Wednesday, April 1, 2009

...And The Destruction Begins

Husband and I have always counted ourselves lucky that Theo was such a nondestructive dog. We were prepared for a dog that would chew on the walls and claw at the furniture, but we lucked out and got a dog that would rather verbalize his need for attention than show it. Rex is apparently not that way. Let me just say that I in no way blame Rex for the damage that I am going to tell you about because dogs are dogs. And by that I mean, they act a certain way for a certain reason, not because they're vindictive or mean, but because in their minds, what they are doing makes sense to them. You can't reason with a dog, you just have to work to find common ground.

So we took Husband's parents out to dinner last night for his mom's 60th birthday (seriously, she looks late 40s at most!). We left the dogs home by themselves. We left Theo in the loft, as usual. Husband's parents decided that they would put Rex in our guest room (the bedroom they are staying in). This sounded like a fine idea. The room is a good size and has all their stuff in it that smells like them. Only I didn't know at the time that Rex has abandonment issues, and issues with being locked in rooms (they think one of his previous owners used to lock him in a bathroom because they say he won't go in any bathroom). In hindsight, the loft would have been a better spot. We could have rigged something to keep the dogs separated if need be (though I'm sure they would have been fine together). The loft is open. Rather than being locked in a room, Rex would have felt merely confined. But that's not what we did, and Rex was not happy with that decision.

When we got home I knew there was something wrong when I glanced at the bottom of the bedroom door and saw there was no longer carpet under it. That's right. Rex, in his frenzied attempt to escape his imprisonment, tore up all the carpet in front of the door, including the pad underneath. Really, this wasn't Rex's fault. I'm not mad because I know it was an accident and it's not like he did anything that isn't fixable. I was glad Husband felt the same way. After learning more about Rex's history, I feel bad for him, and happy that he's with people who will make sure he has a good life from now on.

Husband also told me yesterday that apparently Rex has a compulsive water drinking problem. He will drink and drink and drink until he throws up. I've never heard of that before! I'm used to Theo, who will only go near his water bowl maybe 2 or 3 times over the course of a day. Heh.

I'm still loving having Rex in the house. He is still a wonderful dog with a wonderful personality. His only flaw is that he loves too much! Hehe. Did I mention when I throw my arms up in the air, Rex will jump up and throw his huge, long legs on me to give me a hug? It is wonderful.

7 comments:

The Pink Geranium or Jan's Place said...

oh, I feel for you. My rescue dog Roscoe became destructive.. ate the molding off the wall....oh Roscoe. My sisters little doxie eats the window blinds, when they get a dog sitter, ans are away on vacation.. he has done it twice! Sits on the back of the couch, and pulls them down!

You are handling this very well, by the way!

Kelly said...

OMG I would have died! I hope it wasnt new carpet :(

ocmist said...

We've fostered a few dogs for Mom's sister and a few of them have had some anxiety issues, poor babies.

Mom says her dad had a dog that did too, and when Dad and her went to get their wedding license (like 3 dog lives ago), they left Butch in the car and came back to find that he'd dug THROUGH the driver's seat all the way to the floorboards. Dad picked him up by the tail where he hung like a possum. Dad said he really loved Mom a lot or he would have killed him! Funny people... I know Dad and he wouldn't hurt a dog! OC

Ivy@PaperElixir said...

Oh no! And hope that wasn't the part you just remodeled :P And hope Rex wasn't too traumatized. Bryson also has his miscellaneous fear issues (that we assume are from his pre-us years), it's really remarkable how certain fears just imprint on their brain even though there isn't a reason to be fearful of those things any longer... Poor pups!

Cathy Santarsiero, "The Christmas Corgi" said...

Any chance they can work with a trainer and try crate training him? Slowly, leaving the door open so he can move in and out freely, put a toy or a cookie in there. A nice fleece or soft towel maybe. Make it a happy place for him, like his own little den. Then, start closing the door for a few minutes at a time, increasing in length till he can be in it for a couple of hours for travel, visits, etc. Stay in the room with him at first, gradually leaving for a few minutes at a time. It is really a safety issue because the crate will keep him safe rather than frantic if he knows it is a good place and he will always be 'let out' when they come home. It is time consuming, but worth the training. I hope they will try it. Happy Easter to you! Warmly, Cathy ^..^

JuLo said...

Thanks everyone. No it wasn't new carpet. That helped me not get too angry about it. The carpet is actually something we'd like to replace sometime in the next couple of years. It also helps that Husband and I never go in the guest room, so it's not something I'll ever really notice. It's just something we eventually have to fix that is going to cost money. No biggie, we were going to do it anyway. :)

Cathy, Husband's parents went and bought a crate the day after they got home. From hearing her advice, it doesn't sound like the trainer they're going to is that great. But Husband and I spent lots of time with them on the phone telling them the best way to approach it. For now they're feeding Rex in his crate. That's what worked for Theo. I haven't heard how it's working for them yet.

Freya's Human said...

I love the doggie hug! Our Weim would also give us the weird neck hug too. I'm sorry about the carpet. I totally understand the devastation of separation anxiety as we had the Weimaraner first and he was awful! Freya has helped calm him down and they both stay out of trouble too.