Owning a dog is a learning experience and an exercise in extreme patience. We have an eight-month-old Portuguese Water Dog. Porties are hypo-allergenic, active, sweet natured and lovable dogs. What you might not know is that they are a notoriously mouthy breed.
When our breeder repeatedly warned me about this trait, I thought, okay, the puppy will bite at first, but we’ll just train her. I’ll make sure I have a lot of chew toys and we’ll be fine. Eventually she’ll outgrow it. Well mouthy is an appropriate word in more than one context. (You should hear the air bark she gives when she knows she’s in trouble.)
Our little she-devil, as we affectionately call her, chews on everything. Okay… not really everything. Fergie has an affinity for undergarments and other fabricky things. Like…
Pillows
and Blankets**
**Notice these aren’t just any blankets… one is monogrammed and the other is an expensive down comforter. She chewed through the duvet cover too!
She’s destroyed an awesome leather belt I’d wor
n maybe five times and a pair of Keen sandals. I had to buy a neighbor’s son a pair of knock-off Vibram FiveFingers because Fergie ate one. Pictured to the right is a disclaimer we have posted as you enter our house.
But the worst item was my daughter’s Regional Gymnastics Leotard that she 
received when she made the USAG Region 8 Team for Georgia. Fergie rendered it useless in seconds. See the hole in the left side of the leo in the photo? Spectacular work Fergstar. (Another pet name we have for Fergie.)
Now I hear what you’re thinking. I should keep a better eye on my dog. I hear ya, but Fergie is a sneaky bandit. She will be on the couch with her bone between her paws so we think she’s chowing down on her bone. In actuality, she’s chewing the fabric of the pillow. She’s also super quick. Like lightening quick. And way too smart for her own good.
Okay, I hear you saying that the dog shouldn’t be on the couch either. We’ve tried to keep her off, but puppy training is hard work and takes time. Lots of time. And for the record, she chewed a hole in the carpet. GAH!!!
But how could we stay mad at this adorable face for long???
If anyone out there has any tips for extreme chewers, I’m open for suggestion. Until then, I’m keeping all doors closed, clothes out of her reach, boredom busters and lots and lots of chew toys ready to toss Fergie’s way.
