The first couple months I had Lucy, she was a better puppy than I could have ever imagined. Although we had to work a bit on her piddling in the house, she generally didn't chew things, didn't bark, stayed very nicely in her kennel while I was at work, and was just overall a great dog. Sure we lost a shoe or two, but she was selective in what she chewed up...only older shoes that neither Jennifer or I would readily choose to wear.
Now in my third month of dog ownership, Lucy has definitely moved from that lovable, docile infant to a reckless toddler. She has taken to carrying her food and water bowls around the house (spilling all the water if the bowl happens to be full), reverted to going the bathroom in the house when she feels like it, and chewing anything and everything she can get her little paws on. This usually happens when Jennfier and I, showing a bit of trust in Lucy, leave her out while we're not home. Pete has been skeptical of my decision to leave Lucy out still so early in her short life. When we've walked into my house multiple times in the past couple weeks to find Lucy has destroyed something, I immediately realize I should have listened to my wise dog-owning boyfriend.
I often slip on my wellies, my cute white polka-dot rubber rain boots, to take Lucy out to go potty. Because I used them so often, they sat near the door, ready to use at any moment, and they had gone largely unnoticed by Lucy. That is, until my terrible toddler dog suddenly decided that they looked tasty and somehow tore the left boot apart. What you see here is what remains of my beloved wellies.
Lucy has been relegated back to the kennel while Jennifer and I are not at home, and will remain there until it appears her tendency to chew buttons and rubber and bowls and toilet paper and flip flops and get into the trash has largely passed. Despite her oral fixation stage, I still adore my dog and wouldn't trade her for a million dollars. :)
