Tucker the Destroyer

Tucker's now nine months old and a big, healthy, brute of a pup. I'm so head over heels in love with this dog--he's totally stolen my heart. He's gorgeous, silly and playful, loving, brilliantly smart, and a cuddler (though he thinks he's part cat and tries cramming his almost eighty pound body on the back of the loveseat to curl around my shoulders as I watch TV--that totally melts me and is absolutely crushing the loveseat cushions!!) I'm madly, wildly in love with my maniac...most likely his saving grace, because the dog is complete trial!!

What has Tucker eaten lately? And I don't mean food or treats, people...Aside from finally shredding the last of the plush toys that remained from Sweet Pea's puppy days, he's chewed up the wire from my heating pad, had to go buy a new one; a purple ink pen he helped himself to from the top of the pc tower in the office--not like it was laying lost and forgotten on the floor, he had to go out of his way to snag this one! He ate a little wooden cat knick knack off one of the livingroom end tables, that I had bought at Pier One years ago and absolutely loved--gone. A pair of underwear stolen from the bathroom floor while the owner was in the shower. A small bucket on the back porch that was supposed to collect the rain leaking from one of  the skylights. Some rusty nails Bill left in the bucket (and got a good scolding for for leaving something so potentially lethal in the path of Tucker! Fortunately he didn't swallow any...) He gnawed a corner off of our oriental rug. An afternoon was spent wrestling with a lawn ornament in the backyard--not some itty bitty little gnome statue, either. This is a honkin' huge metal sundial trellis looking thing--he dragged it from one end of the yard to another! And, hoping to appease him after he ate all the plush toys, I'd bought him a Kong Beast at Petco. I should know better. He can destroy a Kong in minutes flat. But this was a Kong BEAST! Right on the packaging it claimed to be puncture resistant, able to stand up to even the heaviest chewers! I'm such a shopping sucker...Tuck destroyed the beast in less than three minutes. Puncture resistant for a chihuahua maybe!!! And so the dilemma continues--what to do with this dog??

Nylabones are the ONLY thing he can't destroy. I've bought him two now and he LOVES them! He chomps on them for hours and has barely made a dent in either of them. Well, that and he has two different balls he's not been able to chew apart because they're too big for him to really get a good grip on with his incisors. One is a Kong--their extra large squeeze ball that squeeks, so he adores it! The other...I can't remember the brand, but it's one that can be stuffed with treats and it drives him insane, but keeps him occupied for a good long time...Aahh, my baby!!

Tuck loves to hog up as many toys at once as he can--he's got two chewies and is laying on one of his Nylabones....heaven forbid one of the other dogs might get a toy!

Sleepy snuggy Sweet Pea...zzzzz