The destruction...

Well, there’s supervision and then there is **SUPERVISION**.

David can be sitting there or lying on the futon reading ... with the dogs within his sight. I can be in the back bathroom completely OUT of sight and I can tell just by the sound of whatever’s going on not only which dog is doing what but generally where they are at and whether or not they are "up to no good". I’m the one who is "busy" AND out of sight completely often in a completely different part of the house but *I* am the one who "catches" the derring do! LOL

So it’s ME yelling thru the house "Daaaa-viddddddddddddddd – TINK’s into that bag under the chair at your computer and she’s up to no good!!" -- it’s TWO FEET from David, but *I* hear it.

Chalk it up to that "Mom-thing" where we have eyes in the back of our head and instincts scarey enough to be the stuff of legend. It all depends on which of you is motivated to really keep track. If you aren’t motivated to PREVENT the problem before it’s a big deal and you’re not listening FOR trouble before it happens, it never gets "caught". And in your case, the dogs know he’s an easy mark – because he can probably be looking right at them, but he’s not concentrating on what THEY are doing so ... they don’t get caught.

In essence – when Mom’s home nobuddy is BORED. When Dad’s home? They’re looking for STUFF TO DO!!!!!

 In our house DH is much less attentive and it seems pretty apparent that Bugsy has realized this.  He isn't a destroyer but has damaged things when DH is home and by the time DH finds him he has usually finished off what he is doing.  I also think in our case it is an attention seeking behavior from B.

I can predict his habits or likely mischief so I usually nip it iin the bud

Callie, I think David and Charles must be brothers separated at birth. lol  Just the other day I was in our bedroom folding clothes.  I took a stack of towels to put in the spare bathroom attached to Charles' computer room.  There were Belle and Twister! playing tug with one of his slippers.  Right next to him and growling and making all kind of noise.  LOL  I can often tell from another room exactly what the dogs are up to and if not Rex comes and tattles on them. 

The dogs totally know they can get away with more when he's "in charge". 

JackieG

The dogs totally know they can get away with more when he's "in charge". 

I think it's more this than supervision.  He's actually better at supervising becuase they are more destructive with him.  He said today he went upstairs just to check his e-mail, he had already closed the gate across the slider door to keep the dogs outside, and in 10 minutes Coke somehow broke down a barrier we keep in front of the shoe rack, took DH's leather shoes off a higher shelft, and destroyed them.  Often when I am home the dogs have free reign indoors and out, and I can be doing something upstairs for 45 minutes without checking an nothing happens.  All DH has to do is turn his back.  Last week they went after the dumbest stuff, like a couch pillow that has been there since before we had dogs, and took one of the photo albums off a bookshelf.

My DH doesn't really *watch* the dogs when he's alone with them...or even when I'm here....I think he's used to Apollo and not really having to watch him.  

Funny story...over the weekend when I was on the computer, typing away....I hear paper ripping a few times...then a few more.......I look over DH is laying on the couch, watching TV and Patty is laying on the ground- right next to him!- ripping up a magazine!! So, I go, "JEREMY!" and startle him. He snapped out of the TV trans said, "What? What's the matter?" Me, "Look at what Patty's doing! Take that away from her!" Him, "Oh...oh crap...." LOL!

It's still cracking me up, b/c I'll leave with the dogs out, free reign of the house! and when I come home they haven't so much as moved from their dog beds/couch.  And yet when DH is home, they're like "hey let's eat a bike helmet today!"

 LMAO! All this sounds like my house!

Callie's right, moms do have eyes in the backs of their heads. It's a developement in anatomy following childbirth.

I think it's also a matter of timing. If Shadow decides to chase Jade, I'm commanding off at the first muscle flinch and DW is still wondering what, after the fact. OTOH, he doesn't do stuff like that around just her. So, I reckon, Shadow does that around me because he's my dog (even though he's both of ours and he spends time with DW, you guys know what I mean). Although, in the yard, he will stand protectively for DW between her and neighbor dogs. Shadow doesn't tear up shoes and we're lucky that way. The worse thing he's done is misappropriate one of Jade's toys.

So, is it just Coke doing this around DH? DH may be accidently reinforcing this and Coke does it for the attention, maybe. I know you have said that DH got Coke. And that DH has had problems in the past getting on the same training page as you are on.

 Not just Coke, Nikon is actually worse.  Generally Nikon starts it and Coke finishes it.

Could be stress-related. Might not be, but it's always a possibility.

Shimmer tore the cover off of a book the other day. The first time in a long time she's destroyed anything....I was surprised, but in the end it's my fault since she was a lot more stressy this week due to staying at a friend's to run the boarding kennel. Her issues with other dogs are such that observably she's not that upset, but I can see subtle stress signals from her and this was one of them. The only time Shimmer ever chewed was when she was left totally alone and loose, and it has been attributed to minor stress when people leave.

 I do think there is something to the man supervision thing though. LOL. I too can hear the dogs and know exactly what they are up to when they are in a whole other room.....sad isn't it?

Kim_MacMillan

 I do think there is something to the man supervision thing though. LOL. I too can hear the dogs and know exactly what they are up to when they are in a whole other room.....sad isn't it?

two funny stories

(1) when Bugsy was about 6 mos old I was cooking in the kitchen and DH was upstairs on the phone.  At that age you needed to be able to see Bugsy or he was in trouble. So while cooking I am thinking hmm haven't seen him and don't hear him.  Walked upstairs and he was sat under DH eating his shoe.  DH was oblivious, feet up on the window sill fully engaged in a conversation.  I tapped him on the shoulder and pointed down LOL cracks me up still today!

(2) I had an evening meeting and DH was in charge - ahem.  He put Bugsy out on the deck (with a gate) and went about fixing himself up a nice meal, music going etc.  Phone rings it's our neighbor who asks DH if he is missing anything.  Hmm no.  Are you sure. Yes. Really? Yes. Then she said, where's your puppy?  On the deck.  Really? Yes.  

DH looks outside and the gate has been opened   Bugsy had gone over to play with her golden who was inside so he was pawing and crying at her back door.  All the while DH oblivious.

Ah to not have a worry in the world like so many of these boys