Mischievious Puppies

It is my habit to put the puppies in my front office when I have to leave for several hours during the day.  I could put them in their crates.  But I know the puppies will have so much more fun if they can romp and play together. I throw a bunch of toys  and chews into the room, close the doors and go down the road without a worry.  And in the past, I have always returned to happy, well behaved doggies.

But last Thursday I was not thinking straight.  I planned to be gone the whole morning...and I was running way behind schedule.  I didn't have time to hunt down various forms of puppy entertainment....All I could find was a rope toy.   So I threw it in the office, closed the door and went on my way.   Did I think for a moment about the trouble I was possibly creating for myself?  Yes, I have to admit I did wonder what they would do with themselves for so long.  But I was in too much of a rush to think about consequences.

And I am sure you can guess what happened next.  The puppies had a hay day!  When I got home it looked like a book bomb had exploded.  There was paper of all shapes and sizes littered over the whole room.  Even the office chair had taken a hit.  The seat cushion had been chewed and a chunk was gone.   It was a terrible mess!   

Misty...caught in the act!  Coco does a better job acting innocent.

I felt a little shocked.  How could my sweet little puppies have created such chaos?!?!    But was I really shocked at their behavior....or was I surprised at my own negligence?    No I was not angry at my dogs.  How could I be?.  The puppies were so happy to see me they started leaping high in the air with exuberance, cute as they could be and oblivious to the destruction they had created.  

So I let them outside to romp in the back yard while my daughter and I picked up the pieces of wreckage.  Lucky for me the damage was actually fairly minimal.  The cardboard and paper were not bits of treasured volumes....but old boxes and used notebooks that were easily replaced.  And the chair was never in pristine condition....Black duck tape on black vinyl will do wonders.  

I consider it a lesson well learned.  It will impress upon me a solid course of action for the future. Never again will I leave the puppies without first puppy proofing their play area and providing suitable entertainment.   I will make sure to collect some toys and chews especially for times when I have to rush out the door.  I certainly don't want to be caught unprepared again.  My dogs are good dogs.  But as you can see, young puppies will create their own entertainment if they are left alone and don't have something to relieve their boredom.