One Very (K)nawty Puppy

Only a few weeks into 2011 and it's already been one of many "steps" with Bear

I'm an little angel..... or am I?

• Step Forward: Bear is freed of his crate while Mom & Dad go to work.  Access limited to two front rooms.
• Step Backward: forget to turn off heat in front room where he is cordoned off.  Come home to a sauna, puppy panting a little more than normal (thank heavens he had access to water!).  Also time to analyze air circulation in house.
• Step Forward:  remember to turn off heat next time the pup is left alone.
• Step Backward: come home to find tree skirt from Christmas tree in heap in middle of living room floor. 
• Step Forward:- After inspection, tree skirt is chew free. 
• Step Backward: next day, while taking down tree, find that the surge protector that tree was plugged into wasn't as lucky as the tree skirt --- whole end chewed.

We're figuring that Bear is bored.  Lucky for him that next weekend we were off to a wedding in Charlotte, so puppy got boarded -- which includes playtime!  Yay for exhausted dog!

• Step Forward: Bear comes home from being boarded and is exhausted.  Bamas enjoy quiet.
• Step Forward: exhaustion morphs from hours into days
• Step Backward: exhaustion is also coupled with a nasty hacking cough.  Either Bear acquired a bad habit of chain smoking while being boarded or he has Kennel cough
• Step Backward: Confirmed- Bear has Kennel cough. Vet's suggestion - 2tsp of Robitussin DM every 6 hours.
• Step Backward: Bear will have none of this nasty sugary sweet pink liquid.  Throws hissy fit while Mr. Bama tries to restrain all 75lbs of him and I try to use a turkey baster to put nasty liquid down his throat.  Result- More Robitussin ended up on Mr. Bama and myself than in Bears mouth.  Bear runs away, afraid to come near us for next hour.
• Step Forward: Call Vet while covered in Robitussin - he writes prescription for pill that can be picked up that morning (sidenote: why can my dog get prescriptions faster than I can?)
• Step Backward:  Almost pass out as I pay for prescription.  $50 for ten pills!?  Come to conclusion that Bear needs to find a job or this needs to be the best medicine ever.  The jury is still out.
• Step Forward:  Bear eats pills - Hacking stops.  
• Step Backward: Other Vet recommendation - "no interaction with other dogs for up to a week after the pills are complete."  The last thing I want is the dog that gives everyone else's dog "the cough"
• Step Backward: every time we go out we either see his best friend or his girlfriend.  Bear is having none of this "no play time" mandate. Throws self to ground and pouts as friends walk away and then whines constantly inside house.
• Step Backward: boredom = destruction.  Come home to find decorative sofa pillow given as gift from mom on floor, the edge slightly shredded.  Mr. Bama reads Bear the riot act.  Pillow is salvageable
• Step Backward: the next day, we come home to find the Pillow finished off.  Bear is yelled at again and pillow is thrown out.  Also find iPhone charger cord in Bear's bed.  Do once over and find nothing wrong with cord. 

• Step Backward: When going to plug in my phone before I crawl into bed, I discover that my iPhone cord has been chewed on to a point where it is no longer able to plug into the phone.  So tired that I mutter something like "bad dog" before crawling into bed.  Today phone is dead.

my poor iPod charger....

The final count:
Step Forwards - 6
Step backwards - 12

I guess there really is truth is in the idea of progress being the process of taking one step forward and two steps back.

Who knows what I'll come home to today.  Bear's sanity (and Mine) cannot wait for this week to be over.  I think this weekend will be devoted to Bear playing at the park, all day, everyday.

PS - i dislike kennel cough.