. By proper I mean a pig ear, a bullie or some other hard object that is healthy and won't break off and choke or cause a blockage. Chewing is relaxing for a dog. It's their TV or a book, so to speak. Dogs need and want something to chew on daily, not just when his human thinks to buy him something. I keep my dog in chew 24/7. My current dog is 8 yrs. old. I've had him since he's 10 weeks old. I crate trained him in order to housebreak him, made sure he had all the chew things he needed, lots of good food, exercise and attention and he's been a marvelous companion for all the 8 years I've had him. He's never once chewed anything that didn't belong to him or had a potty accident in the house.

It's a shame that animal shelters are busting at the seams because humans refuse to accept the fact that dogs are dogs and not humans and if their needs are not met they will act out. Sadly that results in many of them at the shelter with no hope for a life. """"

this time i've rescued a 4 y/o something...and a 12 y/o basset hound/dalmation. no issues at all...none.

the 4 previous dogs, that were gotten as puppies did a few shoes, dug a few holes till they were trained that it was unacceptable. as stated from molly...training.

Some cats like to stretch out vertically when scratching; others, horizontally. So we have both kinds of scratching posts: They have a 6+ foot tall cat tree, with one of the vertical posts covered in sisal; this is for stretching upward while scratching. Plus, because they generally, but not always, prefer to stretch out horizontally, there are horizontal scratchers scratching in multiple rooms

I'm glad that works for you. We have vertical posts, horizontal posts of varying materials, tall cat trees, cardboard scratch boxes. I have spent a fortune on scratching implements and have done everything in the book to "train" and "encourage" our 2 cats to use them, but they really prefer the furniture. Sometimes they will scratch vigorously on a post only to walk right to the couch and continue.

I agree that cats will be cats, and cat owners need to understand and accept what cats do. We have chosen not to declaw, but if it's a choice between declawing and dropping the pet off at the shelter, I'd choose declawing any day. As for me, I have learned to choose my fabric wisely.

Our two monsters:

Sweet little monsters!

I just had to include this youtube piece...it just made me laugh!

Here is a link that might be useful: Who made this mess?

To who was asking about the pet-resistant screens, we have them in our windows. We use a company called Screen Mobile, and they come out to the house and do your screens on site. The pet resistant screens are darker than regular screens, so we had all the front windows done so they would match, even though we mostly only open the LR.

You may want to see if there is a Screen Mobile franchise in your area.

Infested my home with fleas last summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fleas!

I'm new and came here to talk decorating but when I saw this topic I had to join in as I'm a huge animal lover. Cats and dogs and everything in between.

There is no doubt puppies require supervision. To leave a puppy unconfined and unsupervised is asking for trouble. It's imperative to be there when a puppy makes a mistake so you can correct it. They need to be informed that the shoe is off limits but the pig ear is not. Doesn't take them long to learn either. That's why crate training, obedience training and making sure the right chews are available all the time are key.

When I was training my dog as a 10 week old pup he was tethered to me when out of his kennel so if he went to squat I was there to walk him to the door and we'd go outside to do business. It took twice for him to catch on. When I was not home he was in his crate. As soon as he was let out of his crate it was for a trip to the back yard. As he got older I began tethering him to my bed at night so he could not wonder around. A wondering puppy is a confused puppy and they will no doubt get in trouble. In 2 weeks he was totally trained and allowed to roam freely day and night.

He is 8 years old and still adheres to the same potty schedule he was taught as a puppy. Of course I've also been consistent with everything in his life too. They are like children, they need consistency in their lives so they know what is expected of them.

My 16 year old Border Collie Duncan has difficulty getting up and now has started not be able to "hold it" all day or all night. I use my carpet cleaner a lot.

awww, look at the poor old love. yep older dogs do have trouble at times. I've had a couple of old dogs with incontinence and also kidney problems and along with that goes stomach issues like vomiting, incontinence (both types) but they just can't help it can they. There are always going to be times when our pets are imperfect and the house takes a bit of a beating but how can you not love them anyway?

