Who chewed a hole in the couch pillow?
Away for the holidays with a dog misbehaving out of boredom and anxiety
I saw the small hole in my parents’ couch cover. I looked from my dog Junee, peacefully napping on the other end of that couch, and back to the hole again. I shook my head, thinking of the holidays last year when she chewed a hole in a very soft cotton blanket that my mother placed on the couch. I was mortified and confused then, mainly because Junee has never chewed on one blanket or couch pillow in the three years since I adopted her. And although Junee had been to their home a few more times since then, it was happening again.
Recommended Read: “Before you buy a Christmas puppy ~ Shopping pet tips to keep in mind for the holidays and beyond”
My mother shrugged it off, saying she didn’t see Junee chew the couch cover and it could have happened before I got there. I was not convinced. But as any pet owner knows, if you don’t catch the dog in the act of misbehaving, positive reinforcement (or a finger wagging and a “no!”) won’t mean much to them later. So I patiently waited.
Then it happened a second time — except I was not in the room again and my mother was on the other end of the couch. She didn’t see Junee chew a hole. She just looked at a black couch pillow and saw a hole in it with a chunk of recycled, multi-colored yarn material next to it. That pillow definitely did not have a hole in it before then. I’d napped on it. Plus, I would’ve noticed bright red and pink yarn coming out of a black pillow. (Way to recycle!)
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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Still, I didn’t catch Junee in the act, and she was once again peacefully sitting on the couch like it never happened. The next day, while I was doing sit-ups on a yoga mat, I glanced over and saw the couch cover material in her mouth. I leaped up and reached out to grab her. Lightning-fast Junee took off running and I eventually found her hiding in the corner of a dog couch. (My mother loved mine and bought one for her dog Jackie.) I shook my head, wondering why on Earth my dog was suddenly chewing holes in blankets and pillows when she’d never done this in 3.5 years of living with me. If I tossed it in her crate, it was fair game. Otherwise, it was mouths off.