Why can't she just keep her puppy mouth closed?

June 2, 2011 8:05 PM

How do you make a puppy stop chewing on EVERYTHING?

My wife and I adopted a puppy five days ago. She's an adorable two-month-old heeler/corgi mix and we love her to death, but she chews constantly on anything she can reach. She's already chewed the squeakers out of squeaky toys and the stuffing out of her doggie bed and crate bedding; she particularly loves trying to chew the carpet, furniture, table legs, and leaves, rocks and whatever else she can find when we take her outside. Just this morning she chewed on my ear before I could move out of the way, which fortunately only resulted in a little blood and not a trip to the hospital. (We're alright with a little playful nipping, which she usually does, but this crossed the line.)

My wife and I are exasperated. This puppy is destroying all the stuff we bought her and can't afford to replace yet, and she's going to get herself sick or worse from all the inedible junk she's swallowing before we can pull it out of her mouth. Not to mention we want to prevent her from dangerously biting humans when she gets older, before it's too late. What can we possibly do?

We've been to our first obedience class already, which was good but it's clear this is going to take some time. The puppy hasn't even figured out her name yet and is oblivious when we call or scold her. We don't want to hit her, instead going for positive reinforcement with treats for good behavior. But this chewing happens ALL THE TIME. We can't ignore it and we need it to stop ASAP. Please help!

As I typed this, she was in her crate (a time-out because of the chewing) and still proceeded to furiously shred her bedding in there. I responded by removing it so she's just on the plastic crate floor. No idea if that was good or bad but I couldn't let her keep eating that stuff. Now she's just as excited about trying to chew up the plastic floor. I didn't even think that was possible! I feel like I'm out of ideas to just make her quit already!

posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis to pets & animals (36 answers total)

The best method is to wait a few months. I wish I were just kidding, but it really is largely a matter of making sure that, when you aren't right there, she can't reach anything that it's not okay for her to destroy. You will get training tips in this thread, and eventually they will work, but there will be a good amount of time that you just have to ride it out.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:10 PM on June 2, 2011

Yeah. It's a stage. It might help to get her some tough chew toys and substitute one whenever you catch her beginning to chew on something she shouldn't. I had good luck with pressed rawhide bones, although I know some folks don't approve of rawhide chews. These have been put under pressure so they hold together for a long time and don't shred.
posted by lazydog at 8:17 PM on June 2, 2011

That's disappointing but not really surprising. We've already replaced her soft fluffy toys with chew-friendly knotted ropes and a Kong. We upgraded her to a chew-resistant leash after she tore through the first one, and we'll have to replace her collar soon too (somehow she managed to get her teeth into that).

We realize she'll grow out of this phase, hopefully in a few months. But what should we do in the meantime? I mean, she needs a doggie bed and crate bedding, but if we give them to her, she tears holes in them and eats the stuffing. She'll do it in the middle of the night while we're sleeping and can't stop her. And when we're awake, we try to distract her from chewing bad things by offering toys, but eventually she gets tired of the toys; then she'll ignore them no matter how vigorously we keep offering them. What's left for us to do at that point?
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:26 PM on June 2, 2011

Honestly, when my chocolate lab was a puppy, we just stopped putting bedding in his crate at night.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 8:30 PM on June 2, 2011

It's a stage for sure. A terrible, "OMG how many more of my favorite things are you gonna destroy" stage.

First and most important thing you have to go out of you way to do is make sure none of your favorite things are within reach of your little monster. None. Ever. She will destroy them and you can't get mad at her. It's your fault for leaving them out. Puppies kinda force you to have a clean house.

Second, puppies will be destructive if they are left to do their own thing. She needs constant attention. You should do everything you can to keep her attention. One good thing to do is keep her on a leash tied to you or your wife at all times. This does 2 things. It keeps her in view so you can check bad behavior as soon as it starts and it is a great way to bond with her. Heelers and corgis are high energy dogs and very smart who do best when they have a job, like herding, so she's not going to be a laying around the house type of gal. Keep her busy.

What kind of dog do you want her to be? Now is the time to mold her into that dog.
posted by wherever, whatever at 8:32 PM on June 2, 2011

oh, sigh... welcome to my life with the husky puppy.

1. no toys that can be chewed, except when you're playing and can remove them if the pup starts to tear them apart.

