Monday Mischief: Sadie the Motor Mouth

Good Morning, Friends!

Sorry I didn't get the chance to get my paws on the keyboard yesterday- Bosses didn't let me into the computer room, since they went to Iowa City for a wedding over the weekend.  I got to hang out with my Grand"paw", "Run"cle, and "Paw"nt.  I think that's what they call those people?

Anywho, today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about the one thing that gets me in the most trouble:

My mouth.

I am a young dog, and am learning what is appropriate and not appropriate to chew on.  Unfortunately, I figure things out the hard way.  Bosses use a technique to help me learn what is right and wrong, which helps a lot.  If I have my mouth stuck on something they'd like me to leave alone, they switch the bad thing out with something good, like, a Nylabone/chew/ball.  That way, it's positive training with no negative punishments.  I think it's great!  Sometimes, when they're gone at work, I find something out of the blue and obliterate it.  Whoops.  Hence the first Monday Mischief that we wrote about- the stairs getting de-carpeted.

Along with behavioral training, chewing on inappropriate items can be physically dangerous for us dogs.  What if I would have ingested any of the things I ripped to smithereens?!  I hear things don't end well when certain items get stuck, so Boss likes to make sure I'm supervised when chewing on things as much as humanly possible.

We read a neat guide called "Eat This, Not That!" that explains the hazards items can introduce to dogs.  There's even a "seasonal hazards" section, which is very relevant during this time of year!  Halloween this week, Thanksgiving next month, Christmas, New Years.....lots of fun, but also lots of hazards.  I encourage you to read through the guide- even if you know some portions of it already, it's always worth a read.  You can learn something new everyday!

What are some inappropriate items I've destroyed?

• Underwear- I only rip up the cute ones that Small Boss has.  Not Big Boss's- those aren't cute.
• The carpet on the staircase- I pull the carpet up and shred the padding underneath.  Good fun!
• Socks- I like to tug on these.  They have good smells, too!
• The rugs in the kitchen- they looked too neat.  Plus, all the food smells?  Psh! Yeah!
• The memory foam bath mats- they were so squishy.  Felt like cotton candy!
• Toilet paper rolls- because when it's shredded, it looks like snow!  And I like snow!
• Mom's peony plant roots- THIS was a little more scary.  I threw up a lot from these- turns out they are toxic to dogs.  Who knew?!  Mom immediately put a little fence around these so I can't get them.
• Cardboard boxes- the cats do it, why can't I?
• Markers- I ate one.  It wasn't as satisfying as I thought.

The list could go on.  However, I don't actually swallow my victims.  Whew.  I recommend you check that infographic/guide out.  I found it very helpful, and we now know what symptoms to look for in case I do end up swallowing something one of these days.

*Note: I was not compensated for this article- I found it informational, and thought it would be a good read!*

Chow!

#AdventureDogChat Tuesday: The Birthday Outing

Happy Tuesday!

I guess you can call this a "part 2" to my post yesterday about my super fun-filled birthday on Saturday.  This part of my day was pretty adventurous, being my first trip to a very large place filled with lots of people.

Loving the shade under these awesome trees!

We decided to go to an apple orchard for my birthday afternoon, since I love apples!  Bosses brought me along, since all three of us love to eat apples.  We headed on out to one about 45 minutes Southwest of our house, called "Minnesota Harvest".  They had lots of things for us to do.  We started by....well...finding a parking spot, which proved to be pretty challenging.  The good news was that we found one right by the playground- where tons of tiny little mailmen were playing!  More good news- I got to play with tons of tiny little mailmen, because everyone wanted to pet me.  Now that was a pretty sweet deal.

Gorgeous fall colors at the orchard.  Can't say no to those!

As soon as the Bosses could peel me away from the tiny mailmen, we went down the trail to get a bag to pick our own apples.  We picked that up, and headed out to the fields to pick some grub!  I even got to ride on the cart behind the tractor.  And believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it.  Cool.

Mmmmm, apples!

We got off the cart at the first orchard, where we got to pick different kinds of apples based on what purpose you were going to use the apples for.  We picked Haralson and Cortland apples, since Bosses like to bake desserts with them.  I heard rumors of Apple Crisp and applesauce, with the extras made into doggie applesauce and apple chips!  Yesssssss.

I love laying under the trees and smelling all the apples.  I don't touch the rotten ones, though...eeeek.

Big Boss and I were having a great time playing catch with the apples, too.  It's like catching a ball, but with delicious, delicious juices coming out when you puncture it with your teeth!  Woo hoo.

I like to catch!  They're like tennis balls, but tastier!

We wandered around after our bag was full, which involved meeting the farm pets.  I got to meet ducks (my personal favorite, as you can see), peacocks, goats, sheep, and chickens.  Bosses wouldn't let me meet the horses, since the Big Boss is deathly allergic to them.  I want him to stick around for a while, so I'll refrain from meeting the horses. :)

My ears were SO perky when I saw the ducks.  I really wanted to "play" with them. :)

All in all, it was a gorgeous fall day, with great people and activities for everyone!  They are very dog friendly, and we had quite the adventure!

Hope you enjoyed- until next time, chow!
This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.