# Perfect track record ruined ?



## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I brought home my now 9 month old puppy at 13 wks, and except for an initial sampling of the trim boards surrounding a laminate floor we have in the family room, she has not chewed up ANYTHING that didn't belong to her. And she has had free run of the house since the day she arrived (I don't own a crate, nor have any child gates leftover from when the kids were little). 

She did grab the tv remote once, but just placed it on her bed, as if to say "see what I could have done". Another time she stole my son's football cleat from his open duffle bag, but again didn't chew it up, just placed it at the foot of the stairs and went to her bed and looked at it. I found it and put it back in the duffle, but didn't close it. Within 5 minutes, with me sitting right in the same room (though in my defense it was early and I was still undercaffinated), she grabbed it again and put it back in exactly the same spot, still without putting a toothmark on it! She's a very accomplished thief. This time when I put it back I zipped the bag, and she left it alone.

Amazingly lucky I know, but we've always had a bunch of chew toys, bones, and balls around for her to chew and play with when she wants. And she's just been really good about chewing on her own things only. I posted a picture awhile back of one of her things she chewed up, her bed. It was an old outdoor lounge chair pad that was starting to fray, so I gave it to her as a bed. But it had these buttons on it for decoration, and she couldn't resist! Once she started ripping the button off, a hole was created and the fiber inside was fun to play with. So she would rip out a little every now and then and play with it. And then she got the zoomies! 

It really happened all in one night. We were playing, she got the zoomies, and decided that with each lap around the house she would stop and attack the bed. So by the time we went to sleep that night the bed was pretty much a total loss. In the morning I discovered that she had gotten up sometime in the middle of the night to finish the job of destroying her bed. Funny, but no real harm done IMO.

What I didn't think about when I gave the pad as a bed was that we still use the same pads on our outdoor patio set, albeit without the fraying. She'd always left them alone, so I didn't think it was going to be an issue. But in her mind, apparently, if the pad is on a chair it's ours, if it hits the floor/ground though, all bets are off! 

I had noticed one morning that the pad on one of the chairs had been blown off by the wind durimg rhe night and was laying on the ground, but just in passing, I intended to pick it up later. 

Nyx went out to play before I got back to it. So, anyway, I walked over to the window to check on her after a few minutes, and there she was standing with both front feet on the cushion happily tearing it to shreds ?.

My fault all the way around, but so sad to see her thoughtlessly throw away that perfect record! I wish now that I'd gotten a picture...at the time it didn't seem so important! The attached photo shows the remains of her bed that I posted before...


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## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

We’re going to need pictures of the perpetrator to determine guilt...


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I feel your pain. Scarlet, who at almost 14 months should be over this, ate my arm chair yesterday. She’s now on lockdown.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

You can be relieved that you have a normal German Shepherd. Her past behavior was abnormal. I am still laughing at your post, as I look at the stuffing all over my floor. My 2 yr old got bored and shook his favorite toy until the stitches burst, then slowly pulled out chunks of stuffing. While I tried to distract him. He finally “Outted” the toy. He usually does that instantly but it was too much fun shredding it. Now he is satisfied, exhausted and sleeping. I have to decide if it’s worth shoving the stuffing back in and sewing it up.


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Tennessee said:


> We’re going to need pictures of the perpetrator to determine guilt...


Yes, there were no witnesses so it's possible she was framed!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Maybe the cat did it..


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Actually, the perp was caught by a security camera leaving the scene.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

And, of course, the resulting mugshot.


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## Misha111 (Oct 31, 2016)

Haha, I have never owned a shepherd that didn't still have another trick up their sleeve. My current girl was a counter surfer which we have nipped in the bud by keeping the kitchen immaculate (against my religion and huge training of teenagers) then today out of the blue, she's up on the counter. Not a steak, not chips, a needle case. I now have a GSD with a mouth full of needles. Fortunately she has a good leave command. But as usual i am left thinking 'why???"


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

tim_s_adams said:


> And, of course, the resulting mugshot.


She needs to lawyer up!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Misha111 said:


> Haha, I have never owned a shepherd that didn't still have another trick up their sleeve. My current girl was a counter surfer which we have nipped in the bud by keeping the kitchen immaculate (against my religion and huge training of teenagers) then today out of the blue, she's up on the counter. Not a steak, not chips, a needle case. I now have a GSD with a mouth full of needles. Fortunately she has a good leave command. But as usual i am left thinking 'why???"