2. No bed in the crate, I went through about four of them before I figured that out.... pup does not NEED a bed... my husky loves to sleep on her back on a hard tile floor...you're not raising a baby!

3. supervise, supervise, supervise, supervise, supervise...did I say supervise? The bad husky was on a leash for about two months... That pup was an extension of my arm!

4. Lupine collars and leashes, they replace them if they are chewed... I've gotten two free leashes.

5. And, time... the pup will grow out of trying to eat everything on the sidewalk... the "leave it" command is your friend...

6. Hang in there with the training...

I was at a point at 6 months when I thought it was me or the dog... we both won... and are now best friends.
posted by tomswift at 8:36 PM on June 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Exercise. Then you exercise some more. Then more. A tired puppy is a good puppy. An exhausted puppy is a better one.

I would add that it is a good time to start training that biting or nipping is not ok by reacting in a high pitched holler.

I'd also get rid of all rope, stuffed/etc toys. Having had a puppy who went through a rope toy and then got jammed up and had surgery because of it, stick with West Paw Designs Zogoflex toys.
posted by iamabot at 8:38 PM on June 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Honestly, when my chocolate lab was a puppy, we just stopped putting bedding in his crate at night.

I'm very tempted to do that, but I guess my wife and I are still in that idyllic "new parent" mode and don't want to be cruel to our little darling. We're inexperienced but we want to be good dog owners and are still feeling out where the lines are between that and going insane from the destruction. If the puppy is still too young to learn, we don't want to be harsh or scar her by overreacting. Could removing the bedding fall into that category?

On preview: Looks like tomswift addressed this particular question, thanks! Maybe we shouldn't be so protective. The puppy's resting in her bedding-less crate right now (tuckered out from all the chewing, it seems) and she appears comfortable enough.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:39 PM on June 2, 2011

+1 for what tomswift said.

I'm very tempted to do that, but I guess my wife and I are still in that idyllic "new parent" mode and don't want to be cruel to our little darling.

A dog is not a person. A puppy is not your human baby. By all means, do not be cruel to the puppy, but not leaving stuff for it to tear up in its crate is not being cruel, because the puppy is a dog and not a person. A bed isn't for it to sleep on, the bed is something for it to tear up.

If you treat your puppy as if it were your baby, it will become a misbehaved dog. As it is a smart worker breed of dog, it will walk all over you, and will gladly assume the "pack leader" role if you're not going to be that.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:48 PM on June 2, 2011 [10 favorites]

good advice here, from everyone....

My puppy story...

A coworker at my wife's school came in one day with a little fluffy husky puppy under his arm. He had gone to a breeder to purchase a dog, there were two pups, the conditions were marginal, he decided he couldn't leave either of them there and bought them both.

Wife told me "we're getting a puppy"... OK, I thought, I love dogs... we went to see the pup on saturday, brought her home...

I didn't have a friggin' clue as to what I was getting into, which is the problem for many folks (hopefully not for you!). The wake up call, a day later was when I asked... "what are we doing with the pup on monday"... Answer - "you're taking it to work.", thus began a whole new way of making a living!

Pup has been going to work with me for three years now (alternative school, it actually became a good thing). But, the training, time, supervision, changed my life, you really need to prepare for that. As mentioned, you now have the choice as to how to shape this pup, make it a part of your family, relate to it.

Get some recommendations on books, find a good trainer and stick with it (training needs constant reinforcement for many years), and acknowledge that this pup is going to change the way you live..

Bottom line... it's worth it.

and, where's the obligatory picture??????

When you get to that point that it's driving you nuts, memail me!
posted by tomswift at 8:48 PM on June 2, 2011

Another thing. She's a puppy. If she was still with her littermates they'd be alternating between wrestling/chewing on each other with those tiny sharp teeth (which teaches them to not bite too hard when they're playing) and sleeping 24 hours a day. So you're going to have to take the place of her littermates and really get in there and interact with her to get out that puppy energy.

And don't forget to hold her as much as she'll let you because it is another great way to bond. Don't let all the crating folks talk you out of allowing your puppy sleep on your lap during the day/evening. If she was still with her littermates they'd be sleeping on top of each other, cuddling for warmth. Let her cuddle with you.
posted by wherever, whatever at 8:49 PM on June 2, 2011 [3 favorites]

There's a period where a puppy's teeth are growing so much that they feel weird and it compels them to constantly chew on something (so I've been told - like scratching an itch). Obedience isn't going to help with this; it's a stage they literally have to grow out of.

