Katie eats everything!

[Stacy]

You guys, I love her to death and I wouldn't trade her for a million dollars, but sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry. We have an ongoing battle where she steals my chapstick and takes it outside. She will steal socks, underwear, bras, and shoes if given the opportunity - an opportunity I work very hard at not giving her. Oh, and she's also shredded a couple rolls of toilet paper in the last couple days. But tonight takes the cake. She stole and chewed on a magic eraser. You know, the most amazing soap scum cleaner known to man? There are no ingredients listed on the package, but I'm sure it can't be a healthy snack. Most of it was still there, and she was covered in little pieces, but I couldn't be sure if she ingested any or just tore it up.

So, I called poison control and asked if I should make her vomit. Then I called the vet school and asked them what they thought. And then I called proctor and gamble. And after 10 cc's of hydrogen peroxide I'm stood outside in a thunderstorm with a flashlight digging through her vomit. It's okay to laugh, I did. I didn't find any magic eraser pieces. But I did find little bits of ball that she ate and a small chunk of bully stick and a little bit of black fabric that I think came off of one of her toys. Oh, and some partially digested dog food. 

She's going to be fine. But I admit it, I read about some of you all who are ready for your second doodle when the first is 10 months, because the first one is so good - and I'm a little jealous. Katie hasn't been my easiest dog. She's so great. But she's also exhausting. And it's not like I don't watch her. We were both in the tiniest bathroom known to man when she snuck off with it and took it to the couch. That magic eraser couldn't have been 6 inches from my knee. And I never saw her take it. She's so sneaky! 

Anyway, no worries. She seems none the worse for the wear. I think I have a couple new gray hairs, but I thought maybe someone would get a chuckle out of our drama, or at least tell me that she's going to grow up eventually! 

Stacy and Katie - who says she's not only fast, but she's silent when she's sneaky. 

[Donna K & Quincy]

Wow, Katie certainly lives by the "when opportunity knocks" code. If it's any comfort, my 6 yr old doodle will still steal the toilet tissue if we (meaning my husband) forget to put it on the roller. 

[Stacy]

It does make me feel better in the "you're not alone" sense. But I think it would make me feel more better if I thought she'd outgrow it. :) Oh yes, any opportunity. I can't put the toilet paper on the roll because she grabs the end and very happily runs through the house with it. I don't mind the stuff so much, I just want her to pick non-toxic stuff. She does pretty well as long as I remember to keep all the other doors shut and the important things put away. Tonight though she was supposed to be keeping me company while I cleaned the tub. I should have shut us both in the bathroom, but I didn't think of that then.

[Jess & Stewart]

Stew is the king of eating things. Basically read any of my posts, lol. I've never been in the position to give him hydrogen peroxide, usually he gets into things while I'm at work & I panic knowing I can't run to give him that to make him vomit. He's almost 2 & hasn't grown up yet ;) Hope it gets better for Katie. Management is our friend & even in many cases even that doesn't work!

He's got other crazy things he does too, lol. See my two recent posts, which no one is commenting on, probably due to a post about almost getting to my wits end & wanting in the moment to rehome Stew. Bummer because they're funny lol!

[Stacy]

The time when she doesn't/can't get into anything is when I'm not home! She goes to daycare frequently and when she doesn't she stays in her x-pen with a top on it. She's a love for sure, but I would appreciate it if she doesn't freak me out too often.

[Jess & Stewart]

You're lucky then! Stew this week jumped a 41 inch baby gate, pushed open my french doors into my bedroom, pushed open my sliding closet doors and started roaming my bedroom. He's way too smart for his own good! Yes, it would be nice if they didn't make us panic every second! 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I do think she will outgrow some of it. Calla will still go after any food left unattended that she can reach. I just have to be very diligent.

[Stacy]

I think she will too. She can't possibly be this naughty for the next 15 years! She really is a good girl. I call her naughty in the most affectionate way. She has so many good qualities. She walks nicely on leash. She gives the best hugs. She's completely housebroken. She lets me clip her nails. She's my best little buddy. I've always had good dogs and I have no doubt she will be the same. But this bratty teenager phase is very challenging! It's been stormy here, so we skipped our long walk tonight. It's amazing how much better a tired dog is than one who has too much pent up energy.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I'm laughing at how happy it must make her to run through the house with the end of the toilet paper.  Sorry. She'll probably outgrow some of this.  But if you haven't done this already, training her to "leave it" by using treats will help her begin to understand that some things are hers and some are not. You can progress to using other objects. Finn outgrew being a toilet paper bandit, clothes stealer, and stealing regular sponges, but he's 5 and still has to be supervised with any kind of stuffed toy :)  There's no chew guard or tuff it technology that can defeat him.  

[Stacy]

She is the definition of joy when she's trailing toilet paper behind her. We are going to work on leave it. I am also going to work harder on exercising her to exhaustion. She's so good when she's asleep.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I have a sneaky one too, and it's always a challenge.  It does get a little better, but you always have to try to "second guess" these guys and basically have to keep anything you don't want chewed or eaten where they can't reach.

[Kris and Sawyer]

Sawyer was a chewer. It does get better. He's still opportunistic, but now it's more subtle. He still loves to steal shoes if someone leaves a door open, but he no longer chews them. He just leaves them out as if to say "haha, I got your shoe and you didn't even know!". Unfortunately the only thing that curbs chewing and stealing is either confinement or keeping her tethered to you, until she's learned whats hers and what's yours. During puppyhood I did scans of the house constantly, what's within reach that needs to be put up?

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

My heart goes out to you.

  Tigger is 7 and he too is a kleptomaniac.  He will steal and eat anything he can get his teeth on.  He has eaten razors, toilet paper, Kleenex, socks, knitting wool, slugs, did I mention socks?, grass, bugs, bees (he slobbers them to death first), earrings, shoes if he can get them, a wooden Xmas ornament,  sandwiches whole. The knitting yarn still was sticking out of this mouth and I was able to pull it all out a bit at a time.

  The general rule of thumb from my vet is to feed soft white bread to him (like wonder bread) until he won't eat anymore or he throws up. Then poop examination for lost items.  If he stops eating or drinking or pooping for two days bring him in for an xray.  Possible poisonous items he goes in for morphine drops in his eyes.

He is actually getting better I have managed to convince him that non edible stolen items may be turned into me for a treat,  This took a really really long time. I also leave non lethal decoy items near his favorite stealing locations.  I use really huge wooly socks that he likes but cannot swallow whole ( or at least hasn't).  In the kitchen he finally knows his place (away from food prep) and is rewarded with a small bite is food falls and he stays in place.  For some reason my husband cannot get him to do this and routinely loses whole sandwiches to him.