TROUBLE!

Who knew a bone would cause so much Trouble....with a capital T!

When Bonnie was at the vet last week, we were discussing the variety of undesirables she puts in her mouth. The vet suggested we get a very large rawhide chew. We had never allowed her to have rawhide chews as she would consume the smaller size almost immediately. Normally we only let her have nylabones, kong balls, tennis balls and stuffed toys without dangley legs that can be ripped off. The vet said she should chew on a large bone for 1 to 2 hours a night, then pick it up and put it away. Sounds good.

We got the bone and she knew it was hers when we walked in with it. She immediately grabbed it and headed for a corner in another room. Puffers walked by to see what the excitement was all about. He hasn't been interested in chew toys for over a decade. She jumped him from across the room. It was a good thing I was standing there and got them separated. Puffers got a good bite on his back. She normally doesn't care about her other chew toys so this was a surprise to all of us.

She LOVES this bone. She puts her whole body into chewing on it. And she hasn't been interested in chewing up other things since she got it. That's the good part. The bad part is the only place we can think to put this behemoth is on top of the fridge. Well, they eat their dinners in the kitchen. Now she has to protect the bone even though it's on top of the fridge. Meal times have been stressful.

The real challenge came yesterday. We've been taking the bone up after about an hour with no problems. Yesterday, barefooted (my normal footwear...none) I went to pick up the bone and she jumped at me! Whoa! Bad plan sister. I had to find shoes. Then calmly walk in and 'claim' the bone. First I put one foot on it. And waited to see if she backed off. Of course not! Everything a Scottie claims, is theirs forever. So I put the other foot on the bone, down on the end where she had been chewing. I just stood there and waited. And waited. Finally after 10 minutes she turned her head. She never actually moved back, but she did turn her head. I was then able to pick up the bone and put it away. Leave it, watch me, back.....none of that worked. She was totally focused on the bone.

It doesn't help that it's 'girl time' ....I'm sure her hormones aren't helping. For now the bone is on the fridge. Tomorrow we'll work with her. Let her chew the bone while we hold one end. We'll remove it every 5 minutes or so to in force that the bone is ours to share. We've picked up all her toys and have been handing them out for short play and then putting them up again. Since it's girl time, we can't take her to the dog park or walk her near home. Well, we could, but every boy dog in the neighborhood winds up in the front yard! We usually put her in the car and take her to another street for a walkies. Better that she leave that luscious girly smell somewhere else.

I've felt the same way about chocolate during 'girl time'......try and take my Snickers away and you're gonna draw back a nub mister! Don't be getting between me and my stress relief!

ps....I have no idea why sometimes I can successfully do paragraphs and sometimes I can't. I'm such a dweeb.