grow up?

Charlie Bear here. I have to laugh at this big, beautiful, hunk of a dog. He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?

Diesel Face

But he has a disposition only a mother could love.

See, Diesel’s Mommy emailed the other day and said that Diesel had eaten five pairs of her shoes. Five!

Chewed Shoe One

That’s a lot of lost shoes and a lot of lost money. He gets fed a lot, he gets exercise, so what’s his problem?

All you dog lovers out there probably know the answer. He’s a puppy! Puppies love to chew! Am I right?

Not me anymore. Even when I did as a pup, I preferred a good, solid little bone over a pair of smelly, yucky shoes. But, hey, to each dog his own. But now that I’m four (just had my birthday: Happy Birthday to me!) I don’t really chew at all. I grab and carry around my green little turtle,

CB with Two CS Books

or my baby kitty or one of my squirrels,

Charlie Bear (41)

but I don’t chew much. Do you think it’s a Lab/Retriever thing? The big dog Rex LOVED to chew. In fact, he chewed up Dad Peep’s whirlybird things in the backyard, his packs of cigarettes (good thing he quit, it was getting too expensive), and even reached up high onto the kitchen counter and snatched bread right off the cutting board. That Rex.

And that Diesel. He’s not even a year old.

Do you remember what YOUR dog was like at that age? What’s the worst thing your pup got into? And how did you get him/her to break the habit?

Wiggles and Woofs to you,
Charlie Bear

www.bjtayloronline.com

Will Diesel the Weasel Ever…
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12 thoughts on “Will Diesel the Weasel Ever…

  • September 24, 2013 at 9:34 pm
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    Charlie Bear, like you I roamed the streets until I was picked up all matted and flea eaten at a year & a half old(so the vet said), I chased my tail also as you did but not for long, but I still run in circles on occasions. I am not a chewer but like to play with shoes, toys, and most anything that makes a noise on the floor. My peep mom thinks there is something wrong with my mouth or teeth because when I eat I eat from the side of my mouth, always but do not drink from the side of it; do you reckon something is wrong or is it in our genes? Do you do that way? Peep mom has asked the vet but he did not give her an answer, just said he did not know. Maybe those other dogs that like and continue to chew will grow out of it more & more, lets hope so, huh? Take care of yourself & peep mom now..

    Wiggles & Woofs to all!!
    Beaugie.

    Reply
    • September 25, 2013 at 7:57 am
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      Beaugie,
      Huh…I don’t know why you would eat from the side of your mouth except that you like to? I think my back teeth are stronger than my little front ones. Maybe that’s the reason? I hope the big dogs out there that chew on things just don’t chew up something really, really expensive or one-of-a-kind. That would be bad, right Beaugie?
      Wiggles and woofs to you,
      Charlie Bear

      Reply
  • September 24, 2013 at 8:11 pm
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    Happy Birthday, Charlie Bear! Flash is a chewer. He’s not a pup, but this is his first home experience (retired greyhound racer). Three pair of athletic shoes, a belt, two pair of flip flops, two sock monkeys…and the side of my desk. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • September 25, 2013 at 8:03 am
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      Shawnelle and Flash,

      I think chewing on things is a way to satisfy a hunger. Maybe it’s a hunger to keep busy. Not liking to be left alone? Or maybe it’s a hunger to be closer to our people. Their smell is on the athletic shoes, the belt, the flip flops. It makes us feel closer to them when we ingest a part of them? That’s weird, but could be true. I think the “experts” say that most older dogs do it out of boredom. Maybe especially the side of the desk part?

      I’ll never forget the words Mom Peep lived by when Rex was a puppy…and he chewed EVERYTHING! Those words were: a tired dog is a good dog. And she found that to be very true. Now, when I’m acting out a bit in a whirlwind of zooming or chasing my tail, Mom puts a leash on me and off we go around the neighborhood. For some reason I sleep really good that night and for days afterward I’m content. Weird, huh?

      Wiggles and woofs to you all,
      Charlie Bear

      Reply
  • September 23, 2013 at 3:52 pm
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    Charlie Bear, Clyde liked to (and still does) chew up sticks during our porch party. Or chew up his plastic bouy. (spelling?) Or chew his Frisbee. But mainly at our porch parties. How strange is that! He LOVES rawhide dog bones. He ate one of those huge ones, as long as my arm, in about an hour this weekend.

