On Blast

Well since Dave put me on blast. I guess I should fess up.

I did freak out. Bella ate the baseboard for the umpteenth time (right after I fixed it too…damn dog). And that was the last straw…I was done. I put her on the leash threw her in the crate (with a treat lure) closed the door. Dissembled the baby gate playpen, picked up her toys, water bowl and called Dave. Now Dave was nice in his description of the phone conversation. My memory plays back that conversation like this:

[Dave] “Hello”

[Me] “She is your dog. I can’t take it anymore.”

[Dave] “Uh…what?”

[Me] “If you don’t come home soon, I am going to take all of her things put them in a trash bag throw it out and she will not exist in my universe.”

[Dave] “Ok”

[Me] “Bye”

And then I fixed dinner for myself and ate it in perfect bliss without having to be consistently aware of what Bella was chewing on and if she needed to go potty.

My biggest problem is Draco. I constantly compare Bella to Draco.

“Draco is calm, why can’t she be calm.”

“Draco doesn’t pee inside”

“Draco doesn’t pull on the leash”

“Draco doesn't eat the BASEBOARDS”

But I need to remember all the times I very seriously told Draco I was taking him to the pound. I would yell at him for the bad things he did and ask him if he would like to live at the pound. I probably ran around town for years telling anyone who would listen I was donating a tri-colored dog to the pound. Free to any home. And it’s not only the only threat, I need to remember the other thing I said…

“Hunter is calm why can he be calm.”

“Hunter doesn’t pee inside.”

“Hunter doesn't pull on the lea….wait Hunter does pull on the leash but he is cuter when he does it.”

“Hunter doesn’t….blah blah blah.”

Yup that is right I compared the perfect Draco to Hunter, the beloved family blond lab 1996-2010.

So am I a “grass is greener on the other side” kinda person?

No, I trained Draco and Hunter too (with help from Bry, Saw and Mom). So I know how to train my dogs to be good dogs. I just need to learn patience and grace. And who better than Bella to teach me. 

I hope it sticks this time.