the cushion killer dog

palaver

Nothing to complain about, really, just being talkative about doggie behaviour, about which any serious dog owner would demand: dog trainer!
I won't, because I enjoy the mischivious nature of my dog.

Nessa, my beagle x, bred as a hunter, dismissed as a "bad hunter" as a puppy (she really is a bit confused in this regard, more like sniff and miss), dumped at a pound and rescued by saintly me, and then because of a miserable Irish childhood and therefore a terrified little thing with confidence issues, spoilt rotten ever since, living the life of (Celtic Tiger) Reilly, now destroys with relish all my couch cushions.

Not that I care, the cushions are all of the pound shop variety anyway, since I had pets almost all my life. And, before you ask, she is out and about a lot, has plenty of toys (and until recently a few of my shoes :rolleyes: ), a canine boyfriend and meself almost 24/7.

The way she destroys the cushions is a sight to behold. You know this look: head down eyes up, watching me with big brown eyes between her floppy ears while chewing and destroying with a passion? Knowing I disapprove but doing it anyway?
I gave up and follow my heart, which is laughing out loud. Which means eventually the death of the two remaining cushions.

Anyone out there who enjoys this kind of misbehaviour instead of being educational? What are your dogs doing despite all efforts to train them?

The place looks a mess, though. I never knew that compact cushions could be literally so all over the place ....:D

Alfasudcrazy

Mine like to do that too. I used to throw in a few cushions to their bed as puppy's and after watching their feeble and unsuccessful attempts to shred them I assumed this is how it always would be.
However adult teeth and increased strength as they grew meant that a cushion lasted at most a few minutes. So no more cushions for them. They are not left in the house as they would have all the fabric shredded in a day.

Strangely they seem to know not to touch the car seats or cloths hanging out to dry.

They also love tug of war with old rags so the lawn can look a bit of a dump most evenings. Although their supply of rags is running out now so they have started on the cloths I am wearing. :rolleyes:

peasant

0.3 seconds

That was the total lifespan of a basketball.
Deliberately bought by me because it's so hard and big and "theoretically" impossible to destroy by a dog.

Well...we kicked around the deflated remnants for a while and they had just as much fun with it.

fits

Ah mine are boring, thankfully. They like to shred newspapers and raid the bin, but cushions and chair legs are left alone A blessing really, I'm hardly going to win the 'calor housewife of the year' as it is, without destructive dogs

eta: the whippety boy has a soft teddy bear which he 'mouths' but he really looks after it. There isnt a scratch or a tear on the teddy bear.

Bex01

My German Shepherd is the same. She'll sneak into the sitting room and grab one of the cushions off the couch and then bring it to me but only close enough so I think I can grab it off her. But she's too quick and she tears off around the house looking for a chase.
The look on her face is priceless, she knows she's not supposed to take people's things (she also does it with my socks & some shoes), but she has such a cheeky personality, its gas.

corkimp

Our old GSD when I was younger, Amy, had the most amazing taste. Like peasants dog - she tore open a hard basketball! She shredded Sliotars, tennis balls, footballs (my store cheap one I got one summer lasted less then 0.3 secs!). All you heard was the air whoosing out!. Remember in camogie/hurling you go "bualla 1, bualla 2..."? My sis Kashi and I used to do that (think i was round 11ish!) and she would bark and latch onto my sisters hurley thinking she was trying to hurt me... great fun - and workout! - trying to do this with a full grown female attached to the hurley and not letting go. Both hurley's were covered in bite marks - she was a treasure but she put up with so much. She got cataracts and we left her with them as she knew our garden so well and if they were removed they'd only grow back. But I used to make her sit (another tale for another day!) and jump our clothes line stick like she was in a gymkana (i'm horse mad!). She put up with me teaching her to do this and was very good - better then some ponies I've seen in competition! Miss her. R.i.p. Amy. Her lovely one ear up, one ear down (it broke when she was a pup). Everytime I remember her I fight back tears - my best friend.
I now have Esri and I love her to bits. Trying to teach her the basics is a challenge! She like digging, tearing her bed, eating her box, general puupy stuff! Lol and the look she gives when you call her is "what? I ain't doing nothing!!!" But boy do we still love her the scamp!
(sorry for rambling!)

cotton

I'm laughing my head off reading this!:D
Elliott, one of my 4 has both problems mentioned here. He killed every football he had so I spent a fortune on a rock solid indestructable basket ball. It was a rubber mess within minutes.:rolleyes:
He is also a serial cushion killer. I kind of solved this problem by giving him his own cushion. He now murders his own & leaves the others alone.