Thanks to everyone who posted pics, it just goes to show how many of us take the bad with the good and accept our imperfect houses at the hands of our pets :)

I'm late to the party but oh boy, some of these stories are hilarious!

When we got our Lab puppy over Labor Day weekend last year, I announced it here on the board and got a lot of good advise from all the wonderful dog lovers here. We used about 90% of it and our puppy Ellie has grown up to be one the best, well behaved dogs I've ever had. She hasn't destroyed one thing and is just a joy to have. We have the dog smell I'm sure and Labs do shed, but these are all a given and part of having a dog. I had wanted another dog for a long time but had never had a Lab before. I'm so glad we made the choices we did. She's really special to us.

molly, what approach to obedience training do you recommend? I sent this thread to DH yesterday saying "remember my saying I really want a dog?..." I want to know as much going in as possible, not to have to learn after some of these rather significant episodes have already happened.

We have 3 cats and I've had cats for over 30 years, so I'm pretty familiar with their ways. One thing I can contribute is my very macho first cat (even after neutering at 6 mos) who sprayed *onto the heater vent/duct*-I cleaned as far as I could, and this was before the enzyme cleaners came out-- so that every time the heat came on, the lovely, reassuring fragrance would waft throughout the apartment.

Anyway, back to dogs--TIA for any name leads, book titles, approaches to *ignore*, etc.

I've found the trick with cats scratching furniture is to cover the corners of any new or newly upholstered piece with Sticky Paws double sided tape or those acrylic corners that come with corkscrew pins to prevent the first event.

Cats have scent glands in their paws, and once they have marked the place, they will return until it's pretty much macrame.

I've had some success with stopping them very gently when they start on a place, and removing them to the scratching post or pad. This works some percentage of the time. Cats respond only to gentleness. Aggressiveness doesn't make them obey - it just teaches them to avoid you.

When we were newlyweds (38 years ago), we got a terrier mix from the pound. We named her Skooner. She was about 2 years old. The woman in the next apartment said she would keep an eye on her during the day while we were at work. I figured that probably wasn't necessary but gave her a key anyhow to check on Skooner when she had the chance.

I come home the first day, started to put my key in the door. The neighbor rushed out to me, and suggests a cup of tea before opening the door. :-)

She tried to break the news to me gently but I was still in shock at what I saw when I opened the door to my apartment...

As newlyweds, we had all new wedding gifts populating the apartment. Plus some old stuff like the nice sofa with just a the small burn hole in one cushion and an irreplaceable ivory carving that had been passed down through the generations.

Skooner discovered the tiny burn hole in the sofa and decided to see if it went anywhere, China perhaps because that's how far she dug into the cushion. Foam and fabric were *everywhere*! It's almost like she got mad when she realized it only went as deep as the wood frame would allow. What an awful mess. Terrible. And then I found traces of what once were brand new gifts scattered throughout the room. But the one that really got to me was the ivory carving which was completely chewed to small tooth sized pieces.

I turned around and joined my neighbor for a cup of tea ... and sobbed.

We forgave our little girl and she lived a long, happy, healthy life with us.

Jodi-

EG3d, there is a drug called Prion that you can get from the vet for incontinence in Duncan. It's very inexpensive too. If he hasn't any other medical problem causing the incontinence than this medication should work.

Flyleft, I had typed a very long message and some how it got deleted. Ugh. So here I go again.

I'm going to give you some tips that are very important because the initial experience of what the dog encounters when it first arrives at your house will help to guide it in the right direction for all it's training.

From day one before you even bring your puppy/dog home have things set up in your house ready for him/her, like the crate, toys, food and water bowls. Until your puppy/dog is fully obedience trained you are not to allow it to sleep in your bed. It will sleep in its' crate or on a bed on the floor once it is potty trained. There is a reason for this, sleeping with you initially will only confuse the dog as it will see you as a litter mate not as an alpha dog. Yes, you are going to be the alpha dog.