Oh lord, what will they think of next?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

tim_s_adams said:


> And, of course, the resulting mugshot.


LOL. Working lines are instigators and troublemakers.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Mine waited 3 years to eat the couch. And a really large bottle of carpenter's bright orange chalk. He's crated again.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

Yesterday morning about 5am I got up to pee. Lil was snoozing on sofa, I come out and she starts blocking me for rubs. I go back to bed. I can hear her grinding a toy. I check, fine. I hear more noise. She is onto a rubber bone. Fine. This goes on for an hour, I between dozing off and keeping an ear open, I hear grinding again...


I get up to check that she isn't choking on a stuffy...She is chewing on the handle of the toilet brush!!! 
Thankfully I only use vinegar to clean it, but still, GROSS!!!!


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Lol! She is guilty as charged. This reminds me when a few months ago I was on the phone in the next room and noticed it was way to quite. I walked in with my couch seat cushion on the floor and -max laying on the cushion with his paws crossed like he was completely innocent. Luna pulling out all the down feathers out of the cushion. The entire floor was covered with down feathers. The site was crazy I almost took a photo wish I did. The slipcover had to have major repairs. Luna has had no upsets for months and she just turned 1 years old. last week she chewed my favorite rug I wish I could of laughed but I was pretty sad- I can?t flip it either because where it is. Oddly it looks like the hole is heart shaped. She usually has something out to knaw on I suppose she found something to keep her busy. I still have a hole in my arm chair from max when a young in.


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## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

tim_s_adams said:


> Actually, the perp was caught by a security camera leaving the scene.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Of my current 4 Tuke was a shoe/slipper chewer, Zoey ate drywall, Ranger ate my wallet and chewed a hole through a door and Ollie I don't recall messing anything up other than his toys. Ollie makes up for his lack of physical destruction with his many vocalisations.

Eta, forgot about the numerous garden hoses Oliie destroyed.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Why, yes, I did want to murder Scarlet.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Now that is funny! Darn dogs anyway!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

This just in, Nyx's lawyer WISELY suggested she take the plea bargain offered - 100 hrs of community service, and a formal apology to her servant/owner?

For what it's worth, I fully support that, and can't wait for the apology!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

For? I meant to HEAR the apology!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

You better watch her, she might decide to go on the lam!

Newlie was a persistent criminal for a while when he was younger. It started with some misdemeanors (chewing up my dustpan and laundry basket), progressed to taking bites out of my foam mattress topper, and because he refused to attend anger management classes, ended up with felony destruction of property (destroying 4 of my husband's footstools, two dog beds, took a bite out of my couch and tore some of the screens on my porch with his claws.) I have to say, though, that he has seen the error of his ways and has become a reformed character, no destruction in a long, long time. He does hold counseling sessions in his back yard once a week or so for any dog trying to turn over a new leaf, so pass the word along to Nyx.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

GatorBytes said:


> Yesterday morning about 5am I got up to pee. Lil was snoozing on sofa, I come out and she starts blocking me for rubs. I go back to bed. I can hear her grinding a toy. I check, fine. I hear more noise. She is onto a rubber bone. Fine. This goes on for an hour, I between dozing off and keeping an ear open, I hear grinding again...
> 
> 
> I get up to check that she isn't choking on a stuffy...She is chewing on the handle of the toilet brush!!!
> Thankfully I only use vinegar to clean it, but still, GROSS!!!!



I forgot to mention...the toilet brush was being chewed on my living room rug. That I had just spent hrs steam cleaning 2 days before. sigh...


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## Hellish (Jul 29, 2017)

Nyx is so pretty. My boy says HUBBA HUBBA!

And as I read this thread, I hear my husband cursing from his music studio. Apparently a guitar cable was sacrificed while hubby was in attendance. (Hubby lacks the MOM gene for monitoring toddlers *sigh*). So far his crime spree now numbers one flip flop, one couch slip cover, the guitar cable and a dog bed. He did kindly grab the shower mat yesterday and drag it out the dog door, dunk it in his kiddie pool, and haul it back in as an offering at the door when I got home. And we have spoken a few times about untying the seat cushions in the dining room and taking them for a romp.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Wow, so many of dogs go through the redecorating phase. We made the mistake of installing new carpet before picking Nitro up from his breeder at 5 months. One night his squeaky ball got stuck under some furniture. Being a resourceful dog, and in the middle of the night, he tried to dig it out, so as not to disturb anyone. The carpet repairer did a beautiful job patching our new carpet, and a week later, another great job relaying flooded carpet in another room, after Nitro knocked over his water, when going through his ball dunking stage.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I knew I had been living a charmed life up until a few days ago, but these stories are starting to scare me about the pending storm...?