The dogs my family had were good enough that they would focus completely on the latest toy, but on the other hand this means the toy would be completely destroyed in days, if not hours. Puppy proof your house, to keep anything you don't want chewed out of reach. Fund a steady stream of replacement bones/chewtoys/kongs/stuffed dog animals so that there is always a good substitute handy when the puppy starts on something that it shouldn't, like a table leg or your foot. You can train her on the difference between something she's allowed to chew on versus not.

Another important thing is to burn off as much of that crazy puppy energy as you can. At least two walks a day, if not more. Teach her how to fetch a stick or ball and do a daily twenty minute session. Find a local dog park and let her run (supervised) off leash with the other pups. Do all of the above. They need constant attention and exercise for 2-3 hours, then you can both take an hour nap together in front of the TV before repeating the cycle again.
posted by ceribus peribus at 8:51 PM on June 2, 2011

I can understand you feeling mean about taking the bedding out of the crate, but if she were to shred her bedding at night or when she's alone and swallow some you could have all sorts of problems. Think of it this way you are doing her a kindness by not leaving the bedding in there until she has grown out of the chewing phase.

The good news is she will grow out of it, yes it is a pain in the neck but if you keep replacing the things she gets she shouldn't chew with the things you want her to chew, like chew toys or cow hooves or rawhides or what ever they do eventually learn what is there for them to chew and what isn't. One way to make the chew toys more popular than the off limits stuff is to put a little peanut butter or smear some tinned dog food on it.

That way she will get a positive reinforcement when chewing the things you want her to chew, also lots of praise when you see her chewing her chew toys. Things like cow hooves aren't too expensive I can get them for like a dollar each and they last for ages, though they can be smelly which is half the charm for dogs. I am not a big fan of rawhides as I had a dog get sick from swallowing part of one in a huge big chunk, but some people have great luck with those too and again they are not expensive.
posted by wwax at 9:20 PM on June 2, 2011

So much great advice, thank you! My wife and I both had dogs when we were growing up, but not puppies, and never in the fully responsible owner/master roles. We knew it would be challenging but I think we were both surprised by just how challenging it is. All your suggestions are of great help to us!

Also, obligatory adorable puppy pic at tomswift's request. ;-)
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 9:25 PM on June 2, 2011

There are some chew toys that are more indestructible than Kongs. The Galileo bone lasted us through two Lab puppies. Nylabones won't last forever, but they'll take a while. I haven't tried this Indestructible Ball but it looks promising.
posted by Addlepated at 9:43 PM on June 2, 2011

Nthing giving her time to grow out of this phase, and the "Leave it" command was a lifesaver for us! Our heeler is 9 years old and still needs to have something in his mouth most of the time...fortunately, he's a very smart guy and knows what's his to chew on.

Also, we found early on that the Planet Dog Orbee toys are the only ones that survive all the chewing. Try one (they are a bit pricey) and see if she takes to it.

Good luck and hang in there...they're worth it!
posted by Gusaroo at 9:43 PM on June 2, 2011

Nthing that this is just what puppies do. That's why they are so cute: because they are so exasperating otherwise. But I promise she will grow out of it (the well-behaved two year old dog sitting next to me was once an insatiable chewer).

Something that can help: Find a product like Bitter Apple, an anti-chewing spray with a bad taste (you can also try vinegar, pepper powder, etc). Spraying this on her bed might at least keep her from chewing on her bed.

Good luck!
posted by bluedaisy at 9:54 PM on June 2, 2011

Awwww... she's too cute.

Make sure you check with your vet about parvo in the area before you let your pup run around any parks. She'll be at risk for contracting parvo until her last booster shot at 4 months old.

I'll also nth the "leave it" command. Our dog has no idea what "no" means, but he knows how to leave it.
posted by wherever, whatever at 10:01 PM on June 2, 2011

Bitter Apple may have the opposite effect. I had a puppy once who used to love the taste. Licked it off anything I sprayed it on.
posted by Addlepated at 10:02 PM on June 2, 2011

Apart from all the good advice above, I would add, don't stand for her biting you! This may be playful now, but it'll turn into a dominance issue, and you need to let her know that biting people is not OK. Her mum would not stand for it, would growl at her and put her in her place.

