Rita ate my couch!

[melbel615]

Well, she didn't really eat the couch, she ate the back of a cushion. I can go get a new needle for my sewing machine and some black fabric to fix it. Luckily, she ate the back and not the microfiber fauz suede part that people see.

I am furious!

I was in the living room upstairs with Owen. My husband, Marty, and my son were in the basement family room using my sewing table as a card table and Ike and Rita were with them. While they had their backs tuned, she pulled the cushion off the couch and ate it! There are plenty of dog toys around for her to chew and we have a variety of materials from cloth toys to ropes to bones to rubber.

I have had Rita for 8 months and never had a problem with her eating anything but approved dog stuff with the exception of socks. The sock thing isn't her fault as my brother (her original owner) gave her his old socks to play with. I handled that by simply making sure everyone (meaning me!) puts their socks in the laundry basket and keeping the laundry room a dog free zone.

I think she is feeling a bit insecure or something since we got the pup and she is acting out. I have also had her pee on the floor a couple times since we got Owen. She has seemed more needy then usual since the pup came home,too.

I figured she would work things out when she realized we weren't going to get rid of her and that the daily routine has not changed other than the addition of a new food dish set. Apparently, I was wrong! Its been almost 2 weeks. She loves the pup. Rita plays with Owen, is most patient with the puppy behavior and she naps with him randomly as well. She is not getting less attention or anything and she still gets to sleep with us while the pup is crated for his safey and the safety of my stuff.

Interestingly, while I was cleaning up the mess, I found a tennis ball (scented, as this makes a difference later) that had fallen between the cushions and into the bottom of the couch through a tear in the fabric that covers the springs.

Marty thinks she is just fine, won't repeat the incident as she was severely scolded and put herself in the crate. He theorizes that she was just trying to get the ball.

My take is that she did a bad thing right in front of the hubby, cannot be trusted, needs to have her free roaming privledges revoked and should be crated unless supervised.

We haven't had to crate the adults when we aren't here in many months. Ike finally grew out of chewing and Rita never did anything bad in the first place, so when we leave we let them free roam in the basement and livingroom, diningroom and kitchen.

I told Marty we need to go buy another crate today and that I am not leaving her alone with my furniture again. He says I am overreacting. I say if I am wrong, no harm done. If he is wrong we might have to throw out some furniture or have a sick dog and a hefty vet bill for removal of foreign objects.

So, thoughts?

[tt557]

I'd crate her for her safety. To heck with the furniture - your husband will just have to buy new stuff!!

But I would also try exhausting her daily - mental and physical. Just to relieve any anxieties she may be having because of the new pup. Her routine has changed. She may like the pup and the household routine may not have changed all that much - but to her it may be huge.

Just a guess.

[valzoo]

I'd rather be safe than sorry and I would crate her when she can't be supervised.

[melbel615]

I won the debate.

The new crates and their occupants. Pardon the lack of bedding, it was in the wash. We had the larges crate for Ike when he was a pup and were using it with the divider for Owen. Now, since I got 2 new crates, everyone has their own.

[204charity]

Looks good! Your problems should be minimized now. Good luck!

[melbel615]

Ty. maybe I can even sleep in my own bed and be able to turn over and everything! there are more benefits to this crate thing than just saving my furniture and keeping Rita safe.

[Jen and the Hooligans]

Well, I have to say I am appreciating my crate very much right now and heres why...

We just got back from five days of camping. It was a great time except that Chobb developed mushy poop,..then actual runs. We assumed it was because she learned to swim with us and drank a fair bit of lake water....then she passed a long strip of stuffing from the patio chair she destroyed a day or two before we left. She is doing alot better now,..but I really had no idea how much danger she was in. I thought it was the water and here it was the darn stuffing she ate. Scary.