Do your homework on breeds so you'll make sure to pick the breed or mixed breed that will be best for your lifestyle, budget, etc. Of course some breeds are more difficult to train than others. My bad dog was a terrier mix and terriers are hard headed. Lukkiirish was smart and got herself a smart easy to train dog, a lab. They live to please. Even if you have a dog who is mixed, research the breeds he has a mix of because chances are it will show personality and behavioral traits for the breeds it is mixed with. Also, if you want a purebreed don't forget to check the shelters and rescues first before going to a breeder. Personally I think breeders should be considered as a last resort because there are millions of purebred dogs sitting in shelters and with rescue organizations waiting for good homes.

First few minutes home you want to bring your pup/dog in the back yard to see if it has to go to the bathroom. Do not play with it or leave it in the yard right now. The first relationship you want it to have with the yard is it's a place to go to the bathroom, that's all. Many people put the pet outside, close the door and come back later to let them in only to find the pet has weed on the floor 5 minutes after returning inside. That's because they never taught the animal that the first reason they are allowed outside is to use the bathroom. Once they learn that, then they can be allowed to stay outside to play, etc.

Those first few days how you relate to your dog will make all the difference in the world and you won't find yourself back pedaling trying to fix all the mistakes you made initially. I am speaking from my own experience with the dog who ate the remote and the shoes. He was a very good teacher. I'm sure there are many others on this forum who can give you lots of advice based on their experiences with their dogs.

When you bring him back inside initially, put him in his crate and...

Lab Zelda chewed the left shoe of almost every single pair of MY shoes. She also ruined carpet by chewing on it and pulling up threads. It was berber carpet, the kind that unravels so easily.

Lab Max has scratched almost every door. He will scratch on our bedroom door to tell on Zelda when she does naughty things (like steal the margarine tub DH left out on the counter). He's destroyed the edging on the vinyl slider door by scratching to come in.

Cat (Pop) knocked over breakables on top of the bookshelf, bathroom cabinets, top of DH's closet...pretty much any place he can get to.

Cat (Catalope) vomit every where she feels like. Also recently pooped on my bed (while I was in it).

Cat (Boutrous) hangs his hind end out the litter box and messes over the edge.

Dog-Aurora- eaten decorative baskets. Tore chunks out of a temperpedic mattress pad. Chewed untold shoes. Destroys reading glasses. Remote controls. Pens. Steals my phone. She is a klepto dog...has a stash of odd things behind my chair in the family room. She has finally quit chewing shoes, but has been known to drag by bra out of my closet and stash it in other places. Shredder of toilet paper rolls. Will knock over my glass to steal ice cubes.

Granddogs Ruphus and Julius-peed on curtains. Peed on my scrapbook tote. Ruphus eats berries off the vine, and has learned how to knock over the laundry hamper to pull out dirty clothes to chew on.

I know they've all also ruined plenty of upholstery, draperies, and rugs. Out house is full of fur, but we chose to live with lots of pets, so we don't complain too much.

Boutrous (top) Pop & Norman-bad kitties

Cooper and Bailey grew through the puppy chewing stage, and their behavior improved as we humans became trained in how to handle them. Bailey does have a taste for paper, so sometimes paper is in danger of being eaten if left on the coffee table. Cooper carries socks around, and only rarely takes a bite. Oh and we have a trashcan that they cant get into( got smart after $$$ at vets.)
So, between Magnaverde rule 16 and Cooper and Bailey- I decorate for the life we have right now.
1. coffee table decorated keeping the "tail zone" in mind
2. fitted washable slipcovers on all upholstered furniture- They never get up on furniture but,they do lean in order to get close for pats.so much nicer to keep clean.Theres a limit to how often one can drag out a bissel and scrub the sides and arms of a sofa or chair.
3.wool oriental rugs and hardwood. This was in place before we had them but worked out perfectly. rugs were cleaned and stored while crating and housebreaking them.Then put back.
Still have to vacuum daily( should) but the rugs seem to capture some of the fur in place.
The are taken up about every 4 years and sent out to be washed.( unless one of the guys gets sick on one- then out it goes)
The floors do get scratched up but heck we all live here and walk on them.
4. big dogs need big space for food and water bowls and food and treat storage in my pantry/kitchen. so large space dedicated to them.
We all couldnt be happier

Greatgollymolly, what a generous thing to do. Thank you for the time and thought you put in for everyone's benefit.