Oh, and how cute.
posted by wilful at 10:30 PM on June 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Some random points from my parent's latest heeler who turned one year old recently:
* do you have a yard? My parents have a fenced yard with some trees and birdfeeders that are serviced by various birds and/or squirrels throughout the day - great entertainment for the puppy when she's outside doing her best to prevent any creature from approaching the feeders.

* she sleeps in a latched metal crate with a water bowl, a chew bone, and (sometimes) a blanket at night, in a far corner of my parent's bedroom. The stuffed, plush doggy bed is in the living room and is only used for daytime napping and hanging out. Now that she's older they don't have to close the latch; she understands that's where she spends the night. Even if she wakes up, she's expected to stay in there until the adults get out of bed (or she needs to go outside).

* you'll be surprised at the changes in stamina, learning, obedience, size, and energy during the first few months. What started as a 15 pound terror who would chew everything, nip hands and toes, have 45 minute long bouts of racing around the room then need a nap every four hours, and wouldn't sleep through the night at 2 months is now a 40 pound one year old that is still a puppy but is very gentle around kids and other dogs, needs daily walks but looks forward to afternoon naps with my retired dad, leads them to bed at nine and sleeps through the night until 6am, puts her toys back into a cardboard toybox on her own to select a different one, and is more generally interested in the daily routine of the house than in how to extract the squeaker from stuffed animals.

* has anyone mentioned daily routine? Dogs love learning a routine to structure their day. It helps that my parents are retired now. She gets them up in the morning and loiters during breakfast, she knows when the mail arrives and when the paper is delivered, she gets a small treat on the same schedule that Mom & Dad take their pills, regular times for walks and for supervising gardening, there's the afternoon nap, mealtimes, and by the end of the day she's ready for bed. Start working on a routine now, when your puppy needs the distraction, and she'll happily follow it as she grows up and takes comfort in predicting the day. Don't worry too much about it; she'll figure out your routine on her own whether you decide to teach her one or not.
posted by ceribus peribus at 10:35 PM on June 2, 2011 [3 favorites]

Orvis makes a line of chew-resistant dog beds that they guarantee your dog will not chew through - or they'll replace or refund it, for the life of your dog. We got one after Moose, our 6mo lab pup, gleefully ripped through bed no. 1 and began eating the green foam inside with gusto. Expensive, but worth it (and he hasn't made a dent).

Also, start shoving hard treats that are seemingly too big for the kong into the kong. Carrots, too. It should be a challenge - hopefully a long, aggressively chewy challenge that might take an hour or more - to get everything out.
posted by deludingmyself at 11:35 PM on June 2, 2011

Ice cubes are your friend. Heck--it might be worth molding big ones so that it takes a few more minutes to chew through.

Good luck --you've got a working dog there who will likely want constant activity.

We have a cattle dog --- but its mediated by beagle and he gets lazy.
posted by vitabellosi at 3:43 AM on June 3, 2011

I think the most important thing you can get out the advice given so far is that, as much as you love this cute little dawg that you have, you can't forget that she is a dog and that her instincts are very different to yours.

You need to work within her world in order to introduce her to yours. Don't be afraid to present yourself as the dominant force in her world. This doesn't mean being cruel, it just means that you have to let her know that she must comply with your rules whilst also taking into consideration the fact that she is reacting as a dog, not a baby human, and so she will be doing things that puppies do in a puppy environment. Your rules will make sense to her if you do it in a context that she understands.

You have to think more like a dog if you want her to respect you.
posted by h00py at 5:19 AM on June 3, 2011

If it makes you feel better I have adult well-trained Australian Cattle Dogs ("heelers") that cannot be trusted with bedding material. Trust me when I say that you'll get over the thought that they NEED soft bedding if you contemplate what sugery might cost to clear a bowel obstruction (caused by ingested bedding).

Nthing the suggestion for kong toys and marrow bones stuffed with low-fat peanut butter and treats or their normal kibble ration (do not overtreat to the point of obesity, neither breed is good with extra pounds while growing). Frozen baby carrots are also a special treat we give our teething puppies.

