In one of our earlier blogs titled “Puppy Proofing”, we discussed how Chisel’s owners erected some wooden fencing and mesh to protect their gardens from a mischievous puppy! Well we’re here to report that it didn’t really work! Within the first 1-2 weeks in his new home, Chisel managed to chew little puppy-sized holes in the garden mesh, just big enough for him to squeeze through and be found on the other side of the garden! He started by cropping a couple of ferns and the garden mesh was patched up, but as he got bigger he chewed huge holes, enough to stick his head through, pull-up and destroy several small native shrubs – sometimes so expertly that looking at the soil, you wouldn’t even know where it’s been disturbed, but the plants were completely gone! Clever puppy! The plastic mesh has now been replaced with a welded wire mesh. And his owners will be on the lookout in nurseries for replacements for some Hakea, Banksia, Woolly Bush shrubs and ground-cover plants!
Chisel loves to dig holes in the lawn, and there are now 3 large holes and several smaller ones in what used to be a fairly good well cared-for lawn! One hole turns into a mud-bath every time it rains, and Chisel loves the mud! Can you imagine what the house looks like after he runs through it!
Chisel is also a bit of a boof-head! His owners wonder sometimes whether he “gets it” at all when he’s told things he can’t do. It’s hard for instance when he’s so big that half of his front legs end up on the kitchen bench or dinner tablet when he’s looking for food. He obeys and gets off when told, but it takes about 5 seconds or less before he’s back up again. But this is typical puppy behaviour, and he’s slowly learning – hopefully!? And he’s so cute and loveable it’s hard to be angry at him!
One day Chisel decided to destroy their other dog’s teepee – a little teepee-style hut that Toby the Cavoodle sleeps in! After this destructive process, the main problem was that the piece of rope holding it all together at the top couldn’t be found. We examined Chisel and could feel no pain or obstructions in his intestines, so elected to monitor his poos, and see what happens. He passed a thin piece of rope 1-2 days later that was 60cm long and completely intact – swallowed whole!