You are welcome.

It came to mind this morning for me to ask everyone; when you are watching a show and the interior of someone's house is spotless and neat as a pin and the fabrics are linen and lace, do you ever say to yourself "you can tell they don't have pets." I do this a lot because I know in order to have pets, and I mean multiples, not just one, you cannot keep a house that perfect unless you are a slave to it and/or can afford to buy new things frequently. Am I right?

I love this thread because I, too, have chosen love of pets over a spotless, undamaged home. My 43 years as a pet owner have generated waaaay too many stories to tell, so I'll confine myself to one of the first ones.

When I was 23, we bought our first house and I was determined to keep it clean and sweet-smelling despite our two dogs and three cats. I bought a new carpet cleaning product that was guaranteed to work. (Ha.) You were supposed to dampen the stain and then apply some powder stuff on it until the powder looked dry. (Ha again.)

It was immediately apparent that the powder wanted to disappear into even the slightest moisture, and of course my carpet featured multiple stains, so I ended up with what looked like a mountain range on my living room floor. I cursed myself for answering the door just then, because it was one of the older, snoopy, gossipy women from my mother's church, paying a "social call" on a young newlywed she hardly knew. Need I mention she disliked animals?

As she stood there grimly surveying the spectacle, one of my cats trotted into the room, sat at her feet, and laboriously hacked up a partially digested mouse. I'm not even sure she bothered to say goodbye before she practically raced back to her Cadillac in her high heels and left my house behind forever. Now that I'm in my 60's, I'd think it was hilarious, but back then I thought I'd never get over the embarrassment.

Appreciate this thread- I am too lazy to take a picture but our dog (9 yr old mutt) about a year ago decided that the berber carpet in our basement was good digging and chewing. she also has done a job on our screen for the sliding patio door. We just had it replaced and she did it again. So, whoever posted that info about screen mobile, thanks:) I guess we will wait ntil there is more damage to call them but it's good to know.

We have cats and they're pretty well behaved.

The one went through a phase where he chewed on the edges of area rugs but thankfully none of ours were crazy expensive.

Another has a habit of chewing on the leaves of the fake palm in the LR on occasion.

We needed a new scratching post and he didn't like the new one so he started shreadding the back corner of the couch near the post until we found one he liked. We have used the two sided tape before but the damage was done and I didn't want him to pick a new spot.

Character marks. :)

I forgot to mention that recently I had to replace 8 pairs of shoes because I forgot to close my closet door. My Golden was not happy. So, new sports shoes, flip flops, flats and heels. Macy's was having a huge sale plus I had coupons so it could have been worse but I have only had one pair of Bruno Magli shoes in my life and no, they could not be saved, boo hoo. I have to confess that three of the shoes were flip flops and two sandals so not too bad on price. The flats and walking shoes were the most but what a great sale Macy's was having and the salesman said I made his day, lol.

Yes, I have to totally agree with GGM about Labs, Ellie has been one the easiest going puppy I've ever had. She is scary smart and playful but not obnoxious. I love that. She never cried at night, loved her crate from day one and over all was a breeze to train. The hardest thing for us was leash training. She is 65 lbs now and VERY STRONG. When she wanted to go see something, she'd pull so hard she'd just about take me down, but ever since I discovered the Freedom Harness and Lead it has been smooth sailing.

I realize some of our success has to do with Ellie's personality (and breed) but I also think part of the success we've experienced is also because I work from home and am able to interact with her constantly. We have a 24 acre dog park close by and I take her there often. However, when my schedule gets busy and time doesn't allow, we also utilize a more structured day care type facility which she loves equally as much. When it's all said and done, she's able to play and run with other dogs at least 3-4 times a week which has proven to be very important. In addition to early training, I think the key to good house behavior is to keep them physically and intellectually satisfied.