If you want great folks to bounce ideas off (and commiserate with puppy antics), come join us on ACD-L....we ar a friendly bunch who welcomes mix owners! We can share with you YEARS of knowledge about what toys work and what toys do not work with our wonderful breed!
posted by labwench at 5:24 AM on June 3, 2011

Ice cubes are your friend. Heck--it might be worth molding big ones so that it takes a few more minutes to chew through.

We've used frozen washcloths, twisted up into bones for this. It's good to have a few on hand to swap out when she's melted/chewed one.
posted by gladly at 5:46 AM on June 3, 2011

Have you read "Chewy Louie" by Howie Schneider yet? That family despairs, too, but one day the puppy just...stops chewing. My childhood dog, a blond lab, chewed as a puppy...and then throughout her life only as an expression of anger. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:22 AM on June 3, 2011

I know someone who freezes some sort of meaty bones (stew meat, maybe?) in half-fist size chunks for their Boxers. It takes them a long while to work their way through them. This seems like it'd be a good treat for a teething puppy, too: frozen meat chunks. Probably you'd want to check with your vet to make sure you got suitable meat and to find out how much is okay for a dog the age/size of yours.
posted by galadriel at 7:41 AM on June 3, 2011

Just nthing the advice to use this high energy obsessive stage to occupy as much of your pup's mental energy as possible. THIS is the time to establish an unbreakable bond between you and your dog. Play, stimulate, make lots of eye contact with verbal communication, give commands (you'll be surprised how much a pup can learn even when very young), and demonstrate that you always are in charge and will always love her.

That relationship will become her default mindset.
posted by General Tonic at 8:14 AM on June 3, 2011

For puppy biting and chewing on humans, the advice I've always heard is to react in a clear (and possibly over-exaggerated fashion) - if she starts chewing on your ear, pull away or stand up and say "OW!" really loudly, then don't continue engaging at that moment. Make it clear that any hurtful pain ends playtime.
posted by muddgirl at 9:08 AM on June 3, 2011

Aww Corgi satellite ears and stubby legs!!! :)

In terms of chewing/biting *you*, this is important to seriously discourage while she is young. It's tempting to let them be mouthy with you, but it becomes dangerous when they get big dog teeth. I heard (yes, probably on some TV show) that the best thing is to tell them in "puppy speak" that they have hurt you. When you're playing and she bites you, make a loud, shrill noise - mimicing the noise that your puppy would make if she were suddenly hurt. That tells her "Hey! Ow! Too rough!"
posted by radioamy at 9:21 AM on June 3, 2011

Good advice here, but I'll add this: One of the best things we did for my dog is to take the puppy training class at PetSmart. It wasn't expensive (maybe $120?) and was worth every penny.

They don't really teach the dog anything; they teach YOU to teach the dog. It helped immensely with chewing, jumping, and all those other puppy behaviors that my 2-year-old rescue dog hadn't grown out of.
posted by coolguymichael at 9:50 AM on June 3, 2011

I don't know if this is true for corgi mixes, but your puppy might start nipping your ankles. It's part of their wiring for herding cows and it took about a month and a half of correction before my dog consistently stopped doing it. So... just a heads up.

Also, cheap alternative things to chew are super cold/frozen baby carrots, water and watered down chicken broth ice cubes, and cheap face towels that I tied in a knot, soaked in water and froze.
posted by spec80 at 10:44 AM on June 3, 2011

Your puppy is five thousand percent adorable. I bet she wiggles like rubber and smells like pee and cedar chips. And I'm going to agree that she's just a wee bit young to be away from her littermates - usually after eight weeks, rather than before, means she gets some important socialization from her mom and other dogs in the litter.

One way to mimic this is that when she's biting your parts, you yelp and pull away, and then offer her that part again (on preview, what others said). BUT, I was told/taught to yelp and pull away until she's only mouthing you. Do that every time, and tell others to as well. She'll bite more gently each time - she's trying to figure out how hard she can bite while playing. If you end the playtime only after one bite, she doesn't learn to only mouth, which is part of how dogs play with other dogs. I've played with puppies (one yesterday even!) who've learned they can't bite me in under five tries. Because she's a puppy, and they have needles for teeth and no hands, and so this is how they learn to play not just with humans, but other dogs. Her mom and littermates would be doing this for her, but now you must. Everything from the "play bow" to what's fair game in wrestling is part of dog socialization at this age, so she needs dog interaction - not just humans.