Thanks, I think, for sharing the horror!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I have no doubt my time is coming...


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

During her first week here, Rachel (the Wild Child) redecorated the family room sofa (fringe on furniture is _not _an attractive look). She also 'perused' many books; some of them first editions...[sobbing]. Two days later, the entire bottom floor looked like a jail: x-pen panels covered all the bookcases, home office completely gated off, furniture covered in pepper sauce impregnated tarps, and a *CRATE *in pride of place. It's been quiet ever since....

Thanks for the morning belly laugh. 

Aly


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Dunkirk said:


> Wow, so many of dogs go through the redecorating phase. We made the mistake of installing new carpet before picking Nitro up from his breeder at 5 months. One night his squeaky ball got stuck under some furniture. Being a resourceful dog, and in the middle of the night, he tried to dig it out, so as not to disturb anyone. The carpet repairer did a beautiful job patching our new carpet, and a week later, another great job relaying flooded carpet in another room, after Nitro knocked over his water, when going through his ball dunking stage.


This gave me the idea I wonder if I get my throw rug repaired. Just hard to find something I like. I have to call around.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Aly said:


> During her first week here, Rachel (the Wild Child) redecorated the family room sofa (fringe on furniture is _not _an attractive look). She also 'perused' many books; some of them first editions...[sobbing]. Two days later, the entire bottom floor looked like a jail: x-pen panels covered all the bookcases, home office completely gated off, furniture covered in pepper sauce impregnated tarps, and a *CRATE *in pride of place. It's been quiet ever since....
> 
> Thanks for the morning belly laugh.
> 
> Aly


Ahhh, I would call your decorating style 'Canine Eclectic'. A favourite accent touch with this style, dog toys on the floor.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Dunkirk said:


> Ahhh, I would call your decorating style 'Canine Eclectic'. A favourite accent touch with this style, dog toys on the floor.


Definitely an accessory of choice for us all!


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## bkernan (May 17, 2009)

Hudson is now almost 9 months. Had thought until a month ago I had found the unicorn of gsd puppies - no chewing! Obviously he had dismembered and siphoned the stuffing out of EVERY single toy of his... but I actually thought we were safe in the chewing our things department LOL - WRONG

In the last month Hudson's chewed: three pairs of shoes, the plunger (after parading it/dragging it down the freshly painted hallway), approximately 30943483 rolls of toilet paper, two gloves, a vacuum piece, and a pair of glasses. You'd think we were being careless right? WRONG. He is a chewing ninja from the german shepherd country of chewtopia and if he doesn't stop his chompity ways I'm going to be going to work in bare feet and blind. 

But we still love him, that little chompy angel


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Dunkirk said:


> Ahhh, I would call your decorating style 'Canine Eclectic'. A favourite accent touch with this style, dog toys on the floor.



my boy, when he was little, was tethered to me and on his dog pillow behind my computer chair while I was working online. I thought that he was napping since it was so peaceful and quiet...Until I turned around. 

He is nearly 4 now and my couch still bears the accents of his redesigning of the wood trim.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

They really are monsters disguised as dogs...


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## KaiserAus (Dec 16, 2016)

OMG!! Now I am really worried! I thought Kaiser was done with his chewing phase at 11 months old and we have just this weekend decided he doesn't need to sleep at night in his crate.. he can have free reign of the house... I'm thinking perhaps this was a mistake!!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

KaiserAus said:


> OMG!! Now I am really worried! I thought Kaiser was done with his chewing phase at 11 months old and we have just this weekend decided he doesn't need to sleep at night in his crate.. he can have free reign of the house... I'm thinking perhaps this was a mistake!!


Hehehe, it depends on the dog. Nyx has never had a crate, or been restricted in any way, and she's never wrecked anything inside the house that wasn't hers.

Of course, judging by the stories here, she's atypical in that regard. But you just never know...


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