What a difference 10 months make!

Sorry, I hit enter before I proofed my script. Hate with that happens!!!

Stop buying high energy breeds and shutting them up indoors.
Pick up your crap.
Do not allow whole house free access until the dog has earned it.
Exercise your dogs daily in a manner that tires them, and that manner is not a leisurely stroll while you chat with the neighbors.
To provide context for that last statement the average feral dog covers 90 miles a day. Dogs need physical activity daily, some breeds more than others.
A tired dog is a good dog.

I love dogs more than anyone- that's why I enjoyed my entire 35 years of working with them as a trainer, handler, and groomer.
But I'll tell you right now most people have NO idea how to choose a dog that fits their lifestyle.
And it's the dogs that suffer.

The right dog is a blessing and the wrong one is a curse.
Choose wisely, that's all I'm saying.

lukkiirish and cearbhill, you are both right-on with the exercise and socialization with other dogs. Both very important.

Scratches on my kitchen table. He's a great dog. He only gets into things when I'm home, because he's looking for attention. Items are much SAFER when he's alone! He won't touch anything.

I don't even know what to say about that.

I can't tell you the numbers of clients I had that took photos of their dogs destruction or misbehavior and brought them in to show me (haha) what little devils they were (haha) and how they couldn't do a thing about it (haha).
The little cutie (haha) has a mind of his own (haha).
In their heart of hearts they found destruction cute and hadn't the first real intention of trying to correct or train around it.

Many people view their pets as extensions of their own identities and are secretly very pleased that a part of themselves is wild and untamed. They beam with pride when telling tales of walls eaten and belongings destroyed.

That's weird, my friends.

Cear, I enjoy your input but you do you have to be sarcastic about it?

I still laugh at what my English Pointer did to my coffee table when I was gone and my son was supposed to be watching her. She was still a pup.

Other than eating an expensive loafer that's all she's done because we bought her tons of chew toys. She's now 8.

Your a good person to ask this question, not sure if you know the answer or not. As I said we have an EP. I'm assuming you're familiar with the breed? Grace doesn't hunt but she would if she could.

What do you think about EP's being inside/outside dogs? I ask because I don't know of a soul out here in "hunting" territory who would let their Pointers inside.

We're on an acreage and she runs several times a day. My question to you is, do Pointer owners automatically assume they'd be hyper indoors like they are outdoors? Other than puppyhood, they are THE least hyper dogs inside.

I guess I'd like to see more people (with land) to get a pointer for an inside/outside dog instead of just pinning them up and taking them out for hunting. They are so much more than that.

Are they a misunderstood breed?

"Many people view their pets as extensions of their own identities and are secretly very pleased that a part of themselves is wild and untamed. "

That's probably true, and I'll be the first to admit that I love the fact that my dogs are a bit wild and rambunctious. After adopting older dogs for years I'm enjoying having young dogs who act so carefree and have so much fun each and every day. IMO There'll be plenty of time for them to be quiet and settled when they get older. :)

One of my dogs I got as a pup a few years ago and she went through the whole chewing phase and was an avid digger. I never told her off for it because I knew she would grow out of it and she did. In the mean time I kept anything dangerous out of her reach and kept filling the holes in the garden. To some people my dogs would seem a bit wild, they jump on the bed, (even when I'm making it), to wrestle with each other, they chase each other around the house, they steal things and walk off with them but none of it bothers me, because everything is just a big game to them and I love it. Their antics make me smile every single day and I wouldn't have it any other way.