Also, substituting what she can chew for what she can't will take you further - don't scold, correct. If you take something away without giving her something, she may start the fun game (for her) where she won't hand things over because she's learned that the only reward she gets for giving up something awesome is either scolding - or stupid human words (and even if you do the super-enthusiastic praising her for giving up something, some dogs (coughcoughmine) are not motivated by mere pats on the head and blah blahs and care nothing at all for my...I mean, your good humour).

At her age, time-outs mean nothing, you need to catch them in the moment. Scolding means nothing. Her name means nothing until you teach it to her. People need to deal in their dog's currency - figure out what motivates her, and make the associations for her since she's a silly little cute little witless puppy who's all furry and wurry and...oh... and then reward/praise her for when she gets it. I learned more from hiring a dog trainer to train me and my dog than I ever did from puppy classes. She was able to look at me, and observe my dog, and tell me things like "You don't expect her to move faster than that when you say "Come" or "Heel" and she knows it. Just move when you say the word, and she'll follow". Right now your puppy is testing you, to see who's the boss and what she can do before anything she finds distasteful happens as a result.

For example, she should be on a lead while she's out of her crate at all times. Better if you attach the lead to your waist, and just move around normally. She'll learn to watch you and figure out what you want and keep up with you, and then all you have to do is praise her when she gets it right. It's also very tiring for her, and will not give her time to be chewing if she's got to watch where you're going as you empty the dishwasher or water the garden. When you want her to come, you tug the leash toward you, make eye contact, and when she comes to you, reward/praise so that she gets it. "OH! Come means walk toward the human. Okay! Wow!" Same with heeling, same with her name. You say her name, and praise/reward every time she makes eye contact until she gets it. "OH! I'm Doofy!" Congrats on your little sweetie there!
posted by peagood at 11:32 AM on June 3, 2011 [3 favorites]

I just remembered: frozen baby carrots! Toss a bunch in the freezer, pull them out one at a time. My pup loved these.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:30 PM on June 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Want puppy!
Want! Want! Want!

She looks like my red heeler who was a chewer, digger, renovator of furniture, shredder of clothes, puncturer of garden hoses, chaser of cats, kids, cars--you name it. Trouble on four paws. He once decimated an 8 foot 2x4 in an afternoon. He chewed a metal garbage can lid apart. The only way we survived his puppyhood was to work the living snot out of him. Twenty minutes of walking or play did zip. He went with me on my bike for at least 45 minutes a day once a day, and then at least once a day a play session of thirty minutes of fetch and wrangle. The toys he had were kongs, something that looked like a tire, and a big rubber Jolly ball. Get toys sized for a big dog--Great Dane size! Hauling that big thing around will tire her out (and last longer.) The only reason he had a small kong was so that I could freeze peanut butter in it for a treat. Frozen meat chunks were great--cold things seemed to soothe his gums. The new GoughNuts are guaranteed, and look safe for animals that love to chew.

Your pup will do fine in a crate without bedding. DON'T use your crate for punishment. That's her hide out, her bed, her comfort spot. If she she's chewing something you don't want her to, put her in her crate with an acceptable toy--something appropriate to chew, so that she learns the difference. I prefer to give my dogs the run of the yard, but I bought a kennel for Jack so he could be outside, yet not tear things up. It was set on a concrete pad, and I can still see the wear marks he left in the concrete from trying to dig. He was so active all his life I never clipped his toenails.

The heeler side will be smart, persistent, and into everything. The corgi will be stubborn, opinionated, and into everything. Heelers MUST have a job. Do obedience training until she's absolutely 100% on her commands, then take her to agility training to give her a purpose. You'll both love it. Heelers and corgis are both herding breeds, and you've got to channel that desire to be busy. If you don't have access to sheep, teach her Treibball

My Jack and I survived his puppyhood, and he turned out to be the best dog I ever had. Twice, total stranger came up to me and try to buy him, and everyone who knew him thought he was super dog. Took us two years of daily effort, though!
posted by BlueHorse at 12:01 AM on June 4, 2011 [1 favorite]