Risky business

As you know, if you read my blog from yesterday, I spent yesterday at Wentworth. I did enjoy the time of watching my son and getting photos and a video of him in the terrain park. I knew it would be a long day. And I was concerned about leaving the hounds, Bella and Baxter at home. Bella, my year and a half old black coated retriever mutt who loves company and has a lot of energy. In the first year of her life she has destroyed numerous shoes, her dog bed, more than once and she has gotten bread off the counter and has managed to pull blankets and towels into her cage to destroy them when I was trying to keep her in a cage. Worried she would have the cage collapse on her, I gave her a room. She has taken the trim off the walls and even pulled drywall tape off the wall. She has chewed electrical cords and gotten into any box or basket in the room - even those that are elevated to the four foot height. Now she is only a medium sized dog and weighs in around fifty pounds. But she is bouncy.

Baxter is a six month old golden retriever. He was brought into the scene because I thought perhaps Bella was suffering from separation anxiety, and with a companion, perhaps she would settle down. Baxter is learning to become bouncy, however he by comparison has only really been involved in tug of war over the bed and the resulting destruction. He gleefully enjoys chewing on sticks from the wood bag and wrestling with Bella. He loves her company and she his. And now they are best buds. He will chew her muzzle off and destroy it and her harness too.

When we left yesterday morning, I gave them time in snow, I left them with a bone and an extra large kong filled with frozen peanut butter - each - to keep them busy. I was concerned though for after a few weeks of having us home pretty much everyday, I knew the adjustment would be hard. Bella always has a harder time and misbehaves more on Mondays than any other day. But imagine my surprise when arriving home to discover two hounds gleefully at the door. Not in the room they were left in. I opened the door and let them out and peered into the house. I began to consider how this could have happened. Did a neighbour come over and let them out of the room? Fynn investigated and found the truth.

They knocked the door off the hinges.

As I considered what could I do now, I went immediately to I cannot handle this. Maybe I need to let Bella go to a home where there is someone there all the time. And as I watched her and Baxter bound around in the snow, I realized how much that would hurt her and him and me. And Fynn. 

I can't give up on her. But what am I to do? Then the thought moved through my mind, "maybe it is time for her to not be shut in a room." Careful investigation of the rest of the house showed no signs of destruction, just a pulled apart ball of wool and obviously some running around the living room given the disarrayed rug.

This morning as we walked through the woods still ripe with a blanket of undisturbed snow, I reflected on an article I read about how to parent willful children. I was one of those willful children. My parents called me stubborn, mischievous and a trouble maker. The article suggested that rather than try to control a willful child, to try to connect with the child using patience and negotiation. The author suggestions that communication and cooperation. As I watched Bella and Baxter bound up the hill I thought, "how can I make that work with Bella, my strong willed child?"

This may seem crazy to some, but to me, my pets are like children. And they are family. So I cannot give up on Bella. Communication with her comes in time off leash. Cooperation comes with the right balance of treats and positive reinforcement. It comes with giving her quality time. And I suppose, there comes a time when one must try just trust too.

Wish me luck.