Just Stuff To Write About

[eggwards]

❅Joey the dog, sometimes known ad Princess McFlippy and HR Puppinstuff, has been sleeping inside these last couple of days because it's a little cold, below freezing here in Dallas. normally she sleeps outside and really, there's a good reason for this. She's a bit on the destructive side. Just a couple of days ago she chomped into Chris' softball glove when he wasn't looking (really, it takes only minutes) and now it needs to be re-stitched.

She has had plenty of toys that she has eviscerated. I know here beaver, the cow-cow, and several toys from IKEA, which lasted longer than one would think and IKEA toy would, have fallen victim to Joey's teeth and such. She loved to toss a toy around, and grab it, hold it and pull it apart like a lioness on the Savannah.

One of her constant items to be attacked is her food bowl. After she's done with the food, she likes to toss and trow the bowl around. She often brings it into the house and throws it. We often worry about Chris' large-screen television getting damaged by an errant toss by the dog. She has tossed several things into the fireplace and has to have one of us retrieve them (luckily we don't use the fireplace).

Last week she gave her bowl it's last toss. This was the one that she's had for several months, and was made of a light, but tough plastic. It was a trouper, but it finally cleaved in two. It had plenty of bite marks and scratches on it. For a couple of days we had trouble finding a good substitute, and she tore through a gladware container and pounded a pie plate into a completely new shape in one night.

I bought her a new bowl on Thursday night. They didn't have any like the old bowl. A few minutes after presenting it to her, she had already chewed the plastic handles off of it and was working on the rubber along the bottom. Just as she's done with other bowls, she tosses it around the yard in the middle of the night. I was hoping the bowl, the hardest plastic I could find, would stand up for a while, but there was no luck, it's already in danger.

I don't want to buy metal bowls because of her tossing it around inside the house, and ceramic bowls pose the same threat. I'm not quite sure what to do, and neither does Chris. Anyone know anything about dog behavior or strongly built bowls?

☂Don't let the media try to make the story about Dick Cheney shooting the friend on his hunting trip be changed to imply that it was the lawyer that was at fault. If Cheney was a good shooter, and really, I know that he is, he would be trained to look before he fired. Still, the media are trying to give him a pass, saying that the lawyer was returning and didn't announce himself. Poppycock. You should always be aware of your surroundings before you fire. Cheney's either going off too quickly or not being observant. Perhaps his reflexes are going, you never know.

Last night we went to have dinner with Drew, and met autumnecho, who's quite the nice guy. I hope he comes to learn at North Texas. There were several different guys at Drew's for dinner, and the conversation was certainly interesting. Lots of talk about fisting and various kinks during dinner, then off to politics as an after-dinner drink. i know not everyone was thrilled about the political talk, but I couldn't find a way out of the conversation, and apparently no one else could either. Joey was very tired after having his audition, so I could tell he was ready to hit the hay. Still, a nice evening.

☀I got a call from Big Ed, who's also here in Dallas. Someone had taken him to the Hidden Door for beer bust, and he had to call and tell me that he had never seen so many men with facial hair in his life. I just laughed and told him it was probably an off night because of the weather. Big Ed's just a bear who doesn't know it.

♥I'm debating the whole Valentine's day thing and whether to make it a big deal or not. I don't think Chris or I are that into it, but it's still a good excuse to do something special. Perhaps we could do something next weekend when i have to return to Houston to wrap up things at the apartment.

☁Chris has has a cold the last couple of days, and today it really presented itself. I haven't shown signs more than a sniffle or two, but I guess now that we sleep in the same bed each night, these situations will happen now and again. Of course I will probably get sick tomorrow morning so I can spend a few days at work coughing and feeling miserable.

This is partnered bliss, isn't it?

☠I have the hiccups.

Comments

[dedos.livejournal.com]

Have you tried taking the bowl away from McFlippy? Just put it on a shelf when she's not eating.

[f--k.livejournal.com]

I feed her twice a day and she rarely eats it all at first. She will eat some, come back later, eat some more. I could take the bowl away from her after she eats all her food in the evening, but in the morning I don't want to get up 2 hours early and hope she decides to eat it all before I go to work.

[celluloidson.livejournal.com]

We had a dog when I was growing up who used to swat her bowl across the kitchen floor when she was hugry. It was cute at first, but it became obnoxious, so we got one of those combo food/water bowls in a wooden stand. That stopped the swatting atleast. And it's actually better to have the bowls elevated anyway.

;-)

[f--k.livejournal.com]

I may try getting a combo bowl/watering dish that is heavier and bigger.

[bendawg.livejournal.com]

If you got a heavy enough ceramic bowl, couldn't she not lift and toss it around?

Also, could these behaviours be lashing out because of the shift and change in the house (ie you moving in)?

[f--k.livejournal.com]

She is pretty strong, but I think ceramic might work because she would have a tough time getting a grip on it.

As for the behaviors, she has always liked to play with her bowl and play rough with her stuffed animals. She really isn't doing anything different. It's just that her old bowls finally gave out after a year and a half of abuse.

[f--k.livejournal.com]

Joey almost never goes after other people's things. My shoes and stuff have always been pretty safe. I think the glove was really about it smelling tempting after being conditioned and being a challenge she couldn't resist wedged under the mattress. She is rough on her own toys, but I haven't thought much of it because that's just what she likes. She chews her toys and she likes to chase things. If someone else won't throw them, she will throw them for herself. It's just scary when she wants to do it in front of the big TV, which is why I try to stick with soft toys in the house.

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Sorry hon...we've already spoken for autmnecho up here. He ours, OURS I say.............

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry Dan, soon all of the hot boys will be living here - it's like we have a giant hot-boy suck here - or something.

Just face it, Dallas is the hole everyone's going to.

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Well! We'll see about that....LOL

[garebear.livejournal.com]

Does Joey have plenty of chew toys? Rawhide, pig's ears, etc. I second the ceramic bowl; use it outdoors first to see how she handles it. Get one that's heavy and oversized. Besides, biting on ceramic will be an unpleasant experience for Joey.