Chew on this!

Okay, it could be worse, but Sadie, our new pup is a chewer. I haven't had one since Bailey was young and that was many years ago. She isn't as bad as he was - he got down to furniture and baseboards, but she has chosen a few items that belong to FATHER, like his watch strap and he's not happy. She's been in retrieval mode as well. She gets a shoe. I take it away and tell her no. While I'm putting said shoe back where it belongs, she's retrieving something else and the routine continues. She's persistent if nothing else!

David is threatening the "Bitter Apple" treatment. Bailey is probably cringing as I write this. Bitter Apple is a horrible concoction that they usually put on wood so horses won't chew on their stalls. You can give it to other animals so it was decided years ago that Bailey would benefit from the treatment. You put some on a towel and put it in the animal's mouth and clamp down. They get the awful taste and then you put it on things they chew. While it tastes bad it doesn't smell or stain things so they remember the taste and stop chewing. David decided Bailey needed a REAL dose and he bathed the towel. While it can't really hurt them, the poor dog frothed at the mouth and then threw up. But he no longer chewed!

She's not nearly as bad as he was but Father's patience isn't improving with old age either ;-) I'm trying to tell her that that fact is something she should REALLY chew on!