You may recall that we adopted a puppy when we returned from our vacation in early August. Mia’s been an, uh, interesting addition to the family. If nothing else she’s annoyed the heck out of the elder statesman of the house, Arthur. They’re constantly
bickering over food and she’s constantly nipping at him which leads to a constant stream of “don’t touch me” yelps and
“please tell her to leave me alone” cries from Arthur. It’s like our
kids multiplied by 10.
Actually she’s been quite the influence on him. For instance she’s taught him there’s no reason to accept confinement and now the two of them regularly collaborate to break out of various rooms, pens, etc. She’s also given him amnesia when it comes to manners. Before Mia’s arrival he never sniffed at things on the table, or jumped to get treats out of your hand. Now he’s acting like a reprobate and we’re having to remind him that we don’t have to put up with that mess. Thankfully you only have to tell him once. Mia, on the other hand, gets me to talking like I did 10 years ago when the kids were toddlers. “No, no, no, no…NO” and “Down, down, down, down…DOWN” and “Shhh, shhh, shhh, Shut Up!” are now the most often heard sentences in our house, and usually they’re followed by strangled curses like “Son of bi-gerching. What did you just do, dabberflabbit. You little shicker…aw, dadgummit I just stepped in this pile of -, OH MAN MY NEW SHOES! One of you kids better get this mutt outta here before I sell her for parts.”
Then there’s the chewing. If it’s on the ground it’s munched, and it doesn’t matter what it’s made of. Metal? No problem. Wood? Yummy. Clothing? Rags.
Yeah, we love her.
Befuddled 
Watch the Dog Whisperer, Friday nights on the National Geographic channel…will help a lot with the dogs.
Bo sent along your link & and I have to say I am laughing so hard, I’m crying! You see, we adopted Mia’s sister, Sugar and well… are living parallel lives! Sugar is proabably a little better in some ways & a little worse in others, especially with our Grande Dame Annie. But WHAT is with the pica action… we’ve gone past metal, wood and clothing to rocks, soccer goals & wire fencing!!! 🙂 Hang in there and know you’re not alone!
PE,
I’ve found the Dog Whisperers “tsk” sound to be the most effective at getting the dog’s attention. The rest of it hasn’t taken hold yet.
Shannon,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad to hear that we didn’t pick the freak of the litter:) I’ve had puppies in the past that chewed on things that actually give way (wood siding for instance), but this whole metal thing is just a trip. We have metal patio furniture that Mia just LOVES to gnaw on. I don’t think I’ll ever figure it out.