After adopting abused dogs in the past I had to take a very softly softly approach because some of them were so fragile and sensitive and it's just an approach I've never stopped doing. If that makes me a bad doggy mommy then so be it :)

I have two new rugs I haven't put down yet. I need to prepare and get a dog gate to put the innocent looking little white dog behind when I leave the house to walk the Rottie. I always take her out before the walk but she always manages to squeeze out some pee an poo on the game room carpet just to let me know that all the attention is meant to go to her. Sometimes she does not think I notice the game room carpet so she does it on the carpet runner in my bedroom so I'll step on it on the way to bed.
Next, before I lay the new carpets I need to go to Costco and get some pepper to sprinkle on and around the holes that the Rottie is digging around the house...thus tracking in much dirt.
I also need to change the wall paint from flat to satin finish so I can repeatedly wash the walls that the digging Rottie and old Retriever lay against.
For some strange reason my Retriever licks the base cabinets in the Kitchen. At night when I give her her pills in peanut butter she goes up to the cabinets and licks them. I'm so glad I didn't do the painted on the bottom as well because the dark stain works a bit better for hiding dog droolies if I don't see them right away to clean.
Oh and my slider windows to the patio are starting to look abstract due to a hundred and twenty pounds of Rottweiler nails jumping on them. However, I think he's getting trained against doing that and now just bangs it with his head when he wants to come in.
But...I have no chewing so I'm thankful for that.

I have handscraped wood floors, and my lovable dog takes it upon himself to add to the look. Along with the 3 cats, and a whole lot of shedding, I would be lost w/o my swiffer~~it's an 'everyday adventure'! ;o)

Our dogs are rescues. We do the best we can for them but they won't be covering 90 miles a day! We go to the park nearly every day and she gets to run and chase squirrels, she chases a few and wants to go back to the truck and lean out the window on the way home. Our dogs have a pretty good life, people have said they want to come back as one of our dogs, lol. Some children do not have it so good, sadly. If you can't laugh at their antics you would be pretty mad at them!!! I don't brag about their destruction and I know they may be bored or anxious but who isn't at times? One day I said to myself, I have to endure boing times and less than optimal conditions pretty often so I guess my dog can too. I try to make the best possible home for my girl and her little brother the little black and white mutt but not everyday will be a perfect one.

Lukiirish, can't believe how big Ellie has gotten! So sweet!!!

There was a piece in, I think, the New York Times Sunday Magazine about a stunning, elegant young European woman, a designer, who has a cat or two in her serene, beautiful house - and the lead photo was of her, perched on the arm of a creamy sofa in her spacious living room, with clear kitty scratch threads pulled out at the corner.

I whooped with pleasure. No apology, no attempt to disguise it - life with cats, gorgeous and real.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but here is a photo of the only real damage our dog has done: he got accidentally shut into our bedroom while our basement was being framed (ie, lots of noise) ... and in a panic tried to dig out under the door. I think he got close. I'm not too upset because we need to get rid of that yucky carpet anyway...

Oh, and once on a road trip he chewed through the seat belt. That was annoying.

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Usually he only disembowels his own toys, though.

I can't wait to go back and read the other stories.

have you seen this?
Chewed

Gr8day! Yes, she is all grown up now and sweet as they come, but I sure miss having that tiny puppy running in between my feet.

I don't think you could have said it better. We do what we can for out pets, all with good intentions. I would love to have Ellie's life, she's got it made.

Oh, not much...

"Wow! Chewing baseboard is hard work! I'm tired!"

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Teeth marks on the house, paw prints on the heart.

I love this post and it has made me laugh out loud. Thank you. The joys of pet ownership are without number. I, too, have chosen pets over the ability to have a showplace. I tried to have a formal living room but walking through the door after a long hard day at work, the formal space never gave me anywhere near the amount of joy that the parade of pets through it to greet me does and it is the best thing about coming home. And for the mischief well I must admit the cause is usually human based such as forgetting to put away some food item or closing the basement door. Except I did give up blinds on the dining room windows after the kitties chewed them and I only have white lace curtains that can be machine washed and bleached! I guess we learn what is the easiest to maintain through trial and error. Oh, and there was the antique hurricane lamp where the top shade was smashed to smithereens because of kitten cabin fever. Luckily the only injury was to the lamp.