Poe and I may need counseling. I’ll have to check with Susan Isaacs to see how this therapy stuff works out. But we are having some serious issues. If there was a home to send errant dogs to, the way you can with teens, I’d have his bags packed tonight. Instead, he’s going to spend four days in the kennel while I head off to Fort Benning later this week.
Without my phone.
Tim took me on a date tonight. We went to see The Proposal with Sandra Bullock. It’s a great flick. I loved it. Loved it. The dance scene alone is worth the price of the ticket.
But not the price of a replacement phone.
I didn’t take my phone with me. No need for it in a movie theatre, right?
I left it at home.
On the table. Or in my purse. Or on the counter somewhere. I can’t recall. I had spoken to Shelby. Then Konnie and that’s the last call that phone will ever get because Poe ate the phone.
Chewed it up.
Demolished it.
There is nothing this dog won’t put in his slimy mouth. Not a thing.
I love Poe. Love him like a son. Just like a son, come to think of it.
But I be dadgum if I can afford him. He’s eating me out of house and phone.
There are some things a writer just can’t live without. The Love of God, family and the reliability of a computer and cell phone. I mean how will I find my way around Fort Benning without a cell phone in my pocket.
I don’t even know my own kids’ phone numbers. They are all plugged into my phone.
The one Poe ate.
He knew he did a bad thing, too. He knew it. Tim had been calling my phone, trying to help me find it when Poe started for the back yard, but remembering that’s where he had trashed my phone, he turned and ran back to the living room. Acting all the while like “Gosh, who did that? Wasn’t me. Must’ve been that Jack Russell that was hanging in the hood earlier.”
“BAD DOG!” Tim yelled. Then, “I think we solved your phone problem. BAD DOG!”
Pray for Poe. He is in serious need of repentance and forgiveness.
Four days in the kennel will do him some good. Give him time to think about his errant ways.
A PHONE????? Thank God our new dog is going to be a corgi. He cant’ jump high enough. Man I can’t leave anything below three feet.
Take him to obedience school, STAT. He needs things to do, tasks, jobs, etc. And boundaries. Oh boy.
Have you seen Marley and Me? Poe reminds me of Marley. Were you at least able to retrieve the “guts” of the phone where the memory is stored, so all you have to do is plop it in the new one without having to manually put in all your numbers, etc.? If so, look at it this way (a survival technique)…Poe enabled you to “upgrade” your phone! LOL
We are going to pick up Wally this Saturday. You have put the fear of God in me. I’m not leaving anything below 2 feet. Oy. Did Poe jump up on a table? Don’t send him away just yet. But obedience, definitely. What do they say about the breed: are they task oriented, are they herders? or just nuts? 😉
2 solutions:
1. More exercise (for the dog, you’re your own issue). A tired dog is a good dog.
2. Crate training – dogs love their “den” when properly introduced to the crate.
Dogs get into trouble when they have too much energy to burn & when they’re bored. A smart dog needs exercise for their mind as well as their body – otherwise they WILL find outlets for their bordom that you won’t agree with! (Case in point!)
good luck!
actually, Deb, Poe is crate trained and we had just gotten back from a 2 mile walk when he decided to chew up my phone. I could have put him in the crate but figured he was tired from the walk and would sleep. I was wrong. But good advice.
How old is Poe? I take it Poe wasn’t in his crate or did he bust out? The good walk sounds great, but the other thing would be to A. put him in his crate whenever you are gone, and/or B. make sure he has lots of toys, chewies, and interactive toys to keep him occupied while you’re gone. Kongs are great and you can get lots of other interactive toys online (check out http://www.petlane.com/superpetlife.
The other thing, in spite of your feelings, don’t punish the dog (or yell at him) UNLESS you catch him in the act. He won’t necessarily understand what the punishment is for if it happens too long after the bad deed. I admit, it’s tough to do, especially when you really want to “kill” the dog, but…
There’s lots of good training websites with suggestions that will help.
Rev. Claudia, Pastor
All Creatures ULC, metro Detroit’s only pets welcome church (www.allcreaturesulc.com)