What I Found When I Got Home from the Beach!!!!
Morrie totally destroyed Frida’s bed but left Diego’s untouched! BAD DOG!!! Frida is sleeping in my bathroom on the cushy rug tonight. Guess Morrie needs to be in a cage. And can’t be trusted at home alone.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Morrie is a devil dog. Eek. We had Tinker, AKA Jaws who never quit destroying everything she could wrap her teeth around. I’m pretty sure there was some element of revenge involved. She didn’t feel the world treated her as she deserved.
We didn’t have to be away very long. We could go into the kitchen or bathroom for two minutes, come back to find the wreckage of some expensive piece of electronics. She was fast, she was effective. We gated EVERYTHING off. Crates, gates, and hyper-vigilance. She died three years ago, but her tooth marks are still here to remind us.
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Yes, I need to buy bones. Lately there aren’t enough hours in the day. I take Judy, my friend and the workshop leader, to the plane tomorrow at 7. We got home from beach, had short naps and left for the art opening of a friend, then dinner and a second art opening. Got home, cleaned up Morrie’s mess, and I am ready for sleep! More about the retreat later. It was great. I am thinking I just can’t leave Morrie home without human supervision for that long. Need to figure out what to do when I go to the beach for 2 months. Can’t take 3 dogs. Yikes.
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The only thing that did help a little were bones. Real bones. They kept her engaged for awhile. She was also super smart … human, pretty much. She was able to figure out stuff that dogs aren’t supposed to be able to know or learn. No, she wasn’t a scottie. She was a PBGV, which is a kind of French rabbit hound. This weird hyper-destructive behavior isn’t breed specific. I’ve encountered it in several dogs, all different breeds. And at least one cat.
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Ah yes. I do need to get bones. Thanks for reminding me.
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OMG! You might have got a shock. Horrible. My dog also did that exactly but only once.
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Not all dogs destroy the house when left alone. None of them LIKE being left alone, but most deal with it. Certain breeds are known for destructive behavior. Border Collies -because they, like many herding dogs, need a job and get bored when left alone. Siberians, because they are sometimes addicted to chewing. I had one eat a three-inch thick solid oak door. But any dog can be like this and the only thing they all seem to share is that they are unusually smart and hyper-active. Exactly WHY they do it I can only guess.
Tinker was a world champion destroyer for all 12 years life. Whose belongings were the brunt of her ire depended on her mood (she was very moody) … and no food or electronic device were safe from her, ever in her life. She did stop eating shoes, but then she took up eating the furniture. She ate a sofa, two recliners, a rocking chair (she literally ate the rockers off them and they were hickory, which is a very hard wood) and so many remote controls I can’t even remember how many. Cell phones. She never got to the computers because they were locked away, but DVDs and CDs and … well … you name it, she ate it.
I wish I had an answer, but I don’t. We crated Tinker, but then when she got out, she was in a REALLY bad mood. And she was through all of this, the funniest, smartest, cutest of our dogs. She house-broke all the other dogs. She KNEW the rules. She just didn’t obey them.
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Ha Marilyn, you both give me comfort because you are my sister in dealing with destructive behavior and abject chilling fear in that you suggest this might not be a phase! Ah well. One of life’s puzzles for me to solve. Building a room obviously didn’t solve all of the problems, but it did send a clear message that I need to find a solution before I take off in two weeks..What to do with my problem child? Hmmmmm.
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Most dogs grow out of this kind of behavior. All my dogs did — except Tinker. She was a lifetime of terror and Garry and I still have a knee-jerk reaction to dogs left alone. Sort of a panic thing, even though this trio are non-destructive. Bonnie steals socks and dish towels — and any food she can get to — but that it. The others would rather nap, thanks.
At least until you get it sorted out, definitely crate him. Because letting him rampage through your life is going to create bad feelings that are hard to banish. I loved Tinker, but she made me crazy and did an unbelievable amount of damage through the years. She had her reasons, but she should have aimed her wrath at Griffin, whose fickleness broke her heart. And Kaitlin, who did the same thing, in a human way. Garry and I deserved better.
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Just once? What was your secret in stopping this mischievous behavior? I know it is because he is bored, but I can’t entertain him 16 hours a day!!
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I had an out house for servants then so I started keeping him with them. Their children gave him company. It’s very difficult to give them company whole day. He lived for only 3 years.
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Hi Judy,
Every time i read and see what Morrie has done i feel guilty. After all it is I that brought him into your home. During the time I had him there, he went everywhere with me and he never did any damage. Thank Goodness, i couldn’t have handled that. Anyways, my offer to you still stands… if you get absolutely tired of his misbehavior, i would take him off your hands.. Also, why not get a house sitter while your gone. Someone who will not rescue any dogs while your away. I for one have finally learnt my lesson…
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I take it Morrie and Frida are having a difference of opinion about something or other?
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I think Frida is jealous over Morrie and Diego’s relationship and Morrie wants to be alpha dog over Frida. All in all, a love triangle, perhaps!!! Frida is 1/2 laid back and the other 1/2 cranky. She swings between the two according to the outrageousness of Morrie’s behavior. And I did leave them alone for 3 days. Yolanda and Pasiano were here for 3 to 6 hours all days but one and the construction guys were here. They were fed morning and night, but still I’m sure it was a bit like when teacher leaves the room.
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Ugh. Morrie needs a dog whisperer! There was a horse psychologist who came to daughter’s group barn and *listened* to each animal. I think from her assessments and suggestions she was fairly valid! She assessed our visiting dog once, a really overweight Springer spaniel. She told us, “He is happy being fat.” That’s all my treat dispensing husband needed to hear, lol.
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To “Relax”–Ha! I’ve cut Morrie down to dry dog food because even mild canned foot seems to affect him, whereas he wants to eat everything in sight–including dog beds, concrete workers’ sponges, etc. Marilyn says bones and I agree. Momma needs to get with it.
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Ruff!
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Rough!
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Congratulations! I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award! http://joyfulprocessblog.com/2015/12/06/the-blogger-recognition-award/
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Thanks so much, T. Wayne. I’m honored, but right now too busy to do the required tasks associated with accepting. I appreciate so much the fact that you like my blog, though, and hope you keep reading and commenting!!!
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That little stinker was very busy…probably tellin u he didn’t like u being gone so long. Dogs have their ways you know…..and u once thought we should take him? Ha
Sent from my iPad
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Still do. Ha!
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What a spectacular mess. 😀
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If ya gotta have a mess, it might as well be a spectacular one!
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He reminds me of your Diego when he was a naughtykins in your absence, destroying everything he could get his teeth on. We were shocked on more than one occasion, upon looking down at your patio, the scene of his usual destruction, to see what Diego had wrought. Ripped up Frida’s bed, twice I think, foam chunks everywhere, chewed up one of your lounge chairs, knocked over a big vase. I think Morrie is taking a page from his book, literally. From the looks of things, Morrie is the apple of his mother’s eye, though, in spite of his scheming ways. Diego seemed to respond well to incarceration in his private carcel. Looks like Morrie might have to spend a little time in the jailhouse, too, hopefully following in the footsteps of his big brother, who seems to have changed his evil ways.
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Have you considered the possibility that Frida chewed up her own bed and framed Morrie? She’s a crafty, cranky old girl.
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Ha…
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By Jove, Duckie, I think you’ve got it!
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