    Tell your sweet Mom Peep thanks for checking today. We love you!

    Reply
    • September 23, 2013 at 4:59 pm
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      Julie and Clyde…who knows how to slyde (but gets scraped a bit…poor big boy),
      Sticks? That is definitely a lab thing I think. I tried a stick once. No flavor. Dry. Kind of woody-tasting.
      Rex loved Frisbees. Mom Peep got free ones at the PetCo all the time ’cause he chewed them up as fast as she brought them home! And he also loved rawhide dog bones. Me? Not so much. Funny how we are all different, huh?
      Mom Peep says to be good to yourselves.
      Wiggles and Woofs,
      Charlie Bear

      Reply
  • September 23, 2013 at 3:25 pm
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    Hi Charlie! Gee a lot of posters have dogs with cravings for chewy shoes…DieseI sounds like he is a very mischevious dog, no matter how cute he is…(You are incredibly cute yourself, Charlie—More, more, more photos!) I thought dogs did not mind smelly things. Find it strange that you did not like smelly shoes while Mystery adores them.

    I don’t remember Rascal being bad with shoes, but he was an outdoor dog after puppyhood. Frankly, I thought he was “rascally” and perfect at the same time! “Rascally” when he tried successfully to kiss me!
    Susan

    Reply
    • September 23, 2013 at 4:56 pm
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      Susan and Mystery,
      Ok, I must admit that I don’t remember my “childhood” very much. I lived on the streets until I was almost a year old. Foraged for food, fended off other dogs, chased by own tail. Didn’t have time I guess for smelly shoes!
      Rascal sounds like a perfect “rascal” to me! The kissin’ kind!
      Woofs!
      Charlie Bear

      Reply
  • September 23, 2013 at 10:48 am
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    Oh boy, Charlie Bear,

    Let me tell you about chewing! When Mom first brought Kenzie home, nothing was safe. She started out chewing up all the plushy toys and then the rubber ones, then she chewed up our beds, first hers and then mine, next she chewed up the couch cushions and then the one on Mom’s chair, plus the arm rests, back of the chair and the little skirt thingy around the bottom. The final straw (we thought!) was when she chewed holes in both sides of Mom’s mattress and chewed up three pillows. Mom never knew what to expect. It wasn’t just when we were left alone either, Mom could just be in the shower or out in the front yard for a few minutes and when she’d come back inside, there would be something else chewed up. Mom started putting us in the kitchen when she left and things were okay until the day Mom came in and found where Kenzie had chewed a big chunk of tile up off the kitchen floor! Mom used to say that Kenzie thought her name was “OH NO, KENZIE!!” Good thing Mom had raised puppies before and she was patient with Kenzie, (by patient I mean Kenzie’s still alive, isn’t she?), and now that she is a year and a half old, she’s settled down a lot …..but Mom still puts us in the kitchen when she leaves. She’s not 100% ready to trust Kenzie quite yet.

    Your pal,
    Jake

    Reply
    • September 23, 2013 at 1:28 pm
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      Jake,
      OMG! That Kenzie! Wow, your mom peep is one patient lady and one smart lady too. So at a year and a half there is lots of hope that Kenzie will settle into not chewing so much. Wonder when your mom peep will give her a try? Probably not yet, huh? lol
      Wiggles to you,
      Charlie Bear

      Reply
  • September 23, 2013 at 10:47 am
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    My daughter takes ballet. Our doxie, Mystery, was just under a year when she came to live at our house, and she immediately took a liking to smelly dance slippers. She did in three or four of those leather slippers. The last time, she even dragged the dance bag off the shelf, opened the drawstring and dug them out from the bottom of the bag before shredding them.

    Now, two years later, she rarely bothers the dance shoes anymore. Once, I found them pulled out of the bag–no chew marks, though. I suppose she was just reminding us what a good dog she’s become.

    Reply
    • September 23, 2013 at 1:32 pm
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      Karen and Mystery,

      What a smelly-dog-hound! Dance slippers at the bottom of the bag…wowee. That’s a funny story.

      Nice to hear Mystery is no longer a mystery when it comes to chewing up smelly dance slippers! It’s funny how many of us (humans too I bet) throw aside our youngish ways and “grow up.”

      Woofies to you,
      Charlie Bear

      Reply

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