Thursday, December 5, 2013

Congratulations! It's a Puppy!

Perhaps it's just the passage of time, but I do not remember Maisy being this much of a pain in the ass. Then again, I got her much younger than I got Pyg, and she came with the bonus of already being crate-trained. Also, she had her CGC by the time she was Pyg's age. Also, I think she was just too flippin' scared of the world to be naughty.

Whatever the reason, as Pyg has settled into life with us, he's become progressively naughtier. This is not a huge surprise. Not only had I suspected he would come out of his shell, but he's also an adolescent without much training. And normal adolescent dogs without much training are, well, annoying.

He's constantly getting into things. Yesterday, the treat drawer was left slightly ajar, and so he opened it and invited Maisy to his all-you-can-eat party. They went through probably a dozen bully sticks, several rawhides, a nylabone, a couple of cow hooves, and who knows what else. Today I came home to find a roll of thread (WTF?) destroyed. Last week it was a yardstick and the cat litter scooper.

And the recycling. Oh, the recycling! Pyg loves rooting around, especially in the cardboard recycling. He pulls out boxes and just shreds them. This doesn't really bother me, but it would be nice to come home to a semi-clean house.

Pyg's decided being short is stupid, and so is always jumping on everything. Counters, the chest freezer, my sewing table (from which he snitched the thread), my bed side stand (where he knocked my pill bottles down but thankfully didn't open them)...

Peeing is meant to be done anywhere, anytime, and poop is clearly meant for consuming. Dead squirrels found on walks? Tug toys. Conveniently decapitated bird heads? Bedtime snack. Your nose? A slightly-too-chewy chew toy.

Let's just say I've been rethinking my training priorities. I've already started with “off” and “gimme that,” and there will definitely be a viewing of Crate Games in my very near future!

Still... I don't regret adopting him. Sure, he's a pain right now, but he will be an absolutely lovely dog when he grows up. Hell, he already is a lovely dog. Besides, when he curls up on my chest and naps, the oxytocin totally gets me.