Your Honors....

Your Honors, I really don't lose my temper often. Used to, but that was in a different life. I've been impressively calm and understanding that my new dogs haven't learned all the ins and outs of living in a furever family. The potty training was grueling, and still is at times, but I didn't get upset over the continual accidents. I just kept after it until I found something that worked for me and for them.

Your Honors, I remind you that Sam was a nearly feral animal, but I remained patient and gentle and consistent in my efforts to bring him to his current state. Perhaps I even did too good a job. Perhaps he is so relaxed and free that he is now simply experiencing all those things that usually happen with puppies under a year, not four year old dogs. Perhaps the fact that he is a nearly normal dog now, one who can actually approach a new human in our house in less than an hour, is something that opened the door for his "inner puppy," almost created an atmosphere in which he feels free to "do it all"! If, in my efforts to make a happy home for him and his new siblings, I unleashed their repressed urges, can I truly be faulted?

Your Honors, I think these are growing pains for all of us in the house. I regret my loud .... OK, extremely loud tantrum last night, but please consider what we have all been through. I keep thinking we are "past all that" about many of the developmental markers of new dogs, just to face another reminder that we are not at all past them. But, Your Honors, I really have been patient and forgiving through it all. Until yesterday.

May I offer my evidence?




Exhibit #1: One pair of shoes. the one on the right is the before, on the left is the (sob) after.













Exhibit 2: One shoe, chewed through about 3-4 weeks ago. View 1.














Exhibit 2, view 2: Apparently one of the culprits simply laid down and continually chomped until nothing but threads held this together.













Exhibit 4: One bra, both straps chewed completely through.












Your Honors, I'm retired and on a fixed income. It is not easy for me to replace these items. I have other shoes and bras to wear, but when you throw in the other destroyed items, it becomes an out of control matter. BTW, I failed to mention several other things in my original report. Some time back the cord for my PDA was chewed into several pieces, and there are teeth marks for the power source cord to my laptop, as well, although it did not receive heavy damage.

Additionally, Your Honors, I worry about what damage the emotionally young dogs might receive from these behaviors. Chewing an electrical cord can, of course, bring irreparable harm. They also swallow items that are small enough ... I assume most of the missing bill of the wooden duck is/was in someone's tummy. I opened a package recently, dropping a few styrofoam peanuts which were quickly consumed by said dogs who pooped white bits of the foam for a couple days. Yuck and unhealthy, too!

Your Honors, the dogs were quite subdued last night after my verbal explosion. They were quiet and compliant, ready for bed without an argument, and were very very still on the bed. This morning, they were still rather docile. In fact, when I pulled the shoes from the trash can to take the above exhibit pictures, became extremely still. After taking the pictures, I placed the shoes back into the trash, I softly said, "Oh, no," and they all dropped their heads to the floor. Despite my regrettable outburst, it may have served to teach a lesson to said four-legged culprits.

Additionally, Your Honors, all of the alleged vandals have spent time with me this morning, and it has been quality time. I believe we have all survived the incident without visibly horrible scars. Perhaps it has simply left scars of learning and growing. Only time will tell.

I'm requesting that I be allowed to continue to parent, train, discipline , love, and hold in my arms and heart, these little furry scoundrels. I promise to resume my previously composed countenance in my interactions with my little friends. They seem to have forgiven me. I hope the Supreme Court of Bloggerville will do likewise.