I don’t know where dP (a.k.a. MBC or Master Baby Calmer) found this beef chew but you should have seen the look on Stryder’s face when he first saw it. Let’s just say he was airborn for more than a few seconds.
This beef chew has teaching potential. It has taught the dog the following:
- To go slowly and look both ways before going through areas with walls / banisters / and barriers with said beef chew in his mouth.
- It is impossible to hide something that is three feet long in the sofa or plant at the bottom of the stairs.
- Too much eating of the beef chew will cause the need to eat grass. This also means the beef chew will be taken away even if he tries to unsuccessfully hide it in the plant.
- He has learned the words “get that stinky thing out of my face” which means find a hiding place quick and look innocent before it gets taken away.
- One last benefit to the chew: Stryder has the whitest teeth I have seen in a long time. He’s been walking around with sparkling white teeth all day, flashing them like some debonair womanizer every opportunity he gets.
Holy smokes! Where did you get that thing? I have to get one too. Our dog Karhu would love it! Anything to keep that puppy chewing on something other than my arm or Aarne’s gloves. Everyone keeps telling us that now that Karhu has been neutered, he will calm down and be more obedient. I have serious doubts. He’s only 6 months old though. Again, we’re assured that he’ll outgrow this behaviour. More doubts.
Do you think our dog’s behaviour (and therefore the way we’ve raised him) is a reflection on what kind of parents we’ll be when the creature growing inside me comes out? I hope not. Babies don’t chew on arms and gloves, do they? Hmmm… time to read more books.
Have fun Stryder! Watch those narrow corridors!
Absolutely Marlene, your puppy’s behaviour will be a direct reflection of how your child will be. Expect your child to be chewing on gloves, toilet paper, shoes and unattended socks in no time. Forget about purchasing those pacifiers when a perfectly good used boot will do. I’ve even heard it will boost your baby’s immune system, or make your child sicker than a dog, I can never remember which.
Shar – thanks, I’ll look for the bone and do some better houseproofing. Karhu is my first dog and I’m stunned by how clever he can be or how well he can sniff out things that I thought I hid quite well. Lesson learned.
Chris – I forgot what a cheeky monkey you are, you big cheeky monkey! Boost your baby’s immune system… now that’s funny! Any child of mine will be doomed to inherit my stubborn and often self-destructive disregard for rules and all forms of authority. Unless he/she gets lucky and takes after Aarne. Unlikely. The bad genes seem to always be stronger than the good ones. Impending chaos ahead!
http://www.beefchew.com/ — I’m sure you can get them in most pet stores.
The chewing stops if you are persistent enough to correct the puppy every time he finds something to chew. Or, you can be like us and just puppy/child proof the house with shelving so high no animal or small human could possibly ever reach it.
Though Stryder outsmarted us on this one initially (http://www.sharbean.ca/main/template.php?EntryID=870) and we had to put the shelving along the top of the wall.