Before we left Louisiana, some friends were getting rid of their fire pit. It needed TLC and elbow grease, so we brought it to Indiana with us, sanded it, cleaned it, then repainted it. And it’s been sitting on our patio ever since because, also before we left Louisiana, we got rid of our patio table and chairs. Leaving them out in our bayou backyard was really harsh on the pieces, and they were rusted through and falling apart. Also, (all sorts of moving parts to this story…) our movers broke our bookcase. So, I’ve been scouring craigslist for a bookcase but stumbled upon a cheap patio set that just needs to be cleaned and, possibly, repainted.
Funny how it all comes together sometimes…
Anyway, we went and picked up the patio set yesterday after work, hosed it off, then set it out to dry.
Meanwhile, Cooper was barking his face off. Like, non-stop, high-pitched, screeching barks. Somewhere in our neighborhood is a very unhappy dog whose people are leaving him outside for far too long every day. Cooper has decided to keep him company by singing him the song of his people…
“Enough” works better these days, but it’s not 100%. Plus, we were trying to clean the furniture and get everything setup, so we weren’t always able to cue and reward. So, I broke out our backup plan: cheapo stuffed toys that he can obsessively shred. It is wasteful (materials and money!), but it keeps him occupied and silent for a few minutes. I had three on reserve, so I tossed those out for the boys to each have one.
One, a little dragon, died an instantaneous death.
The other two?
“Can you please let me in the house so I don’t have to share these?”
(Ignore the kitty scoops… today was trash day, so we were setting it all out last night.)
Sorry, Coop! You need to share!
“No, but if you just let me in the house, I’ll share with Newt. Emmett and Lucas can stay out here. Newt and I will chew on these bones.”
Seriously, Coop?
“Yep.”
So, I did let him in, and it took him about 25 seconds to eviscerate both stuffed bones, but it gave us enough time to finish setting everything up.
And then… after dinner… it all came together! Pure bliss!
Funny how it all comes together sometimes…
Hope you’re having a great week!
LOL. I love that look on his face. How could you ever say no!
I can’t!! Sigh… 🙂
A couple of nights ago I was trying to get the boys to occupy themselves for a few minutes and decided to do the exact same thing. I broke out a bag of stuffies that doggyloot had sent me. Juli and Ray each got one and the granddaughter who wanted one ran around the house with the dogs with her stuffed bone in her mouth shaking her head. 🙂
OMG! Deb, that is seriously so cute!! I hope you got that on video!!
Ah good wine, and fire light, and a doggy on the lap, worth millions. Absolutely free except for your heart.
stella rose and momma
Yes, so peaceful! The past two weeks have been incredibly stressful, so it was PERFECT! I’m planning to do the same thing again tonight. 🙂
BOL! Well done! The pawfect solution! Loved the “song of his people” visual.
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Our “Mystery Kiss” series resumes tomorrow! FFHT is coming on Friday!
It’s more an “auditory” than a visual. 😉 But, yeah, Cooper feels he needs to be in constant communication with this poor dog. We tried to figure out where he was, but couldn’t figure out which house. I feel bad for the guy.
Look forward to the reveal on Friday!
You’re probably wise to this one already, but stuffed toys are incredibly cheap at thrift stores. Watch for plastic eyes/noses (or just clip them off) and bean-type filling. Wash them in hot water and tumble dry as soon as you get home. (It doesn’t matter if they get misshapen, you just want to kill the germs/bugs). Mom bought Silas an airplane for a quarter that lasted as long as his expensive durable toys, although Silas is not a devoted ripper.
Ya know… I never have gotten them toys at the thrift store. That is a brilliant idea, and I wish I had figured it out sooner! Thanks for the tip!!
Wait, this is a thing other people do? Hold stuffed toys in reserve for 10 minutes of peace and quiet so that SOMETHING gets accomplished without canine help? Thank God for this blog. I feel so much better now. (Daisy has one of those Kyjen extra long snakes that’s supposed to be invincible. She has been taking the squeakers out one by one and “hoarding” them once they no longer squeak. I hide the snake in my nightstand for emergencies.)
HAHA! Amanda, I’m glad I’m not the only one either!! Those extra-long toys do NOT last extra-long. Yeesh. We had the elephant, and Coop got through it in minutes. Hiding them is the only option!
Jealous! We had a fire pit at our old place on our patio. Now that we’re in an apartment with a balcony, I’m thinking a fire pit would be a bad idea. But I sure miss our old one! So relaxing.
That’s funny about the toys! You do what you have to sometimes! 🙂
Oooh, yeah. Your neighbors might not love a fire pit on your balcony! 😉
He is a toy shredder, but that task keeps him completely occupied. You’re right… you do what you have to do!
I admit we are wasteful with toys at our house too. Although there are many toys that survive until the time is right for destruction.
I had a friend who used to let her dog chew on old boots and shoes. The problem was the dog didn’t know the difference between old and new. When we got Sampson (and subsequently Delilah) we decided we’d much rather have be destructive with toys than say something like furniture or shoes. Hence our wastefulness.
I think it’s cute how Coop wanted to destroy those toys all by himself. 🙂
We joke – but maybe not so joking – that we just need to get him a tire. Though I’m sure he’d get through that, too!